Afghanistan
A House Divided: The SCO’s Afghanistan Conundrum (Ayjaz Wani, Observer Research Foundation): Separatism, extremism, and terrorism originating in Afghanistan compelled the neighbouring countries to form the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2001. However, instead of presenting a united front, the SCO is rife with disagreements. Increased divergences and mistrust among the members have helped the Taliban regain power in Afghanistan and strengthen its influence in the heart of Eurasia. The Taliban have taken advantage of the trust deficit within the SCO to make false promises on constituting an inclusive government, women’s rights, and its affiliations with terrorist groups. This brief discusses why the SCO must take a united stand on the Afghanistan situation to ensure regional peace, security, and stability. A House Divided: The SCO’s Afghanistan Conundrum
Egypt
Retain, Restructure, or Divest? Policy Options for Egypt’s Military Economy (Yezid Sayigh, Carnegie Middle East Center): The Egyptian military has been on a dramatic expansionary trajectory since seizing power in July 2013. Having previously been an economic backwater, the Egyptian Armed Forces (EAF) and other military agencies have spearheaded the enormous state-led investment strategy that President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has pursued since he came to office in 2014. Retain, Restructure, or Divest? Policy Options for Egypt’s Military Economy
Europe
Who is suffering most from rising inflation? (Grégory Claeys, Lionel Guetta, Lionel Guetta-Jeanrenaud, Bruegel): Inflation in the euro area reached 5% in December 2021, the highest level since the creation of the common currency. In some countries, the rise has been even more acute. In Belgium, inflation hit 6.5%. However, in Italy and France the rise has been more moderate reaching 3.9% and 3.4% respectively. Who is suffering most from rising inflation ?
Hungary
The Hungarian election and its significance for Europe (Chatham House): Hungary will hold a parliamentary election on 3 April, which could end Viktor Orbán’s 12 years in power. Prime Minister Orbán has developed a form of ‘illiberal democracy’ that has led Freedom House to class the country as only ‘partly free’ – the only European Union (EU) state with this designation. International observers have expressed serious doubts whether this election can be considered free and fair. The Hungarian election and its significance for Europe
India
Indian Space Program and its Drivers: Possible Implications for the Global Space Market (Namrata Goswami, IFRI): India has one of the oldest space programs in the world with space playing a critical role in India’s national development and external power projection capability. Indian Space Program and its Drivers: Possible Implications for the Global Space Market
Playing a losing game (Manoj Joshi, Observer Research Foundation): The recent back-to-back summits India and China had with Central Asian Republics (CAR) indicate that the Great Game is very much on. Whether we should be playing it at all, or have the capacity to do so is another matter. The Indian media had hyped the summit as some kind of a major achievement. India had invited the leaders of the five Central Asian Republics — Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan — to be joint chief guests for the 2022 Republic Day. This didn’t pan out, and so it was decided to hold the summit virtually, which was done on January 27. Playing a losing game
Lebanon
Decrypting the State (Ghida Tayara, Carnegie Middle East Center): The multiple crises that have hit Lebanon since 2019 are the result of years of incompetent governance and flagrant corruption. And while many elements have contributed to the problems faced by the Lebanese state, the lack of accountability and transparency in the public administration and in governmental policies are fundamental ones. One way to overcome this is by moving toward a digitized government, whose benefits would include more transparency, less chaos, and greater accountability. Decrypting the State
Myanmar
Myanmar’s violent stalemate can heal deeper divisions (Gareth Price, Chatham House): Whichever angle it is viewed from, it is clear the situation in Myanmar has significantly worsened one year on from the Tatmadaw military coup – and the military itself appears to have badly misjudged the degree to which the population had changed after enjoying a decade of relative freedom, underestimating the level of resistance it would face. Myanmar’s violent stalemate can heal deeper divisions
Russia
The mind and the state of Russia’s President (Rakesh Sood, ORF): In early January, there was a flurry of diplomatic activity beginning with talks in Geneva between United States Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, shifting to Brussels for a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-Russia Council meeting on January 12, with the finale being the 57-member Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) meeting in Vienna the following day. The immediate provocation was the presence of 1,00,000 Russian forces, backed by heavy artillery, tanks and armoured personnel carriers on the Russia-Ukraine border, generating apprehensions about an imminent invasion. The diplomacy has continued with meetings and phone calls at the highest levels. In the absence of any forward movement, the situation in Ukraine remains tense as analysts try to read Russian President Vladimir Putin’s mind about Russia’s next move. The mind and the state of Russia’s President
Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee of the United Nations – Afghanistan – India
The fractured diplomacy of countering terrorism (Kabir Taneja, Observer Research Foundation): August 2021 changed many a narrative when it comes to the entire ideation behind the United States (US)’s “war on terror” — a counterterrorism blueprint devised by Washington DC that the world rallied behind in the aftermath of 9/11. Fast-forward 20 years later, and the Taliban walked back into Kabul, and today, one way or another, the world is divided on how to deal with the militant group regaining control over Afghanistan. The fractured diplomacy of countering terrorism
Transatlantic Digital Cooperation
Towards a vision for transatlantic digital cooperation (Chatham House): Accelerated digital transformation has highlighted both the need and benefits of effective digital cooperation at the international level. Despite differences, the US, European Union (EU), and the UK remain natural partners on key issues around digital technology governance. Towards a vision for transatlantic digital cooperation
The Global Eye è pubblicato in collaborazione con The Science of Where Magazine
