The Americas
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US, Israel, Cyprus, Greece reaffirm regional energy cooperation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on 20 March...
Archive
Delphi Economic Forum – A small US official presence, but long American shadow
DELPHI, Greece - At the February 28-March 3 Delphi Economic Forum, (DEF) entitled “The Challenge of Inclusive Growth” the long list of invited American...
Albania
Delphi Economic Forum: Intense focus on Southeastern Europe
DELPHI, Greece - Now in its fourth year, the 2019 Delphi Economic Forum (DEF) has grown into a true Davos-like venue, with groups from...
Analysis
Name Dispute: Nationality tussles highlight Prespes Agreement flaws
If there is an area where the June 2018 Prespes Agreement’s legions of detractors and a reasonable number of its mainstream but unenthusiastic supporters...
Analysis
Name Dispute: A time for kudos, awards and arrests
Now that the ratification procedures for June’s Prespes Agreement between Greece and newly-renamed North Macedonia are complete, the focus has shifted to a wide-ranging...
Analysis
Name Dispute: North Macedonia’s name change takes hold
Following Greece’s ratification of the NATO Accession Protocol for North Macedonia February 8, over the past week, Europe witnessed a series of implementation steps...
Archive
EU tougher regulations unlikely to stop Nord Stream-2
EU ambassadors have reportedly agreed to toughen regulations on the Nord Stream-2 on February 8, but they have decided not to back plans that...
Analysis
Trump sends David Malpass to the World Bank
President Donald J Trump named David Malpass, currently US Treasury Undersecretary for International Affairs, as the US candidate for the Presidency of the World...
Archive
Israel, Cyprus, Greece and Italy show political will for EastMed gas pipe
ATHENS - There is political will from Israel, Cyprus, Greece and Italy to proceed with the construction of the EastMed natural gas pipeline, Israel’s...
Archive
US oil production may undermine OPEC-Plus cuts
The United States becomes a net energy exporter in 2020 and remains so throughout the projection period as a result of large increases in...
Analysis
Deeply polarised Greece ratifies Prespes Agreement
Greece completed its rushed and contentious ratification procedure for the Prespes Agreement in a vote delayed to January 25, aiming to resolve the Name...
Archive
Tsipras narrowly wins self-imposed confidence vote
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras won the closest of confidence challenges late January 16 with 151 votes in favour and 148 against. Although at...
Archive
Name Dispute: Western leaders rejoice, Greece melts down
After a confused post-holiday week marked by conflicting statements and signals from key Greek leaders in the ruling coalition government, political developments in Athens...
Archive
Slower global economic growth can lead to lower oil and gas prices in 2019
Oil prices are unlikely to rise significantly this year because of fears of an oil supply glut caused by over production and reduced oil...
Analysis
UN face off over Kosovo army vote
The Kosovo Parliament’s December 14 vote to formally create a military structure triggered the almost-automatic UN Security Council (UNSC) face off December 17 in...
Analysis
US-Greece strategic dialogue inaugurated
In an atmosphere of already close bilateral relations, the US and Greece inaugurated their “Strategic Dialogue” in Washington on December 13. US Secretary of...
Archive
Kosovo votes to transform civil defence force into formal military structure
The Kosovo Parliament voted almost unanimously on December 14 to begin the process of upgrading the country’s existing NATO/KFOR-trained paramilitary force, the Kosovo Security...
Archive
Greece, Cyprus, Israel to discuss gas exports to Europe
A trilateral Greece-Cyprus-Israel summit will take place in Beersheba on December 20 where host Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras,...
Analysis
Name Dispute: Flaws in Prespes Agreement fuel new Greek firestorm
With the Prespes Agreement ratification steamroller moving almost inexorably forward in Macedonia/FYROM, public attention to the issue in Greece has refocused and the subject...
Archive
Greece launches expanded LNG terminal to deliver gas to the Balkans
REVITHOUSSA, Greece - Greece inaugurated on November 22 the upgraded liquefied natural gas terminal (LNG) in Revithoussa, operated by gas grid operator DESFA, in...
Archive
Putin voices support for OPEC, sees no need to cut production
Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly said on November 15 that Moscow is committed to continuing its cooperation with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries...
Archive
EU Commissioner calls for more prevention to deal with climate change
BRUSSELS – Contrary to US President Donald J Trump’s arguments, climate change is real and Europe should lead the way in taking preventive measures...
Archive
Name Dispute: Work progresses on Prespes Agreement implementation
With Greece currently distracted by a wide range of political issues and debates, legislators in Skopje are hard at work debating the constitutional amendments...
Archive
As Exxon prepares to drill off Cyprus, tensions flare with Turkey
LIMASSOL, Cyprus – The drillship of ExxonMobil is reportedly expected to arrive in the port of Limassol on November 5 as the US energy...
Archive
Name Dispute: Zaev scores stunning victory from failed referendum
In a late-night vote October 19th, Macedonia/FYROM Prime Minister Zoran Zaev collected the required 80 yes votes, or a 2/3 majority, to approve the...
Archive
Name Dispute: Greece’s odd couple stays the course
The fate of the yet-unratified Prespes Agreement, signed last June as the vehicle for resolving the so-called Name Dispute between Greece and Macedonia/FYROM, was...
Africa
Trump establishes US International Development Finance Corporation
President Donald J. Trump quietly approved the creation of a new foreign assistance agency on October 5, named the United States International Development Finance...
Archive
Greece, Egypt and the EU support Cyprus’ right to explore for hydrocarbons
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Egyptian President met on the island of Crete on October 10, for talks aimed at...
Archive
Name Dispute: Questions raised over Greek commitment to Prespes Agreement
Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos displayed to his American interlocutors a total lack of policy coordination within his country’s coalition government when he proposed...
Analysis
Name Dispute: Referendum results wound two Balkan leaders
Zero hour has passed in the Name Dispute.
Surprisingly low turnout for the September 30 referendum in Macedonia/FYROM to approve June’s Prespes Agreement settling the...
Analysis
Zero hour for Name Dispute
In the run-up to Macedonia/FYROM’s referendum on settling its three-decade-old Name Dispute with neighbouring Greece, the rival parties involved in the vote made impassioned...
Analysis
Name Dispute: Parade of stars to Skopje continues as referendum approaches
A wave of important visitors before the September 30 referendum on the Prespes Agreement -- which aims to settle the Name Dispute between Greece...
Analysis
Name Dispute: Leaders line up to support “Yes” vote in September 30 referendum
A flood of important visitors has hit Skopje, and this is continuing, clearly part of a coordinated work program to “save the referendum” by...
Archive
Despite EU measures, US sanctions against Iran to drive oil prices higher
Oil prices are likely to rise as traders worry that US sanctions against major oil producer Iran will lead to a tighter market towards...
China
A revived role for the US in Northern Greece requires dynamic action and focus
As a former US diplomat who served as Consul General in Thessaloniki, it’s impossible not to become a lifelong booster of the Thessaloniki International...
Analysis
Greece’s Thessaloniki International Fair focuses on the American factor
The Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) has for 83 years marked the traditional high point of the Greek economic calendar and forms the venue for...
Archive
EU hails California legislation to boost clean energy transition
Arnold Schwarzenegger may no longer be the governor of California, but the US' most populous state is still spearheading efforts against climate change.On the...
Archive
Trump-Erdogan spat, Iran sanctions, Maduro’s Venezuela could spike oil prices
Growing tensions between the United States and Turkey, fresh US sanctions against Iran, and falling oil production in Venezuela have increased the possibility of...
Archive
Oil prices likely to rise as US plans to officially pull out of Iran deal
US President Donald J. Trump has said the United States will pull out of a nuclear agreement with Iran and any company dealing with...
Archive
Trump vs Nord Stream-2
At an early breakfast meeting with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels on July 11, US President Donald J. Trump launched an attack on the...
Archive
Exxon, Total get the green light for drilling off the Greek island of Crete
ATHENS - A consortium of US oil and gas giant ExxonMobil, French energy major Total, and Greece’s Hellenic Petroleum (HELPE) has been awarded a...
Archive
Name Dispute: Prespes Agreement reaction destabilises Greek political scene
In Greece, the furore over the Prespes Agreement that was intended to resolve the Name Dispute between Greece and Macedonia/FYROM continues to grow, and...
Archive
Russia, Saudi push for OPEC oil supply increase while demand is strong
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC producers are seeking a compromise as Saudi Arabia and Russia are pushing the oil cartel...
Archive
Putin in Austria as OMV and Gazprom extend deal, push Nord Stream-2
Amid the buzz of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the Austrian capital of Vienna, OMV and Russia’s Gazprom signed an agreement to extend...
Archive
Name Dispute negotiations: Doing a new tango ahead of the summer summits
Negotiations over the Greece/Macedonia/FYROM Name Dispute resumed in New York on May 24-25 following consultations in Washington by Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias earlier...
Archive
Name Dispute negotiations: Zaev’s “Ilinden Gambit” melts down in Athens and Skopje
Within 24 hours of the end of bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Sofia late last week, a new...
Archive
Name Dispute negotiations: Getting closer, but is this just a matter of sequencing or is it deeper?
While the negotiations over the Greece-Macedonia/FYROM Name Dispute returned to a faster track after the visit of UN Mediator Matthew Nimetz to Athens May...
Archive
Strange bedfellows: Iran sanctions, EU posturing and volatile oil markets
Oil prices remained near three and a half year highs on May 11 as the United States plans to reintroduce sanctions against Iran after...
Archive
Trump pulling out of Iran nuclear deal risks fuel oil prices
As the US Administration of President Donald J. Trump mulls new sanctions against Iran, world oil prices remained high on May 4.“Iran is exactly...
Archive
Macron calls for climate and energy sovereignty
STRASBOURG – French President Emmanuel Macron said it is “essential” for the Europe Union to increase the bloc’s "climate and energy sovereignty."“We must quickly...
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