North Africa’s transatlantic relations amid change and continuity
North Africa’s transatlantic relations amid change and continuity
Political analysts often look with envy at historians due to their ability to analyze events long after they have occurred, with the luxury of distance and hindsight. To analyze human history and the political and economic developments in numerous states or regions over the period of 2011 to mid-2022 would surely benefit from ten or twenty years of distance and hindsight. Yet for those dealing with events occurring in the geographical dimension of North Africa there is an overwhelming perception of a continuous, often abrupt and contradictory, but increasingly faster evolution of relations between actors—whether small or big, global or regional.?
In fact, North African countries (namely Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria and Morocco) have witnessed an array of political, economic and social transformations which have all influenced geopolitical dynamics in the region. Egypt and Turkey, for example, have been at odds for the past decade due to rivaling political agendas, and in 2013 broke all diplomatic ties by calling back their respective ambassadors. Libya is entering its 11th year of civil war with rival factions contending power over the oil-rich nation through political maneuverings and violent clashes. Morocco and Algeria are still in open conflict over border disputes, opposing geopolitical alliances and an ever-growing arms race. Because of the Algeria-Morocco conflict, the Maghreb was never able to create an economic union trade agreement which would undoubtedly benefit all countries of the region.?
The purpose of this report is to identify a potential role for Italy and its diplomacy to play in North Africa, in full agreement and collaboration with the United States and the other main European actors, in resolving some of the thorniest crises in the area and fostering a climate of collaboration around the transatlantic alliance that could help it face the expanding ambitions of rival global powers.
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U.S. Dep. of State
Joint Statement on Syria
Representatives of the Arab League, Egypt, the European Union, France, Germany, Iraq, Jordan, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States met August 30-31 at the envoy level in Geneva to discuss the crisis in Syria.
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We reaffirmed our commitment to reaching a political solution to the Syrian crisis consistent with UN Security Council resolution 2254, including continued support for implementing and sustaining an immediate nation-wide ceasefire, the Constitutional Committee, free and fair elections, the end of arbitrary detention, and the release of all those unjustly held. We reiterated the need to create secure conditions for the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons, consistent with UNHCR standards; and support the provision of sufficient and sustainable aid to the displaced and their host countries and communities until such conditions are in place. We noted with concern the continuing threat posed by Daesh and reiterated our commitment to the mission of the Global Coalition Against Daesh, and to the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
We called on all parties, in particular the government-nominated bloc, to resume meetings of the Syrian-led and Syrian-owned Constitutional Committee under UN auspices in Geneva and to advance an inclusive political solution that will protect the territorial integrity, unity, and sovereignty of Syria and the rights and dignity of all Syrians. We reiterated that there is no military solution to the Syrian crisis and reaffirmed our continued support of UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen and his tireless efforts to advance a UN-facilitated political process consistent with UNSC resolution 2254.
We remain deeply concerned about the dire humanitarian situation in Syria and the ongoing suffering of the Syrian people. We emphasized the importance of continuing to provide life-saving and early recovery humanitarian assistance across Syria through all modalities, including expansion and extension of the UNSC resolution 2642 cross-border aid mechanism, for which there is no alternative that can match its scope and scale. Furthermore, we underlined the necessity to continue to press for accountability for all atrocities and international crimes perpetrated in Syria, including the use of chemical weapons, as well as to press for a full accounting of the missing.
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EBRD finances logistical infrastructure in Azerbaijan
The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Azerbaijan. Since the start of its operations there in 1992, the Bank has invested over US$ 3.1 billion in 181 projects.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is boosting transit capacity and import and export cargo capacity in Azerbaijan. The Bank is providing a senior secured loan of up to US$ 4 million to West & East Forward LLC (WE Forward) and Alat Bay Industrial Development AFEZCO (Alat Bay) for the construction of a cold and dry warehouse with a 5,000-tonne storage capacity.
The investment addresses the shortage of commercial cold storage warehouses in Azerbaijan. It is also set to enhance the flow of goods to, and via, Azerbaijan by reducing the cost and time of delivery between the Black Sea ports of Georgia and Baku. This means fewer truck trips to transport temperature-controlled goods, and therefore fewer transport-related carbon emissions.
The EBRD will support the use of sustainable refrigeration technology and green elements in the construction design with grant facilities. As a result, the storage facility is set to become the first?EDGE-certified (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiency)?building in Azerbaijan. Supporting sustainable infrastructure is one of the ways that the EBRD is boosting regional connectivity, along with Azerbaijan’s transition to a green economy.
The Bank will also promote equal opportunities by enabling access to skills and employment for young women and men in the logistics sector of Azerbaijan. The project is set to support the development of an internationally certified logistics management programme and training of 100 students, including 40 women. This will be complemented by?EU Neighbourhood Investment Platform?grant funding provided under the EBRD’s?FINTECC?programme.
WE Forward is an established transport services provider operating in Azerbaijan since 1993. Its core business is the transportation of chilled and frozen products. WE Forward’s operations in Azerbaijan form an integral part of its clients’ supply chains. Alat Bay is a project company established in 2022 in the Alat Free Economic Zone of Azerbaijan.
The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Azerbaijan. Since the start of its operations there in 1992, the Bank has invested over US$ 3.1 billion in 181 projects in the financial, corporate, infrastructure and energy sectors, with most of those investments in private enterprises. The Bank’s strategy in the country focuses on helping Azerbaijan to diversify its economy and develop the non-oil private sector.
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EU-DISINFORMATION REVIEW
This Is Fine
While Kremlin ‘masterminds’ want to rewrite history and prepare for a glorious future, the past seems to be catching up with them.
Monuments, as with everything else connected to history, have long been a treasured topic for pro-Kremlin propagandists. Understandably, because the one ‘who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past,’ as Orwell famously put it in his novel 1984. As a testament to this idea, Russian spy chief Mr Naryshkin decided to frame Russia’s ongoing and unjustified invasion of Ukraine also in historical terms, claiming somewhat confusingly that Russia is fighting for its ‘historical future.’
Tearing Down Monuments to Past Lies
Since Russia’s launch of all-out war against Ukraine in February 2022, European countries have been taking steps to further distance themselves from an unwarranted and hurtful Soviet legacy.
Steps taken include relocating or tearing down Soviet-related monuments serving as reminders of past lies, such as the brutal Soviet occupation that Soviet and later Russian disinformationists called ‘liberation,’ an Orwellian term. The Kremlin’s disinformation outlets are, as expected, pushing back on such attempts to reclaim the past.
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In Estonia, for example, a Soviet T-34 tank-cum-monument took centre stage. Until 16 August, it was located in Narva, the easternmost city of Estonia that has a large Russian-speaking majority. The tank had been a wedge issue for some time, but what sparked locals to gather around the monument in support of it were rumours spread on social media that the tank was to be dismantled on 3 August. At that time, no decisions had yet been taken. Regardless, Baltnews, RuBaltic, and an RT employee covering the Baltics were quick to add fuel to the fire and agitate people on social media.
Fast forward almost two weeks and the Estonian government did decide to relocate the tank from its public space due to mounting tensions around it. On 16 August, the area around the monument was secured by police and the tank was peacefully relocated.
The relocation did not go unnoticed by pro-Kremlin propagandists. For Maria Zakharova and Russian Channel One, it was almost too good of an excuse to lash out yet again against Estonia, misleadingly labelling the incident a threat to human rights and democracy, and Estonian politicians as the puppets of Anglo-Saxon masters (see EUvsDisinfo story on the theme here).
Regardless of the wrath spewed by pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets, European countries such as Poland and Latvia have continued to eradicate the remnants of Soviet-era monuments. Such memorials were originally designed and erected to glorify Soviet imperialism and deceive contemporary and future generations alike about the factual history.
‘De-Nazification’, but at a slower pace, and at times in reverse
The disinformation narrative falsely accusing Ukraine of being Nazi is still among the most pervasive themes in the pro-Kremlin disinformation ecosystem. These accusations include promulgating videos allegedly proving Ukraine’s fascist behaviour. Such videos are also promoted by Russian diplomatic accounts, including at the UN by the First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN and the official account of the Russian Embassy in Egypt.
In a likely effort to explain the lack of significant progress of the ‘special military operation’, pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets revived the previously (in May) used narrative that the Russian military is deliberately slowing down the pace of the war to minimise civilian casualties.
However, this disinformation narrative falls flat on its face, as there is daily evidence and examples of the contrary, such as the horrific missile strike on the Chaplyne train station on Ukraine’s Independence Day that left 25 people dead and more than 30 people injured. The strike took place less than 24 hours after Russian Defence Minister Shoigu yet again made the false claim that Russian forces avoid civilian targets.
Despite repeated attempts to placate their boss in the Kremlin, including FSO chief Viktor Zolotov’s reality-twisting presentation to President Putin that invited internet memes and mockery, the idea that ‘everything is not fine’ is finally sinking in at the Kremlin. According to some sources, Shoigu and half a dozen top generals have been side-lined despite their repeated claims of progress, albeit slow, in ‘preserving civilian lives’. Probably to the great satisfaction of the commentators demanding more hawkish policies shown constantly on Russian propaganda outlets, like on this show.
Nevertheless, as per latest reports, it seems like Russian military progress is currently conducted mostly in reverse, including some individuals fleeing all the way back to Russia. Naturally, we are inclined to believe this since pro-Kremlin propagandists vehemently deny it.
In other disinformation news:
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Welt: Putin nimmt nicht an Trauerfeier für Gorbatschow teil
Der russische Pr?sident Wladimir Putin wird der Trauerfeier für den verstorbenen ehemaligen sowjetischen Parteichef Michail Gorbatschow am Samstag fernbleiben. ?Wir wissen dass die Hauptzeremonie sowie die Bestattung am 3. September stattfinden – aber der Zeitplan des Pr?sidenten erlaubt es ihm nicht, anwesend zu sein“, sagte Kreml-Sprecher Dmitri Peskow am Donnerstag.
Auf die Frage, ob Gorbatschow ein Staatsbegr?bnis erhalte, sagte Peskow, die Beisetzung werde Elemente eines Staatsbegr?bnisses wie eine Ehrenwache und andere Formalit?ten beinhalten. Putin sei bereits ins Moskauer Krankenhaus gegangen, in dem Gorbatschow starb, und habe dort Blumen am Sarg niedergelegt.
Gorbatschow war am Dienstag im Alter von 91 Jahren nach langer Krankheit gestorben.?In die Geschichte ging er als letzter Staatschef und Generalsekret?r der Kommunistischen Partei der Sowjetunion ein. Mit seiner Reformpolitik von Glasnost (Offenheit) und Perestroika (Umgestaltung) leitete er letztlich den Zerfall der Sowjetunion ein. Der von ihm eingeleitete Wandel trug zudem zum Ende des Kalten Krieges bei. Ende 1991 trat Gorbatschow nach weniger als sieben Jahren im Amt zurück.
Im Laufe der Jahre wurde der Friedensnobelpreistr?ger zwar in aller Welt mit Ehrungen überh?uft, in Russland jedoch als Totengr?ber der Sowjetunion betrachtet und weitgehend verachtet.
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