On June 20, after meeting with Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced Germany’s recent endorsement of Kazakhstan’s efforts to create alternative trade routes and transport corridors to Europe while bypassing Russia. Steinmeier declared that such measures would further prevent the Kremlin’s... MORE

On July 18, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that “attempts to continue the grain deal without the participation of the Russian Federation must take into account the risks associated with the fact that the grain export route passes near the combat area” (Un.org, July 22,... MORE

Russia, more than any other advanced country, has long depended on its rivers and canals to move people and cargo within the country and abroad. But a combination of climate change, the increased use of water by people living along these waterways and siltation have... MORE

On July 4, Iran officially became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) during a virtual summit hosted by India for the SCO Heads of State Council (Shargh Daily, July 4). Iran initially joined as an “observer member without voting rights” at the... MORE

During a regional conference held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, in May 2023, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov underscored the paramount importance of the Lapis Lazuli international transit corridor. He emphasized how further development of this landmark project would revolutionize the regional transportation system, propelling it to new heights... MORE

According to recent survey data, over 80 percent of Ukrainians living in Ukraine and throughout Europe support their country joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (Ukrainska Pravda, July 10). On July 11 and 12, the annual NATO summit will take place in Vilnius, where... MORE

The summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11 and 12 will likely not produce any sensational joint decisions; it is set, nevertheless, to signify a major step in reconfiguring and reinforcing the European security system. Russia’s aggression against... MORE

Russia is searching for new long-term partnerships in outer space instead of relying on cooperation with the United States, Europe, Canada and Japan. Recently, Yuri Borisov, head of state-owned Roscosmos, tried to develop space cooperation ties with Algeria and Egypt during his visits there and... MORE

After winning re-election, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan significantly reshuffled his ministerial cabinet. Unlike in previous terms, this time, Erdogan decided to make significant changes to his cabinet while signaling upcoming reforms amid economic difficulties at home and political disputes abroad. In addressing domestic needs,... MORE

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin came to power, Moscow has routinely sought to redirect trade through countries in the post-Soviet space to help its allies and weaken its opponents with the goal of preventing any of the former union republics from becoming regional competitors to... MORE