Shaping the Regional Dynamics in the East Mediterranean – Part II

Description of the map: The map depicts the East Mediterranean region. In blue: areas claimed by Greece and the Republic of Cyprus. In red: Areas claimed by Turkey. «A-B Section»: asserted delimitation between Turkey and Libya as per November 2019 agreement between Turkey and Libyan GNA. «C-D Section»: delimitation agreed between Greece and Egypt as per the August 2020 agreement.

 

In light of hydrocarbon reserves discovered in the East Mediterranean, the attention has shifted again towards this corner of the Mediterranean, where Europe meets the Middle East.

This article is part of a trilogy that explores the latest challenges East Mediterranean experiences. The first article sheds light on the particularities of this region and how the recent hydrocarbon findings have contributed to the current crises, while the second part explores the profile of the regional states, which influence one way or another the future of the region.

It is now time to study the long-term disputes that jeopardise the stability and prosperity of the East Mediterranean – directly or indirectly – under the light of the hydrocarbon discoveries in the region.

Read more

/0 Comments/by

Shaping the Regional Dynamics in the East Mediterranean – Part I

In the light of hydrocarbon reserves discovered in the East Mediterranean, the attention shifted towards this corner of the Mediterranean, where Europe meets the Middle East. This article is part of a trilogy that explores the latest challenges East Mediterranean experience based on these new findings.

Article 1 “Conflicts in the East Mediterranean: Why it matters” shed light on the particularities of this region and how the recent hydrocarbon findings have contributed to the current crises.

In this analysis, Article 2 of the trilogy, the objective is to monitor the shifting dynamics in this region and understand how each entity or state adapts to this new reality. On this account, the below section enlists the group of regional players from the perspective of their rebranded identity motivated by the discovery of hydrocarbons findings.

Read more

/0 Comments/by
,

Conflicts in the East Mediterranean

Why it matters

The East Mediterranean covers a region that stretches from Italy’s heel tip eastward to the Levant¹. Throughout history, it has played a crucial role in world politics. Given its geographic position as a crossroad between Africa, Europe, and Asia, East Mediterranean has become numerous times the epicentre of great competition and conflict.

During the Cold War, East Med was vital for the United States. Its geographic location became a landmark of delimitation between the US-USSR influence zones that would refrain Communism from penetrating the three continents. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US attention shifted to other regions that were undergoing more pressing crises (such as the Balkans, the Persian Gulf, and the Horn of Africa).

The last decade has seen a rising tension in the region, which has picked the interest of political experts. As a result, many voices urged the United States to renew its attention in the Mediterannean. The below section lists the ongoing conflicts the region encounters. Read more

/0 Comments/by
,

Conspiracy Theories on the Rise

A Scope Analysis of  the Conspiracy Theories during the Pandemic 

In a period of uncertainty, fear, and continuous talks from experts presenting facts, conspiracy theories have been thriving. For over a year, conspiracy theories have emerged ranging from explanations over the source of the virus to controversial suggestions of how to protect the public from potential infection.

Among other theories, some of the prevalent conspiracy rumors that circulated over the spread of the coronavirus are:

  • The epidemic seen as a hoax
  • The laboratory creation of the virus and its deliberate spread to serve as a bioweapon
  • The role of the 5G technologies in the spread of the virus
  • Vaccination as a control or monitoring tool of the public on a global scale

Of course, setting a straight line of what is fake or real is quite essential, especially when this entails such a sensitive matter as the value of health and human life. Misinformation not only undermines the global response to the pandemic but also endangers social unity. This is why policymakers should pay extra attention to the debunking of circulating myths, which will empower social cohesion and cooperation.

Before this article gets deeper into the roots of the Covid-19 theories, it is essential to explore the definition of the conspiracy theories. Read more

/0 Comments/by
,

US Sanctions On China

The US-China relations and the role of economic sanctions

The strife between the United States and China for global dominance – whether that be on the Innovation & Technology or Financial sector – reflects also on the imposition of sanctions among the two countries. Read more

/0 Comments/by

Economic Sanctions

The role of Economic Sanctions in the International Relations

Imposing economic sanctions has become one of the most used methodologies of coercion in world politics. The average reader reads frequently on the news that global leaders or organisations prefer this tactic as a preventive measure or penalty for wrongdoing towards another state or non-state actor. Read more

/0 Comments/by

Rising Tension in the Arctic Circle

A revival of the Cold War era?

By the end of the Cold War, regional claims in the Arctic Circle had started to fall apart. First of all, the Western World did not have to compete anymore with the Soviet Union over military presence in geostrategic locations all over the world including the Far North. Another important parameter was the cold weather that was making vast areas of ice covering the North Pole difficult to reach, which had put off potential investment plans.

This period of idleness and the absence of military activity in the Arctic was yet to be interrupted by the latest global warmth. With the Arctic ice melting at a much more accelerating pace compared to the rest of the world, a previously inaccessible region is now becoming easier to reach and explore. According to NASA, the Arctic sea ice is dropping by nearly 13% per decade, reaching its lowest point in 2012.

As expected, more countries have started to reconsider their national strategy in the Far North; aiming to exert control over the Arctic natural resources including hydrocarbon reserves, fish and minerals.

Read more

/0 Comments/by

Cybersecurity: Tampering national elections

In foreign affairs, external interference into the voting system of another country is not a new development. According to a study, it is estimated that US and Russia attempted to influence the national elections around the globe 117 times between 1946 to 2000 (Levin, 2016: 189; quoted in Shackelford et al, 2017: 636).

With the explosion of the internet, some countries have decided to incorporate digital technologies into their voting system as a cost-efficient and flexible solution. While such initiatives come with great benefits, they also come with substantial risks. In other words, in the same way, digital systems can be compromised, electronic voting systems can tamper as well. A recent CFR analysis suggests that none of the above group of counties did make any provisions to safeguard the voting process. Due to the elections cybersecurity not been listed as critical infrastructure¹, the voting system becomes more vulnerable to external interference.

Read more

/0 Comments/by
,

Cybersecurity: A Modern Threat

Nowadays, the term of cyber-attack or cybersecurity pops up very frequently on the news and across the internet. As bold as this term sounds, a cyber-attack constitutes a digital crime that very few understand along with the risks that entail for its next victim; whether that be a governmental body, a company or simply an individual. This article aims to analyse this modern threat by breaking down its characteristics through various case studies.

Read more

/0 Comments/by

Yemen: A civil war turned into humanitarian crisis

In contradiction with the first estimations that the civil war in Yemen would last no longer than a few weeks, five years have passed since its outbreak. Not only the conflict has surpassed the regional boundaries but also garnered the bulk of international attention. Today, Yemen has become a synonym of a world humanitarian crisis – trapped in a longstanding battlefield between Shia and Sunni regional powers, while its 30 million population is suffering. In this article, we are unveiling the momentum of this conflict along with its main challenges, whose elimination can bring sustainable development in Yemen.  Read more

/0 Comments/by