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Greece
Biden’s Greece nominee survives Senate hearing
George Tsunis, President Joe Biden’s nominee as next ambassador to Greece, survived his January 12 hearing with the Democratic-majority Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC),...
Energy
EU wants gas, nuclear energy classified green, sustainable
The European Commission proposed on December 31 that natural gas and nuclear energy be included in the so-called EU taxonomy as sustainable energy sources.According...
Albania
Mitsotakis lightning Bulgaria visit has regional focus
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Sofia December 20, opening contacts with the new Bulgarian government through meetings with newly elected Bulgarian PM Kiril...
Energy
Gazing into the Energy Crystal Ball for 2022
The Covid pandemic and geopolitical issues are likely to be key issues for the energy prices in 2022.“What we have to have when we’re...
Archive
High gas prices push up electricity cost in EU
High energy prices in recent months have drawn attention from the European Commission, highlighting the importance of energy security, especially in times when global...
Archive
Bulgaria’s new government maintains Enlargement veto
While Bulgaria’s November 14 elections managed to break the political logjam that had paralyzed the country for most of 2021, which required three consecutive...
Archive
Tales of mystery and imagination in Skopje – Part 2
North Macedonia’s conservative opposition failed in its November 11 bid to topple Prime Minister Zoran Zaev’s government. This happened only because ruling coalition lawmakers...
Archive
Israel, Greece, Cyprus seeing green energy future
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades met in Jerusalem on December 7 where they reaffirmed...
Archive
Oil climbs as OPEC+ may delay further supply recovery if there is a slump in demand
Oil prices climbed on December 3 after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and oil producing allies led by Russia, a grouping...
Zero Tolerance
Basil Coronakis challenged the EU bureaucrats fearlessly
It is rather common these days to label people as “great thinkers” or even “pioneers,” in fact these terms have almost become clichés. My...
Libya
Instability in Libya is set to exacerbate Europe’s migrant crisis
At least four dinghies reached the shore at Dungeness in Kent on Sunday, carrying dozens of people desperate to reach Britain before worsening winter...
Archive
Orsted explores renewable hydrogen, green fuels in Denmark
COPENHAGEN – At the Orsted’s construction site at the Avedore Power Plant located just south of Copenhagen, the Danish multinational power company is currently...
Archive
Third Bulgarian election in 2021 appears to break the logjam
In Bulgaria’s November 14 elections, the tough anti-corruption oriented “We Continue the Change” party (PP), won 25.7% of the vote, based on a nearly-complete...
Archive
Germany suspends Nord Stream 2 certification delaying commissioning well into 2022
Germany’s Federal Network Agency (BnetzA) suspended its certification of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany on November 16 which...
Archive
Lukashenko would not dare cut gas supplies to EU without Kremlin’s permission
Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko threatened to cut gas supplies to Europe transiting his country if the European Union imposed further sanctions in response...
Archive
Tales of mystery and imagination in Skopje
The November 11 no-confidence vote in Zoran Zaev's government was stopped after an extremely difficult day for lack of a quorum. Extraordinary events during...
Albania
Fluid dynamics: Turmoil in Skopje after Zaev ally defects
Late on November 5, the political situation in North Macedonia took a new twist as the main opposition party claimed it had pulled together...
Archive
Fearing recovery setback, OPEC+ sticks to plans to raise oil output gradually
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies led by Russia, a group so called OPEC+, dismissed demands from the United States...
Archive
Following election flop, Zaev announces resignation plans
North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev announced his planned resignation on November 1 after his social-democratic party massively lost the second round of municipal...
Energy
Uzbekistan to green its electricity sector, economy
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan – Following the re-election of Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on October 24, the Central Asian country has chosen the path of modern...
Archive
Uzbekistan re-elects President Mirziyoyev to second term
Uzbekistan held presidential elections on October 24, in a peaceful and secure atmosphere, with incumbent President Shavkat Mirziyoyev handily taking first place with 80.1%...
Archive
Covid recovery, supply chain woes ratchet up oil prices
Oil prices hit multi-year highs this week as Covid recovery and coal, electricity and natural gas shortages are fueling demand for crude.“It has a...
Albania
Greece again agrees to expand US defense cooperation
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias traveled to Washington October 13-14 to participate in a scheduled session of the US-Greece Strategic Dialogue, where he met...
Archive
EU mulls technical assistance to Moldova amid Russian gas shortage crisis
The European Union is looking for ways to help Moldova following a supply shortage of natural gas and the absence of a new energy...
Afghanistan
Athens rocked by Biden’s nomination of political operative
After an extended period of uncertainty over who would be tapped, on October 8 US President Joe Biden announced his intention to nominate influential...
Albania
Enlargement: EU’s turgid Brdo Declaration seen as a “fail”
The two EU candidate countries hoping for a major jump-start to their long-delayed EU accession procedures suffered a major setback on October 6 at...
Archive
Russia puts the freeze on EU, gas supplies limited, prices spike
With gas prices surging, Members of the European Parliament have called for an investigation into market manipulation from state and non-state actors, and into...
Archive
Tapping Black Sea’s renewable energy seen bringing bonanza
BUCHAREST - The Black Sea region has a huge energy potential, both in terms of the onshore developments of the 6 countries but also...
Albania
Kosovo-Serbia tensions fading after deal reached
The slow-motion crisis between Kosovo and Serbia over automobile license plates that began with little notice on September 20 escalated into a tense show...
Archive
EU seeks solution for soaring electricity prices
As electricity prices increase across the EU, the bloc’s energy and transport ministers met in Slovenia this week to discuss measures to help lower...
Afghanistan
President Biden’s short UN General Assembly visit raises questions
President Joe Biden’s first address to the 76th UN General Assembly (UNGA) on September 21 provided the world with an almost infinite supply of...
Archive
Time is not on our side: EUMed 9 leaders discuss climate crisis
ATHENS - Meeting at Greece's capital on September 17, the EUMed 9 summit leaders signed on September 17 the Athens Declaration on climate change...
Afghanistan
After Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, TAPI is more of a pipe dream
The regime change in Afghanistan and the removal of Western political influence will probably make the implementation of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline even...
Archive
OPEC+ keeps output increase to 400,000 bpd despite US calls for more supply
Oil prices increased on September 3 after slow recovery for US Gulf Coast exports from hurricane Ida earlier this week and the decision by...
Archive
Greek Foreign Minister Dendias chasing shadows in Skopje?
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias traveled to North Macedonia August 31, for a hastily scheduled official visit to the country while his own capital...
Archive
Russia’s hand in Nord Stream 2 could be nightmare alley for EU
The European Union needs to boost energy security and provide alternatives and others, Justin Urquhart Stewart, co-founder of UK Regional Investment Platform Regionally, told...
Afghanistan
US Balkan allies to host Afghan refugee processing operations
Even before the Taliban had completed its occupation of Kabul, American allies Albania and Kosovo told Washington that they would serve as transit countries...
Africa
As UN issues stark climate warning, wildfires spread across Med region
The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has issued a stark warning, noting that Climate change is widespread, rapid and intensifying. The report,...
Albania
Bulgaria begins slide toward new elections
The Bulgarian political world was shocked into action on August 10 when the party that won the country’s July 11 elections, There is Such...
Archive
Poland continues quest to delay the start of Nord Stream 2
Polish state-owned gas company PGNiG said on August 2 it expects to be granted participation in certification proceedings concerning the controversial Nord Stream 2...
Archive
Ice station Arctic: Rosatom weighs underwater impact for nuke facilities
Russia’s state atomic corporation Rosatom and Moscow State University’s Marine Research Centre have signed a cooperation agreement, aiming to make possible pilot projects for...
Archive
Germany bypasses EU, makes Nord Stream 2 deal with US
An agreement reached between Washington and Berlin this week effectively removed a threat of sanctions against the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from...
Archive
EU climate policy to boost energy security
PRAGUE – The day before the EU Commission presented its ‘Fit for 55’ package proposals in Brussels, the Czech Republic’s Deputy Foreign Minister for...
Archive
Russia unlikely to interfere in Saudi-UAE dispute to raise oil output
“There is a very wise old saying that ‘it is a very foolish person that seeks to interfere in family disputes,’” Chris Weafer, co-founder...
Archive
OPEC+ seeks agreement on oil production policy
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC, an energy alliance often referred to as OPEC+, was expected to reconvene via teleconference on...
Archive
China tensions, Iran nuclear talks support oil price hike
Oil prices traded close to a three-year high on June 24, supported by geopolitical tensions, including China and Iran, falling US inventories and prospects...
Albania
Balkan rumblings: Setbacks on enlargement and new Prespes violations
Against the backdrop of another EU presidency (Portugal) failing to move ahead this month on the Enlargement issue as well as a generally slow...
Archive
Ex-Soviet bloc states urged to adopt modern technology, renewables
BRATISLAVA - Countries in Central and Eastern Europe like Slovakia, which were part of the Soviet bloc, have an opportunity to leap into modern...
Archive
Israel-UAE oil transport deal sparks environmental, security concerns in Tel Aviv
Israel's Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel has called on National Security Council head Meir Ben Shabbat to cancel an oil deal recently signed with...
Albania
Washington gets tough on “destabilizers” in the Western Balkans
On June 8, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order (EO) intended to update US sanctions policy regarding Balkan corruption and political destabilization activities,...
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