April, 2023

• 3 April

  Iranian Drone Exports to the Balkans and Its Geopolitical Repercussions

  

  Serbia: Iran’s Entry Point to the Balkans Iranian military activity in Europe’s neighborhood is not limited to supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine Transforming itself from a net arms importer into a burgeoning arms exporter, Tehran is engaged in opportunistic behavior across conflict zones, ranging from Ukraine to tense, fragile regions, …

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• 3 April

  Kosovo, self-declared independent country in the Balkans region

  

  A landlocked country, Kosovo is bordered by Serbia to the north and east, North Macedoniato the south, Albania to the west, and Montenegro to the northwest Kosovo, self-declared independent country in the Balkans region of Europe. Although the United States and most members of the European Union (EU) recognized Kosovo’s …

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• 3 April

  Explainer: Why Kosovo’s stand-off with Serbs goes on 15 years after statehood

  

  Fifteen years after Kosovo declared independence, 50,000 minority Serbs in the north bordering Serbia refuse to recognize state institutions, get pay and benefits from Serbia’s budget and pay no taxes either to Pristina or Belgrade Tensions rose further recently as Serbs left all state bodies in the region including the …

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• 3 April

  Wider Europe Briefing: Will Serbia And Kosovo Finally Seal The Deal?

  

  Brief #1: Perhaps Serbia And Kosovo Can Finally Make A Deal What You Need To Know: On February 27, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic endorsed an EU-facilitated proposal in Brussels titled, the “Agreement On The Path To Normalization Between Kosovo And Serbia.” The agreement, which …

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March, 2023

• 31 March

  UAE’s Mohamed bin Zayed names eldest son Khaled as crown prince

  

  Sheikh Khaled, who has promoted several projects in the UAE, was also mentioned in the Pandora Papers for his alleged business partnership in an offshore investment company. The United Arab Emirates’ President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has appointed his eldest son Sheikh Khaled as crown prince of Abu …

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• 31 March

  Top US general advocates targeting Iran’s IRGC Quds Force after Syria drone attack

  

  Biden’s airstrikes in Syria highlight paradox of deterring Iran-backed groups without triggering further escalation. The Pentagon’s top general publicly advocated a more forceful US response targeting the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after a spate of attacks on US bases in Syria last week. US Army Gen. …

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• 31 March

  China settles first LNG trade in yuan with UAE deal

  

  China has held several discussions with countries in the Middle East and North Africa about conducting trade using its local currency. The United Arab Emirates was part of a historical transaction carried out on China’s national energy trade platform this week. What happened: China conducted the first ever yuan-settled energy …

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• 31 March

  Iran-Russia military relations take spotlight following FMs Moscow meeting

  

  Despite international pressure, the two isolated states have been ramping up military ties with reported deliveries of Iranian drones in exchange for Russian Sukhoi warplanes. Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was in Moscow on Wednesday for a visit he said covered military cooperation among a host of other bilateral and …

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• 31 March

  Old Refineries Incapable Of Manufacturing Enough Light Hydrocarbons To Electrify The World – OpEd

  

  The zero-emission movement in the wealthy countries are experiencing a “dangerous delusion” of a global transition to “just electricity” that eliminates the use of the three fossil fuels of crude oil, natural gas, and coal, that made society achieve so much in a few centuries. As old refineries accelerate their …

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• 31 March

  Parliamentary Elections In Bulgaria: Between Brussels (Berlin) And Moscow – Analysis

  

  In the Republic of Bulgaria early parliamentary elections will be held on 2 April 2023. At the elections 240 representatives/deputies of the Bulgarian National Assembly will be elected according to the proportional closed-list system. There is a total of 31 electoral constituencies from which, depending on the size of the …

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