By Patrick Lawrence Given the unexpected pace of events in recent weeks, the end of Syria’s seven-year agony appears to be very near. It is now all but certain that Bashar al-Assad’s government will win its long war against Sunni jihadists and their foreign supporters. The focus in Syria is already turning from conflict, casualty … Continue reading What’s going to happen when Assad wins the war in Syria?
By Bastian Harth In 2001, the European Union and Japan announced an ambitious plan to promote political, security, and trade/economic collaboration in a Joint Action Plan for Cooperation. It accomplished little. The European Commission repeatedly stated its disappointment, acknowledging that the plan lacked focus and covered too many policy areas without providing adequate instruments. Now, … Continue reading New EU-Japan economic, strategic partnership may work better than past efforts
By Altay Atli Uzbekistan is currently going through one of the most remarkable periods of change ever experienced by a post-Soviet republic. Following the passing of the former president, Islam Karimov, in 2016, the new government led by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev embarked upon a series of reforms aiming to offset Soviet-style isolationist governance and to … Continue reading Turkish businesses getting set for Uzbek bonanza
By John J. Metzler As ill trade winds blow across the Pacific from the Trump Administration’s decision to impose tough tariffs on Chinese products, across the Atlantic there’s a growing commercial relationship between the European Union (EU) states and China. The nexus for this business and a primary transportation hub rests in Germany’s port of … Continue reading Hamburg: China’s European trade hub
By Ken Moak US President Donald Trump’s trade war against China (and the world) might not be his decision alone. Previous administrations, the US Congress and neoconservatives have made preventing any nation from challenging US supremacy their business. In this regard, this author was wrong in predicting that Trump would not follow through with the … Continue reading America’s self-defeating quest for global supremacy
