This and the differences between Turkey and Greece over Cyprus have seriously affected the region's political and security frameworks. Just how Russia's political instability and economic predicament ultimately would be, it will depend on the performance of Vladimir Putin's new government. The war in the Chechnya has excited no little apprehension in that region. Great hopes are entertained of seeing a Latin America where democracy and economic integration appear to be making headway and the possibility of international clashes has diminished. Economic depression, inefficient leadership, and ethnic discord persist to one extent or another in some of the African countries.
Instability still is the general situation of that continent.
The international situation has started unfolding some significance of positive development. Nevertheless, the world remains full of complicated, changeable, and dangerous factors that may hamper or nullify the ongoing peace-preservation efforts. In Indonesia, for instance, are the Muslim-Christian violence of Maluku islands and the independence movement in the restive Aceh Province. Separatist groups in Sri Lanka are striving to establish an independent state of their own. All these have unfavorably affected the security of their respective regions.