Recent Posts

The Saudi–Iran Rapprochement – Analysis

In a major breakthrough, on 10 March 2023, Saudi Arabia and Iran signed an agreement to restore their diplomatic relationship, which was severed in 2016 after the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and Consulate in Mashhad were ransacked by protesters demonstrating against the Saudi execution of Shia cleric Nimr Al Nimr. …

Read More »

BATTERED BY SANCTIONS AND SHAREHOLDER EXITS, IS END NIGH FOR RUSSIAN ‘SPY BANK’ IN HUNGARY?

The clock is ticking for the Budapest-based International Investment Bank as its desperate search for cash or new shareholders looks increasingly hopeless. February could prove to be a defining month in the more than 50-year history of the Russian-led International Investment Bank (IIB) – one which a growing number of …

Read More »

Moldova’s Ruling Party Moves to Settle Decades-Old Language Row

By replacing ‘Moldovan language’ with ‘Romanian’ in the country’s constitution, Moldova’s ruling party hopes to shore up its pro-European tilt. Abill to enshrine Romanian as the official language of Moldova in the country’s constitution, replacing ‘Moldovan’, is expected to pass a second and final reading in parliament on Thursday, in …

Read More »