Eurasia

Imports up pressure on Morocco’s foreign reserves

Energy and food imports alongside a growing trade deficit put pressure on Morocco’s foreign currency reserves. The Office des Changes (OC) published its monthly newsletter in early June, indicating a sharp rise in both exports and imports. The newsletter shows that remittances and phosphates were the leading sources of foreign …

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Ankara forces companies to sell hard currency as circle tightens

The Turkish government’s latest loan restriction may help the embattled lira recover to some extent, but not without the risk of damaging side effects. Desperate against galloping inflation but bent on keeping interest rates low, Turkey’s government has turned to interventionist measures akin to capital controls to bolster the embattled …

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Israel awaits Biden message on Iran deal amidst political uncertainty

Israel’s political landscape will shift dramatically over the next few weeks, as the US president is set to visit. Yair Lapid is scheduled to take over from Naftali Bennett as Israeli prime minister next week under a complex job-sharing agreement. It’s an open question whether Lapid intends to maintain Bennett’s …

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Turkey lifts objection to Sweden, Finland joining NATO at last minute

Following the signing of a memorandum between Turkey, Sweden, and Finland, Erdogan lifted his veto against the Nordic expansion of NATO hours before the Madrid summit started. After a day of phone diplomacy, conflicting statements, and last-minute political posturing, Turkey has given the nod to NATO hopefuls Sweden and Finland …

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NATO ties to Finland and Sweden could aid US with useful tactics for the Pacific, naval experts say

If Sweden and Finland succeed in joining NATO, their addition could provide the fringe benefit of enhancing U.S. strategies and tactics against a rival far removed from Atlantic waters, according to analysts. Navy and Marine Corps personnel carrying out operations to deter China would do well to pick up some …

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US strike kills al-Qaida leader in Syria

U.S. forces on Monday killed a “senior leader” of an al-Qaida-aligned terrorist organization during a strike in Syria, U.S. Central Command said in a news release. Abu Hamzah al Yemeni, a senior leader of Hurras al-Din, was traveling alone on a motorcycle in Idlib province at the time of the …

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Sweden, Finland set to formally be invited into NATO after Turkey lifts objections

Sweden and Finland are poised to formally be invited into NATO after breakthrough negotiations Tuesday with Turkey, paving the way for one of the most significant alliance expansions in years. Turkish opposition to the two Nordic states’ membership bids threatened to derail NATO plans, but hours before an alliance summit …

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Игра в Госплан

Идея о введении потолка цен для российской нефти, которая первоначально представлялась маргинальной и не заслуживающей серьезного обсуждения, теперь стала едва ли не главной в повестке саммита стран G7, по крайней мере в публичном поле. Насколько можно понять, главным сторонником идеи выступают США, тогда как европейские страны относятся к ней настороженно …

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Saudi Religious Soft Power Diplomacy Eyes Washington And Jerusalem First And Foremost

Geopolitics is written all over Saudi religious soft power efforts. Nowhere more so than when it comes to Israel and Jews because of the growing importance of security cooperation with the Jewish state and the influence of the Israeli lobby in the United States, the kingdom’s most important yet problematic …

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Iran Regime Fears The Rising Power Of Dissent

When the Iranian people revolted in 1979, many of them thought they would establish a democratic system of governance. The revolution in Iran was never intended to create a theocratic dictatorship ahead of an inclusive and secular government. The revolution also appeared to be a repudiation of the previous political …

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