Israel is a country in the Near East consisting for 95% of the arid regions in which 60% of the territory are covered by the Negev Desert. Therefore, the water resources are scant here and formed mostly by atmospheric precipitations. In the period from 1989 to 2005 the average precipitations were 6 billion cu. m, of which 60–70% were evaporated soon after rainfalls, at least 5% run down by rivers into the sea (mostly in winter) and the remaining 25% of precipitations infiltrated into soil from where the greater part of water got into the sea with ground waters. In Israel there are two groups of water resources: surface and underground. Israel is not rich in surface waters. The natural reservoir of surface fresh water is the Kinneret Lake in the northeast of the country. It gets water from the Jordan River and its tributaries. The average annual amount of available water of this lake is around 370 million cu. m, which accounts for one-third of the country’s water needs and still higher share of the drinking water needs. The greater part of fresh waters (37% of water supply of Israel as of 2011) in this country is supplied from ground water sources. Owing to insufficiency of available natural resources, unevenness of precipitations by years and seasons and with the growth of the population and economic development the issues of provision with the quality drinking water of the population as well as agriculture and industry, rehabilitation of natural environment cause permanently growing concern. In view of the water shortage untiring efforts have been taken to improve the irrigation efficiency and to reduce water use by improving the efficacy of irrigation techniques and application of advanced system management approaches. Among the water saving technologies applied in Israel there are: drop irrigation, advanced filtration, up to date methods of water leak detection from networks, rainwater collection and processing systems. At the same time such measures as water flow measurements, policy of water price formation, changeover to cultivation of valuable crops, thermal water recycling, computer-based and remotely controlled irrigation are also applied. The search for new techniques of fresh water production is going on. Water saving is considered the most reliable and less costly method to increase water resources of the country, And this task is being accomplished in all sectors. In 1964 the National Water Carrier of Israel was constructed. The main task of this project is to achieve the reliable compensation of the difference between water income in various regions (north and south), in different seasons (summer and winter) and in different years (with sufficient and insufficient precipitations). In 1999 the Israel government initiated the long-term large-scale program of sea water desalination for production of drinking water for internal use. Reverse osmosis was adopted the basic technique for desalination of brackish and sea water. Currently there are five sea water desalination plants producing about 600 million cu. m of desalinated water per year which is equivalent to approximately 42% of the country’s drinking water needs. Israel adopted the General Plan of Water Economy Development for 2010–2050, which envisages complete coverage of water deficit by way of entire wastewater treatment and construction of additional sea water desalination facilities with a capacity to 1500 million cu. m by 2050. Any additional desalinated water that may become available in these years will be used for replenishing the water supply in Israel.

The southern seas of Russia are of paramount importance for the development of the economy, shipping, recreational zones, and tourism. Development of the port infrastructure, intensification of gas and oil production and transportation, development of tourism along with natural and climatic factors have a strong impact on ecosystems of seas. All of this complicates sustainable development of the region and sustainable use of marine resources. This article examines the climatic, ecological and technogenic challenges associated with sustainable use of the southern seas of Russia. Effective solving of such problems requires an integrated approach, interaction between scientists, representatives of authorities, environmental organizations, business representatives, port and marine services in the framework of Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Marine Spatial Planning.

It has been three years since the impose of anti-Russian sanctions and claimed turn to the East. It is possible to sum up some results of this politics already. Top-priority in such circumstances is China, world’s second large economy; Russian-Chinese relations “are now the best ever”. Leaders of both countries have focused on the importance of maintaining strategic partnership multiple times. While Russia turned to The East, China also chose turn to the West by declaring global “One belt — One road” initiative for development of worldwide transport and investment infrastructure in Eurasia. Moscow is the partnership of the Initiative. It was decided to cooperate in frames of Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Silk Road Economic Belt. However, such a high level of political communication cannot guarantee the same results in bilateral trade and economic relations. Main projects, which were agreed with the involvement of the top-officials, are in progress. Businessmen mostly have to handle with all the problems to enter new Chinese market by themselves. In addition, despite all the efforts Russia is still not developing the same good connection with other Asian countries, except Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.

As a result of the Kyrgyz Republic becoming a full-fledged member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on the 30th of January, 1992 and signing up all fundamental documents of the Helsinki Final Act on the 8th of June, 1992 and the Charter of Paris for a New Europe on the 3rd of June, 1994, the Kyrgyz Republic administration has been showing commitment to fulfill all accepted obligations of the Organization and illustrating it with cooperation at military-political, social, economical and ecological fields as well as providing a space for organizing the OSCE events at the country. The OSCE' consultancy and expert assistance is heavily practiced in many fields. At the current moment, there is a high level of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan' government and OSCE's institutions that focuses on main aspects of the country's security. According to the mandate of the OSCE Head Office in Bishkek, any political or military cooperation should focus on three key points: development of political institutes, conflict prevention and anti-terror. At the current stage, the Kyrgyz Republic is focused on specifying cooperation plans in military-political field and security policy with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The political leadership of the country insists on accelerating the Organization engagement in the military-political field and multifaceted security problems, even after disagreement with the Organization's senior management and downgrading the status of the OSCE in Kyrgyzstan from the Head Office to a Program Office. After becoming a Program Office, the OSCE senior management has intensified the cooperation in the military-political field. Apart from supporting military institute, the Organization started to provide consultancy and technical support to the law enforcement in terms of new law enforcement reforms. The necessity to shape new cooperation plans between the Kyrgyz Republic and the OSCE were, first of all, focused on improving cooperation in military-political field and security policy, and its' immediate implementation with close and active participation of military and law enforcement institutes of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The article substantiates the idea of Romania's key role in the Black Sea region from the standpoint of EU energy security. It is proved, first of all, by the Romanian promotion of the EU energy policy on its eastern borders. The National Defense Strategy of Romania for the period 2015–2019 and the Romanian Energy Strategy for the period 2016–2030 are aimed at this and fully correspond to the European energy vector. At the same time, the energy policy of the EU meets the strategic interests of Romania itself. The article is dedicated to the role of Romania in the future EU Energy Union. In the first area of activity — "Energy security, solidarity and trust" — this country has a central role. At the core of the EU energy security lies primarily the diversification of energy sources, which is assumed to be implemented through the development of the Southern Gas Corridor, that can provide the access to the Caspian resources. This fact underscores the importance of the Black Sea region and in particular of Romania, regarded as the vehicle of this initiative. The article also describes the main energy projects of Romania, as well as their importance for the entire European Union. Four strategic directions have been officially announced: the Bulgaria-Romania-Hungary-Austria gas transport corridor (BRUA), the connection to the national energy system of neighboring countries (the most important in this respect is the project of connecting the Republic of Moldova to the EU energy system through Romania), AGRI (Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania Interconnector), as well as projects aimed at creating and developing new natural gas storage facilities. The strategic interests of Romania are very closely intertwined with the aspects of energy security and, mostly, are formed on their basis. In addition to an advantageous geopolitical position, Romania has its own oil and gas deposits, which makes it less dependent on Russian energy imports. Therefore, the Romanian authorities, together with the national energy companies, make every effort to develop the national oil and gas sector, because this can significantly contribute to the promotion of Romania's interests in the Black Sea region.

In this article we are talking about the accents of the cultural policy pursued by the authorities in modern Tajikistan. The purpose of this article is to study the process of formation and development of a new state in Tajikistan, for its conditionality due to cultural and ideological content. During periods of political transformation, the emerging cultural vacuum, as a rule, is filled with national content. The power very often use national texts in political legitimation. The process of legitimation the political elite since the recognition of Tajikistan's independence is closely related to a new cultural design, the accents of which are objectively associated with various subjects of national culture and appeals to the heroic past. Thus, culture becomes an instrument of the modern policy of the Tajik elite, providing its legitimating strategies. At the same time, the emphasis on national texts in the cultural policy of Tajikistan is not entirely clear due to the presence in the cultural space of various forms of memory referring to the imperial experience of the USSR. In modern Tajikistan, the Soviet cultural heritage is still visible, the parting with which looks inevitable and painful for the public that is nostalgic for the times of the USSR. There is no doubt that this process is a matter of time, because it directly relates to the legitimacy of the current political elite. The author gives a number of examples of how the Soviet imperial text and the new national text correlate in the cultural space of modern Tajikistan. Thus, the author comes to the conclusion that a rather complimentary attitude on the part of Tajikistan towards the Soviet and Russian culture, in view of the deep integration of the economies of the two states, can allow the painful process of cultural transformation to be stymied in time.

In article internal political development of Ukraine which happened for more than quarter of the century of modern history is investigated and also the main directions of foreign policy of the country are analyzed. For the period which has passed from the moment of the collapse of the USSR in 1991 political development of Ukraine was followed by the conflicts, cardinal changes of the constitution. Bitter struggle went between executive and legislative branches of the power which sought to strengthen the positions due to redistribution of powers. Besides, heated debates went between supporters of the unitary device of Ukraine and adherents of federalization. The last saw a guarantee of maintaining territorial integrity of the country and a way of achievement of political stability in transition to the federal beginnings. This problem was especially relevant for the Ukrainian state which owing to historical development and formation of the modern territory, has inherited interregional contradictions. It was especially accurately shown during the periods of political events of 2004 and 2014, having fully reflected the available problems connected with fight of regional elite. Despite political shocks, the Ukrainian elite of the western and east regions supported unitary development of Ukraine, seeing in it a possibility of receiving complete control over the state institutes and financial flows. Ignoring of opportunities of the federal device was shown in 2014 when tough rejection of the radical nationalist parties which have carried out a coup in Kiev has caused a wave of protest performances in southeast regions. The subsequent political struggle between Kiev and regions of the East of Ukraine has developed into armed conflict. However, despite it, the official Ukrainian authorities haven't changed the negative attitude to a possibility of federalization of the state. It is difficult and contradictory the foreign policy of Ukraine which generally carried a westernized course was formed. Despite the short periods of rapprochement with Russia that strengthened criticism from opposition forces, the Ukrainian power adhered to a pro-European course, considering him as a guarantee of independent development and creation of a counterbalance of Russia. Similar approach has affected foreign policy priorities of Ukraine which expanded cooperation with the countries taking a hard line in relation to Russia. Finally, strengthening of the anti-Russian rhetoric from official Kiev has led to cooling of the Russian-Ukrainian relations which have ceased to have character of strategic partnership, and then and has led to tough opposition of two countries. In recent years the attention of the Ukrainian policy is directed to strengthening of the relations with the European countries. This vector has amplified after change of the power in Ukraine in 2014 when the Ukrainian authorities have headed for expansion of cooperation with the EU, of the USA and began to make efforts for rapprochement with NATO.

Political stability has an undeniable value as a basic condition and a critical resource for national security, the evolutionary development of the country and its civilizational future. The processes of democratization of Kazakhstan, the formation of a new socio-economic framework and its model of development of statehood are complex and, to some extent, contradictory, due to transit conditions. In this case, it is fundamentally essential to determine national values and interests, that are in the center of the reforms, consolidating the various social groups of the population and influencing state and civil identification. In a country that is multiethnic state with a bi-ethnic structure of the population, interethnic harmony is the most important condition for maintaining internal political stability and national security. The strategic direction is a priority of the political community of all citizens of Kazakhstan, the priority of our common citizenship over all other forms of identity. At the same time, the foundation for the modernization of modern societies is multi-ethnic civil identity of the peoples of the Republic, which is formed the citizens of Kazakhstan regardless of their ethnicity in the formation of political, legal and economic foundations of statehood. The identity of Kazakhstan is based on civil consolidation and political stability which makes it possible to form a state system of strategic guidelines while maintaining peace and spiritual accord in accomplish the task and achieved allowed to achieve a dynamic economic development and recognition in the world community, to build national policy, to take a step towards a balanced democratic political system. The political course of the young state was marked by the program "Strategy of the development of the program "Kazakhstan — 2030", where to the strengthening and development of Kazakh identity and unity are considered in the fourth direction of the Plan of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev."Identity and unity" with the "100 steps: the modern state for all" build a single nation of the future. The Foundation foundation of the Kazakh identity and unity are national values based on cultural, ethnic, linguistic and religious diversity.

After the Arabs invaded Central Asia, Islam began to dominate the region. Although during the Soviet Union due to socialist ideology Islam in the region was diluted, after the independence of the five Central Asian countries, Islam still met with the revival. Especially in the 1980s, some Islamic groups in Central Asia began to pay close attention to the Islamic revolution in Iran and the jihad in Afghanistan, the ideas of radicalism under Islamic slogans also began to penetrate. In fact, during the Soviet era, Islam was still generally considered by the people as a way of moral recovery of society. In the mind, morality and Islam have almost always been identified. This article examines the resurgence of Islam in Central Asia after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the spread of extremist Islamic ideas in the region, analyzes the impact of the Islamic renaissance in Central Asia on Xinjiang China, especially the influence of the extremist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir on the activities of Chinese "three forces of evil" and cross-border crimes, arms smuggling and drug trafficking. The author believes that although the Islamic revival movement in different countries had a great influence on the development of Islamic fundamentalism (IF) and even extremist ideology in China, the Islamic revival movement in Central Asia had a more direct impact on the security situation in Xinjiang. Therefore, the Xinjiang local government in recent years has strengthened control and surveillance at the border of China and Central Asia and is carrying out a number of measures to control the area, aimed at preventing the spread of extreme ideas and terrorist activities. Although now the main part of the IF was defeated, judging by the prevailing situation, the security situation in the Fergana region of Central Asia, which is located on the border of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, is still the most serious in the future. The development of remnants and branches in Central Asia and their threat to China's security are still underestimated.