Books by Alexander Mesarovich
Routledge, 2024
Europeanization and Informal Networks in Southeastern Europe considers the impact of political cu... more Europeanization and Informal Networks in Southeastern Europe considers the impact of political culture, including informal rules which regulate political behaviour, on formal political processes. Exploring the EU accession processes of Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia, the author identifies how the working and social culture of political elites enabled and/or constrained the ability of the respective legislatures to pass the reforms necessary to become members of the EU.
The innovative approach quantifies informality at the elite level, taking a rigorous, multi-methods approach to identifying the sometimes-subtle impact of informal cultures on formal political processes. In doing so, it demonstrates the added value from studying informality by providing a richer understanding of the factors which help motivate and drive political action, and which may be invisible to an outside observer. By examining features such as the connectedness of individuals and key committees, Mesarovich finds that hierarchical network structures can both accelerate and interfere with reform processes under different conditions.
This book advances the field of Europeanization both within the framework of accession and more broadly, by highlighting network-level and individual factors which can deeply impact state-wide political outcomes, and will be of primary interest to an academic audience interested in the region, EU studies, Social Network Analysis, and regional politics.
Faces of Populism in Central and Southeastern Europe, 2023
Euroscepticism takes many forms, from disagreements on policy to disputes
over abstract concepts... more Euroscepticism takes many forms, from disagreements on policy to disputes
over abstract concepts such as “sovereignty” and culture. Throughout the process
of European Union (EU) accession, all these arguments are mobilized to attempt
to stall the process. Each case has a different combination of said arguments
which are employed by Eurosceptic individuals creating an iterative conflict
between Eurosceptic and pro-EU actors which shifts and evolves throughout
the accession process.
This chapter seeks to delineate how this conflict affects the accession process by
examining the cases of Croatia and Serbia. In particular, it addresses the question
of under what conditions did/does the confluence of populism and Euroscepticism impact their accession processes? To accomplish this, this chapter first identifies
successful conditions for Europeanization, defined here as the process of accession,
derived from the literature on policy learning. Then, social network analysis is
used to identify the structure of relations within the parliaments of Croatia and
Serbia during their accession processes which is paired with interviews with
politicians. These are then used to identify under what conditions the actions,
beliefs, and behaviour of populist and Eurosceptic politicians were able to impact
accession by interrupting the diffusion of information, norms, and beliefs to
relevant policymakers throughout the process.
CONTEMPORARY POPULISM AND ITS POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES, 2022
A rising tide of populist anger lifts all boats, but it pushes some more than others. For represe... more A rising tide of populist anger lifts all boats, but it pushes some more than others. For representatives from smaller parties representing national minorities the question of how to exercise power at the national level without becoming the target of populists becomes increasingly pertinent. To investigate this this paper uses Social Network Analysis (SNA) to analyse the coping strategies of national minority political parties within Croatia and Serbia, attempting to understand how these parties view their political space and under what conditions they cooperate with populists and under what conditions they oppose populist politicians. More specifically, this paper analyses the evolution in strategies of political
cooperation in the parliaments of Croatia and Serbia, the Sabor and Skupπtina respectively, to identify changes in response to rising populism. This analysis reveals that despite the virulent rhetoric and the politicization of ethnic issues during elections minority parties continue to be able to operate and accumulate influence at the elite level depending on their party size. Taken together this raises questions about the impact of populism on the political space and how politics functions in an era of polarization and conflict.
Papers by Alexander Mesarovich
Europe-Asia Studies, 2023
Thirty years on from the collapse of Yugoslavia, the paths of the former constituent republics ha... more Thirty years on from the collapse of Yugoslavia, the paths of the former constituent republics have diverged, with Slovenia and Croatia acceding to the European Union and the rest remaining hopeful Europeans. This article analyses this discrepancy through the lens of policy learning, conceptualising the process of accession as one of learning on the part of the candidate state, and uses social network analysis to identify the impact of informal political networks in parliaments of Croatia and Serbia on their respective EU accession processes. It finds that informal networks in Croatia enabled accession while those in Serbia constrained it.
HESPERIAedu, 2017
Revolutions are always highly complex events which can complicate historical remembrance. To unde... more Revolutions are always highly complex events which can complicate historical remembrance. To understand their impact, it is important to take a holistic view of their progression and connections, especially in the interconnected modern world. This paper prevents some of the variety of impacts of the event and the ways in which various networks, from the individual to the international, were affected by and affected the event. Incorporating the multitude of networks and positions affected by the revolution allows for a construction of a more complex understanding of history. While the space available does not allow for a full investigation of the variety of networks touched on by the revolution of 1956 it, by providing a sample of the complex networks involved, provides a new framework for further research. Taking a holistic approach to the revolution this paper reviews the variety of complex networks affected by the revolution and the impact of existing networks and systems of belief on the responses to the crisis.
Populism in Central-Eastern Europe and South-Eastern Europe has been framed through theoretical i... more Populism in Central-Eastern Europe and South-Eastern Europe has been framed through theoretical ideas and expectations based on West European experience. However, the region's experience of populist politics has diverged from that of Western Europe in important ways. In older West European democracies, the most typical vehicle for populism are, for the moment, new or previously marginal illiberal challenger parties which confront an essentially liberal, non-populist mainstream. In Central-Eastern Europe and South-Eastern Europe, it is the "mainstream" which is or has become populist. Therefore, it is important to elaborate which of these universal indicators of populism can be applied to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Western Balkans, and what kind of particularities will crystallize as a consequence of the socialist background. The main aim of the conference is to gather scholars that are researching different aspects and manifestations of populism in...
Limes Plus, 2018
This paper shall examine the effectiveness of the varieties of privatization implemented in three... more This paper shall examine the effectiveness of the varieties of privatization implemented in three counties in Ex-Yugoslavia: Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia. In addition to studying the eff ectiveness of the privatization strategies this paper shall also investigate the impact of various international actors and agencies; such as the EBRD, EU, IMF, World Bank, etc., on the choice of privatization method and on the success or
failure of its implementation. What this research reveals, is a decreasing enthusiasm amongst international actors for privatization which in turn decreases the pressure on states to privatize, allowing them to prevaricate and leading to ineffi cient privatization outcomes.
Limes Plus, 2017
Revolutions are always highly complex events which can complicate historical remembrance. To unde... more Revolutions are always highly complex events which can complicate historical remembrance. To understand their impact, it is important to take a holistic view of their progression and connections, especially in the interconnected modern world. This paper prevents some of the variety of impacts of the event and the ways in which various networks, from the individual to the international, were affected by and affected the event. Incorporating the multitude of networks and positions affected by the revolution allows for a construction of a more complex understanding of history. While the space available does not allow for a full investigation of the variety of networks touched on by the revolution of 1956 it, by providing a sample of the complex networks involved, provides a new framework for further research. Taking a holistic approach to the revolution this paper reviews the variety of complex networks affected by the revolution and the impact of existing networks and systems of belief on the responses to the crisis.
Conference Presentations by Alexander Mesarovich
UACES 50th Annual Conference, 2020
With the new Commission in place and the rule of law possibly taking centre stage there is no bet... more With the new Commission in place and the rule of law possibly taking centre stage there is no better time to begin to understand political culture and its impact on European Union (EU) member states. All social interaction is governed by certain informal codes and norms of behaviour which affect how individuals organize and associate. Collectively these codes and norms constitute informal rules and practices which form an underlying bedrock of assumptions and understandings of the nature of society and how one operates within it. On top of this bedrock lies the complex latticework of human, formal, organizations such as social and cultural organizations, firms, states, and, eventually, supranational organizations like the EU. With the positioning of the rule of law chapter at the start of the accession process the EU, too, is taking note of the impact of these informal practices on the overlain formal systems. To understand this impact, this paper uses Social Network Analysis (SNA) to identify and examine how the structure of the informal networks within the parliaments of Slovenia and Croatia affected their EU accession process. Taking each parliamentary session in turn this piece builds on a mixture of publicly available network data regarding the structure of the parliaments and interview data collected in the region, while conducting research under the terms of a UACES/JMCT Scholarship. This is followed by a cross case and cross temporal comparison to identify under what conditions informal networks have helped or hindered the EU accession process of Slovenia and Croatia, and thus what can be said about the interaction between the theory of informality and formal processes of EU accession and Europeanization.
Contemporary Populism and Its Political Consequences: Discourses and Practices in Central and South-Eastern Europe, 2019
A rising tide of populist anger lifts all boats, but it pushes some more than others. For represe... more A rising tide of populist anger lifts all boats, but it pushes some more than others. For representatives from smaller parties representing national minorities the question of how to exercise power at the national level without becoming the target of populists becomes increasingly pertinent. To investigate this this paper uses Social Network Analysis (SNA) to analyse the coping strategies of national minority political parties within Croatia and Serbia, attempting to understand how these parties view their political space and under what conditions they cooperate with populists and under what conditions they oppose populist politicians. More specifically, this paper analyses the evolution in strategies of political cooperation in the parliaments of Croatia and Serbia, the Sabor and Skupština respectively, to identify changes in response to rising populism. This analysis reveals that despite the virulent rhetoric and the politicization of ethnic issues during elections minority parties continue to be able to operate and accumulate influence at the elite level depending on their party size. Taken together this raises questions about the impact of populism on the political space and how politics functions in an era of polarization and conflict.
UACES 49th Annual Conference, 2019
All societies are governed by rules and procedures which guide individual actors' behaviour and d... more All societies are governed by rules and procedures which guide individual actors' behaviour and decisions. While constitutions and laws impose formal regulations on actor behaviour, setting the parameters of political action, a deeper, subtler, set of informal rules and norms define what is not only considered possible but also what is 'good' and help to regulate interactions within the parameters set by the formal rules. These informal rules are both 'sticky', as in resistant to change, and fluid, largely lacking in defined boundaries and structure. Yet, these informal rules do exist, and this informality helps to guide political decision making and structure policy preferences. To investigate these informal institutions, this paper proposes a theoretical framework on how to identify and measure these institutions using Social Network Analysis (SNA). Specifically, this paper examines the Europeanization of informal political networks of the states of ex-Yugoslavia to identify under what conditions these informal rules have been 'Europeanized' and under what conditions their 'sticky' nature has helped these rules to resist change. Beginning with their respective transitions to democracy, this paper uses the experiences of Croatia and Serbia as they move towards European accession to propose a model of how to study political informality through an examination of change in networks.
With the collapse of Yugoslavia, the successor states remade their constitutions, either peaceful... more With the collapse of Yugoslavia, the successor states remade their constitutions, either peacefully or violently, to reflect the new political environment in which they found themselves and their wider political objectives. Many of these constitutions built in guaranteed representation for minority groups in the country, giving them set seats in their new parliaments to ensure that their voices would be heard. What has been the effect of these guaranteed seats on the politics in the region? How have parties adapted their policies, platforms, and electoral campaigns to adapt to the existence of these political groups as the successor states moved towards the European Union? Analysing the experiences of Slovenia and Croatia, this paper examines how the existence of these minority parties impacted the Europeanization of the political spaces to entice out how these unique political institutions have shaped the changes in the region.
UACES 48th Annual Conference, 2018
Certain issues come to define the totality of political debate, either through their importance t... more Certain issues come to define the totality of political debate, either through their importance to the population or the all-consuming, transformative mission they propose. Through the 1990’s, as Yugoslav Socialism collapsed and was replaced instead with war, economic and political chaos, the successor states and their political elites had to define themselves in new ways. Instead of the pro-/anti-independence stances of the 1980’s these societies began to define themselves in relation to both the West and their former Yugoslav compatriots. Through this process of differentiation from the other successor states, the political elites of Slovenia, Croatia, and eventually Serbia coalesced around the concept of Europeanness, as opposed to a previously Balkan/Yugoslav identity. This process, of “Europeanizing” identity, culminated in accession, of Slovenia in 2004 and Croatia in 2013.
Editorial by Alexander Mesarovich
CONTEMPORARY POPULISM AND ITS POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES: DISCOURSES AND PRACTICES IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE. Book of abstracts, 2019
Working Papers by Alexander Mesarovich
ENGAGE Working Paper Series, 2023
This working paper delivers a comprehensive examination of the European Union's (EU’s) strategic ... more This working paper delivers a comprehensive examination of the European Union's (EU’s) strategic partnerships with Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia and Turkey. For each case study, it explores the historical origins and current state of these partnerships, the different forms they can take, and the objectives and challenges they seek to address. By zooming in on critical policy areas of each relationship and the role of EU Member States therein, the paper sheds light on the horizontal and vertical coherence of the EU’s external action.
The case studies show the importance of recognising each strategic partnership's unique regional and global context, which is indissociable from the EU’s bilateral relationship with the third country. The successes, failures or stagnations of these relationships cannot be attributed solely to the EU’s policies or lack thereof, as external factors and the partners' own actions and policies can significantly influence the outcomes. It is argued that strategic partnerships have the potential to establish lasting frameworks for joint action, create momentum for further cooperation, and sustain important relationships amidst potential crises and unforeseen events. However, the partnerships must demonstrate adaptability to geopolitical and geoeconomic changes while maintaining their alignment with the EU’s external action objectives.
Civilian and military missions and operations represent one of the main activities of the Common ... more Civilian and military missions and operations represent one of the main activities of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). In twenty years of deployment abroad, the European Union (EU) has engaged in 40 deployments in Europe, Africa and Asia. Thus, CSDP is one relevant tool for the external action of the EU.
This paper evaluates CSDP missions and operations in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mali. The pool of selected case studies includes missions and operations that represented institutional firsts, such as the EU Police Mission (EUPM) in BiH or the European Union Force Democratic Republic of the Congo (EUFOR), Operation Artemis, and deployments that have lasted for more than a decade. These deployments are characterised by different cooperative frameworks with third countries and international organisations, thus allowing an evaluation of how the EU interacts with partners.
The paper applies the assessment framework presented in ENGAGE Working Paper 9 to evaluate effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and sustainability of CSDP activities. The results of the analysis show differences among the deployments, while also identifying common obstacles. These common obstacles suggest the possibility to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of EU external action.
ENGAGE Working Paper Series 13, 2022
This working paper provides an assessment of the European Union’s (EU’s) global strategic partner... more This working paper provides an assessment of the European Union’s (EU’s) global strategic partners by putting forward a theoretical and conceptual definition of strategic partnership. The paper identifies the EU’s global strategic partners both in terms of those which are defined within a legal framework and those that are selected on a more ad-hoc basis. The paper’s conceptual examination of the term “strategic partner(ship)” and identification of the EU’s global strategic partners aligns with the main objectives of the ENGAGE project: assisting the EU’s foreign policy by allowing a more structured engagement with other countries, thereby enhancing the EU’s ability to play a more assertive role in effectively and sustainably meeting strategic challenges in global politics. This paper’s focus on the differences across multiple strategic partners, both formally identified and informally treated, with respect to their engagement with the EU highlights the challenges the EU faces in its foreign policy and global standing. Those challenges are explored in the paper in terms of the relevant forms of cooperation and conflict between the EU, its Member States and their respective global strategic partners.
Working Papers and Policy Briefs by Alexander Mesarovich
ENGAGE Working Paper Series, 2022
This working paper provides an assessment of the European Union’s (EU’s) global strategic partner... more This working paper provides an assessment of the European Union’s (EU’s) global strategic partners by putting forward a theoretical and conceptual definition of strategic partnership. The paper identifies the EU’s global strategic partners both in terms of those which are defined within a legal framework and those that are selected on a more ad-hoc basis. The paper’s conceptual examination of the term “strategic partner(ship)” and identification of the EU’s global strategic partners aligns with the main objectives of the ENGAGE project: assisting the EU’s foreign policy by allowing a more structured engagement with other countries, thereby enhancing the EU’s ability to play a more assertive role in effectively and sustainably meeting strategic challenges in global politics. This paper’s focus on the differences across multiple
strategic partners, both formally identified and informally treated, with respect to their
engagement with the EU highlights the challenges the EU faces in its foreign policy and global standing. Those challenges are explored in the paper in terms of the relevant forms of cooperation and conflict between the EU, its Member States and their respective global strategic partners.
ENGAGE Working Paper Series No. 13, 2022
Political dialogue, open society, rule of law, human rights, civil society, China's integration i... more Political dialogue, open society, rule of law, human rights, civil society, China's integration into international community, dialogue with the UN and OECD, nuclear non-proliferation, illegal immigration and transborder crime, Money laundering, environment and climate change, Asian regional security, disarmament, dialogue on Korean peninsula and Central and
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Books by Alexander Mesarovich
The innovative approach quantifies informality at the elite level, taking a rigorous, multi-methods approach to identifying the sometimes-subtle impact of informal cultures on formal political processes. In doing so, it demonstrates the added value from studying informality by providing a richer understanding of the factors which help motivate and drive political action, and which may be invisible to an outside observer. By examining features such as the connectedness of individuals and key committees, Mesarovich finds that hierarchical network structures can both accelerate and interfere with reform processes under different conditions.
This book advances the field of Europeanization both within the framework of accession and more broadly, by highlighting network-level and individual factors which can deeply impact state-wide political outcomes, and will be of primary interest to an academic audience interested in the region, EU studies, Social Network Analysis, and regional politics.
over abstract concepts such as “sovereignty” and culture. Throughout the process
of European Union (EU) accession, all these arguments are mobilized to attempt
to stall the process. Each case has a different combination of said arguments
which are employed by Eurosceptic individuals creating an iterative conflict
between Eurosceptic and pro-EU actors which shifts and evolves throughout
the accession process.
This chapter seeks to delineate how this conflict affects the accession process by
examining the cases of Croatia and Serbia. In particular, it addresses the question
of under what conditions did/does the confluence of populism and Euroscepticism impact their accession processes? To accomplish this, this chapter first identifies
successful conditions for Europeanization, defined here as the process of accession,
derived from the literature on policy learning. Then, social network analysis is
used to identify the structure of relations within the parliaments of Croatia and
Serbia during their accession processes which is paired with interviews with
politicians. These are then used to identify under what conditions the actions,
beliefs, and behaviour of populist and Eurosceptic politicians were able to impact
accession by interrupting the diffusion of information, norms, and beliefs to
relevant policymakers throughout the process.
cooperation in the parliaments of Croatia and Serbia, the Sabor and Skupπtina respectively, to identify changes in response to rising populism. This analysis reveals that despite the virulent rhetoric and the politicization of ethnic issues during elections minority parties continue to be able to operate and accumulate influence at the elite level depending on their party size. Taken together this raises questions about the impact of populism on the political space and how politics functions in an era of polarization and conflict.
Papers by Alexander Mesarovich
failure of its implementation. What this research reveals, is a decreasing enthusiasm amongst international actors for privatization which in turn decreases the pressure on states to privatize, allowing them to prevaricate and leading to ineffi cient privatization outcomes.
Conference Presentations by Alexander Mesarovich
Editorial by Alexander Mesarovich
Working Papers by Alexander Mesarovich
The case studies show the importance of recognising each strategic partnership's unique regional and global context, which is indissociable from the EU’s bilateral relationship with the third country. The successes, failures or stagnations of these relationships cannot be attributed solely to the EU’s policies or lack thereof, as external factors and the partners' own actions and policies can significantly influence the outcomes. It is argued that strategic partnerships have the potential to establish lasting frameworks for joint action, create momentum for further cooperation, and sustain important relationships amidst potential crises and unforeseen events. However, the partnerships must demonstrate adaptability to geopolitical and geoeconomic changes while maintaining their alignment with the EU’s external action objectives.
This paper evaluates CSDP missions and operations in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mali. The pool of selected case studies includes missions and operations that represented institutional firsts, such as the EU Police Mission (EUPM) in BiH or the European Union Force Democratic Republic of the Congo (EUFOR), Operation Artemis, and deployments that have lasted for more than a decade. These deployments are characterised by different cooperative frameworks with third countries and international organisations, thus allowing an evaluation of how the EU interacts with partners.
The paper applies the assessment framework presented in ENGAGE Working Paper 9 to evaluate effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and sustainability of CSDP activities. The results of the analysis show differences among the deployments, while also identifying common obstacles. These common obstacles suggest the possibility to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of EU external action.
Working Papers and Policy Briefs by Alexander Mesarovich
strategic partners, both formally identified and informally treated, with respect to their
engagement with the EU highlights the challenges the EU faces in its foreign policy and global standing. Those challenges are explored in the paper in terms of the relevant forms of cooperation and conflict between the EU, its Member States and their respective global strategic partners.
The innovative approach quantifies informality at the elite level, taking a rigorous, multi-methods approach to identifying the sometimes-subtle impact of informal cultures on formal political processes. In doing so, it demonstrates the added value from studying informality by providing a richer understanding of the factors which help motivate and drive political action, and which may be invisible to an outside observer. By examining features such as the connectedness of individuals and key committees, Mesarovich finds that hierarchical network structures can both accelerate and interfere with reform processes under different conditions.
This book advances the field of Europeanization both within the framework of accession and more broadly, by highlighting network-level and individual factors which can deeply impact state-wide political outcomes, and will be of primary interest to an academic audience interested in the region, EU studies, Social Network Analysis, and regional politics.
over abstract concepts such as “sovereignty” and culture. Throughout the process
of European Union (EU) accession, all these arguments are mobilized to attempt
to stall the process. Each case has a different combination of said arguments
which are employed by Eurosceptic individuals creating an iterative conflict
between Eurosceptic and pro-EU actors which shifts and evolves throughout
the accession process.
This chapter seeks to delineate how this conflict affects the accession process by
examining the cases of Croatia and Serbia. In particular, it addresses the question
of under what conditions did/does the confluence of populism and Euroscepticism impact their accession processes? To accomplish this, this chapter first identifies
successful conditions for Europeanization, defined here as the process of accession,
derived from the literature on policy learning. Then, social network analysis is
used to identify the structure of relations within the parliaments of Croatia and
Serbia during their accession processes which is paired with interviews with
politicians. These are then used to identify under what conditions the actions,
beliefs, and behaviour of populist and Eurosceptic politicians were able to impact
accession by interrupting the diffusion of information, norms, and beliefs to
relevant policymakers throughout the process.
cooperation in the parliaments of Croatia and Serbia, the Sabor and Skupπtina respectively, to identify changes in response to rising populism. This analysis reveals that despite the virulent rhetoric and the politicization of ethnic issues during elections minority parties continue to be able to operate and accumulate influence at the elite level depending on their party size. Taken together this raises questions about the impact of populism on the political space and how politics functions in an era of polarization and conflict.
failure of its implementation. What this research reveals, is a decreasing enthusiasm amongst international actors for privatization which in turn decreases the pressure on states to privatize, allowing them to prevaricate and leading to ineffi cient privatization outcomes.
The case studies show the importance of recognising each strategic partnership's unique regional and global context, which is indissociable from the EU’s bilateral relationship with the third country. The successes, failures or stagnations of these relationships cannot be attributed solely to the EU’s policies or lack thereof, as external factors and the partners' own actions and policies can significantly influence the outcomes. It is argued that strategic partnerships have the potential to establish lasting frameworks for joint action, create momentum for further cooperation, and sustain important relationships amidst potential crises and unforeseen events. However, the partnerships must demonstrate adaptability to geopolitical and geoeconomic changes while maintaining their alignment with the EU’s external action objectives.
This paper evaluates CSDP missions and operations in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mali. The pool of selected case studies includes missions and operations that represented institutional firsts, such as the EU Police Mission (EUPM) in BiH or the European Union Force Democratic Republic of the Congo (EUFOR), Operation Artemis, and deployments that have lasted for more than a decade. These deployments are characterised by different cooperative frameworks with third countries and international organisations, thus allowing an evaluation of how the EU interacts with partners.
The paper applies the assessment framework presented in ENGAGE Working Paper 9 to evaluate effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and sustainability of CSDP activities. The results of the analysis show differences among the deployments, while also identifying common obstacles. These common obstacles suggest the possibility to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of EU external action.
strategic partners, both formally identified and informally treated, with respect to their
engagement with the EU highlights the challenges the EU faces in its foreign policy and global standing. Those challenges are explored in the paper in terms of the relevant forms of cooperation and conflict between the EU, its Member States and their respective global strategic partners.