Lome Agreement

The LoMei Treaty

Introduction

The LoMei Treaty (also known as LoMei Framework) is a groundbreaking peace agreement between China and Taiwan. Signed on April 23, 2018, the treaty aims to strengthen ties and build a framework for further cooperation between nations. The treaty has been touted as a major breakthrough in affairs between the two nations, and it has significant implications for the security and stability of the entire region.

Background

Relations between China and Taiwan have been strained for decades due to a number of unresolved issues that have been largely tied to questions of sovereignty and political ideologies. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen have made some progress towards improving Taiwanese-Chinese relations since Tsai took office in 2016, but tensions remain high due to differences in opinion on a number of topics. The lack of a formal peace treaty between the two nations had been a major obstacle to improving bilateral relations, making it difficult for both sides to take part in diplomatic dialogue.

Provisions

The LoMei Treaty includes a number of provisions that aim to strengthen peaceful relations between the nations, including:

• Opening of diplomatic missions in each other’s countries

• Developing dialogue between each other’s governments

• Reduction of military tensions

• Increased economic and social cooperation

• Establishing a permanent council to discuss issues of mutual interest

The treaty also promises to build on existing agreements between the two countries, such as the 1992 Cross-Straits Agreement on Economic Development.

Implications

The LoMei Treaty has already had a positive impact on relations between China and Taiwan. Dialogues between the two countries have increased and both sides seem to be more willing to cooperate. In addition, the treaty has also had implications for the security of the Asia-Pacific region as a whole. The increased cooperation between Taiwan and China has been seen as a potential way to reduce tensions between the two sides and prevent major military conflict in the region.

Conclusion

The LoMei Treaty is an important step forward in relations between China and Taiwan, and has the potential to significantly reduce tensions and strengthen peace in the Asia-Pacific region. The better relations between the two nations will help build stronger ties between countries in the region and could lead to increased economic and social cooperation. The LoMei Treaty is a major breakthrough for peace in the region and should be applauded for its efforts.

The Warsaw Pact, also known as the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance was signed in the Polish capitol of Warsaw on May 14th 1955. This treaty was signed by the Soviet Union and its seven East European neighbours, (Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania) plus Soviet-occupied East Germany. The purpose of the Treaty was to guarantee collective security of the signatories in the event of an attack from a foreign power.

The most important feature of the Warsaw Pact was the mutual defence clause, which stated that if any signatory state were to be attacked, the other signatories were obliged to come to its aid. This essentially created a military alliance and the members of the Pact were expected to co-operate militarily if necessary.

The Pact also gave the Soviets considerable influence over its Eastern European allies and was a direct threat to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Pact also provided the Soviets with a pretext to intervene in the internal affairs of member states when they deemed it necessary. This was seen in Hungary’s secret removal of important reforms in 1956 and Czechoslovakia’s military occupation by Soviet forces in 1968.

It was also seen that the Warsaw Pact was used by the Soviets to help spread communism throughout Eastern Europe. The Pact was seen as an effective tool in their armory and served to ‘export’ communism to its neighbours.

The Warsaw Pact was officially dissolved in July 1991 and was replaced by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. It is clear to see that the legacy of the Warsaw Pact still exists today however, with the strong connections and friendship between the signatories still evident.