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Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
How the arrest of a French politician carries lessons for Brussels
A French senator caught smuggling 22 kilos of tobacco in her suitcase should be a wake-up call for Brussels. But so far, the European...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
First, Sudanese Armed Forces use chemical weapons, strikes against civilians: now cholera compounds the misery
The determination of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) to crush all resistance to its imposition of hegemony over all of Sudan, which has already...
Trade
Terrific or Terrible Tariffs with the Sorcerer’s Apprentice
There is a very good chance that most of you will have seen the Walt Disney’s animation film Fantasia, which came out in 1940,...
Agriculture & Food Security
Biosolutions can leverage nature to strengthen Europe’s resilience, food security and competitiveness
Biosolutions are built on nature’s smallest components but hold immense global potential. They can help Europe become more sustainable and resilient by reducing dependencies,...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
EU rules should not stifle entrepreneurship
In explaining the difference between hope and optimism, the author and Czech President Vaclav Havel stated that one is the conviction that something will...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
From shovels to shadows: The Soviet legacy behind Georgia’s authoritarian drift
In the early hours of April 9, 1989, Soviet paratroopers launched a brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters in Tbilisi, the capital of the then-Georgian...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
What chance for peace in Sudan?
The conflict in Sudan has raged for two years, causing immense human suffering, regional instability, arms proliferation and massive displacement of the population. South...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
The ruling of the EU Court on “Golden passports” and the consequences in Tirana
“Whatever the European Court decides," and “If it says it can’t be done, we won’t do it; if it says it can, we will.”This...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Taking off: Qatar’s strategic rise in global aviation
For Qatar, an important development took place recently as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), approved the final phase of its own airspace, the...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
The Geoeconomic Repercussions of Trump’s Tariff Pause: A Balkan Perspective
On April 2, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs under the banner of “Liberation Day”—a dramatic economic maneuver that reintroduced a 10...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Zeno’s Arrow and Albania’s membership in the EU
Recently, the position of the incoming German government coalition (government) between the CDU/CSU and SPD parties regarding the enlargement of the European Union into...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Back to the 1970s: Flared trousers and tank tops. Is this the result of Trump’s tariff tantrums?
There are somewhere some dreadful photographs of this author wearing what we all once thought were the height of fashion and style. Generally, that...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Does the EU really stand for its basic values in the Balkans?
The visit of the EU Enlargement Commissioner Ms. Marta Kos to Albania on March 13-14 seems to have been another failed opportunity for the...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Weaning Europe off its Russian gas addiction
The Viking hero Ragnar Lodbrok once said “don't waste your time looking back. You're not going that way.” The words of the former king...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Regional Water Forum in Brussels seeks sustainable solutions in the Turkic region
The Regional Water Forum - Brussels 2025, organized by the Drought Prevention Institute (DPI) of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and the Hungarian...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
The role of Ramadan in combating Islamophobia and promoting unity
Fasting during the month of Ramadan is less about refraining from food or drink and more to do with conducting a deep introspective assessment...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Tashkent’s busy diplomatic agenda
In the coming months, Uzbekistan will host high-profile summits between Central Asia with the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council. As global geopolitics...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
A Code of Conduct for the HR Outsourcing sector
The quote - often attributed to Deng Xiaoping - runs that when you open a window you let in fresh air, but you also...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Tajikistan: The Battle for Middle Earth’s Resources
Tajikistan is a small land-locked country tucked away in southeast Central Asia. Its capital, Dushanbe, is almost equally distant, at approximately 4,500 kilometers, from...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Tariff Trouble in Trump Town
President Trump has had many a cartoon about him as a child throwing toys and anything to hand out of the playpen. Now, of...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
The New Face of an Old Enemy: The renewed dangers of ISIS and al-Qaeda
A dangerous cocktail of indifference and complacency enabled al-Qaeda to evolve from a shadowy fringe network in the early 1990s into one of the...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Insights from the recent UN-Turkmenistan Dialogue on the International Year of Peace and Trust
The modern world stands at a crossroads, facing unprecedented challenges that range from political conflicts to environmental crises. At the heart of these issues...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Stock Market or Not Market
So, what is a market? Obviously, it is somewhere where you can buy and sell “stuff.” In a successful economy having a market to...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Transforming Central Asia from a frontier market to a stable investment
Central Asia is considered a frontier market. However, at least two of the five countries that constitute this region, namely Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, are...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
A Christmas Carol for the new European Commission
In the novel “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens it is noted that “there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Resources for the Common Good: New Taxation in Times of Crisis
Do you wonder whether the world is crumbling before your eyes? If so, you are not alone. The global human rights map is alarming:...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Europe’s Vaping Policy Needs Education, Not Heavy-Handed Bans
Europe’s vaping crackdown is about to backfire spectacularly. As countries across the continent gear up to ban disposable vapes and puff devices in an...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Starvation in Sudan
Aid workers have warned that one of the worst famines in decades could be under way in Sudan, a country in the middle of...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
The Key Issue for a new Government
After 14 years in the political wilderness, the new UK Labour government could be excused for being somewhat rusty when it comes to running...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Maia Sandu’s slim win: Moldova struggles between Europe and tradition
The results of Moldova’s recent presidential elections and referendum are final. President Maia Sandu won a re-election bid, while a referendum to cement the...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Kazakhstan’s bold leap towards establishing an academic hub
The ConnectED 2024 conference, held in Astana on October 17-18, marked a significant milestone in Kazakhstan’s ambition to become a leading academic and research...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
How French Neocolonialism converges with Iranian terrorism
France raised one billion euros "for the people of Lebanon," with a declared goal “to provide humanitarian aid." French President Emmanuel Macron even made...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
The complex politics of Caspian gas
For the countries bordering the Caspian Sea, gas has always been a major economic resource and, in most cases, one of the biggest contributors...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Strategic Partnership or Strategic Risk? France’s Deepening Ties with Qatar
It has recently marked the half-year anniversary since France and Qatar announced a strategic partnership that will see the emirate invest €10 billion into...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
The 10 most significant consequences of climate change
The most significant threats of climate change in the year 2024 are of environmental, economic and social actions that could change significantly the way...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Development of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions: an integrative future vision
When the issue at hand is as significant as the integration between world religions in terms of shared values and collective thinking, it is...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Supplying Russia and Iran, Armenia emerges as a new sanctions black hole
For the past two years, Armenia has been attempting to demonstrate its shift towards the West, all the while maintaining its geopolitical role as...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
A Source of Growth?
The most overused word at the moment has to be “growth.” From the politically naïve (or stupid) and thankfully short UK premiership of Liz...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Europe’s climate policy isn’t working. It’s time for a new approach
The EU faces two inescapable truths: it’s falling behind on growth and angering the European public and farmers with some of its climate policies....
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
The role of open talent in raising European competitiveness
The American poet Claudia Rankine once said that the past is a life sentence: a blunt instrument aimed at tomorrow. This is particularly true...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
The European Legion’s Activities in Libya
NATO seems to be seeking to intervene in Libya’s internal affairs and impose its control over the Libyan people’s oil and gas capabilities using...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Kazakhstan: The Middle Kingdom Gains from Neutrality and Oil
Kazakhstan is established as the premier investment location in the Eurasia region for multinational corporations and strategic investors. The country’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, has...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
EU must strengthen financial protections for Hong Kong activists
Imagine leaving your homeland to escape tyranny, only to find the oppressive regime you fled can still reach you, manipulating your financial lifelines. This...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Living on the Fulcrum Point
In the summer of 2024, we are on a fulcrum point, namely, the key balancing point of a vital situation, and if we were...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Time for Mandatory Climate Change Disclosures by GCC States?
From wildfires in New Mexico, to droughts in Vietnam, and extreme temperatures and historic flooding in China, it is clear that urgent action must...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Policies on Deforestation Show Europe’s Internal Splits
Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger once famously asked the question “Who do I call if I want to call Europe?” to highlight...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Jeffrey Sachs: three times a traitor
An economist with an international reputation, Professor Jeffrey Sachs has increasingly raised his profile in the world media. A U.S. citizen, he accuses his...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Uzbekistan: A Key Player in the (Central Asian) Great Game
Uzbekistan has had considerable success in attracting billions of dollars of aid, concessional debt, and co-investment, which has helped transform the economy since 2017....
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
The UK Economy – Another Twist in The Tale
Around the world most nations have been trying to recover their financial strength and where possible find some growth. Above all, they have been...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
Genocide Rears its Ugly Head in Sudan’s Brutal War
The UN Security Council has called for a halt to the siege of the city of el-Fasher in the Darfur region, where 1.5 million...
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