The Herat Security Dialogue and the situation in Afghanistan
There are several protracted conflicts around the world that have no definitive solution. These include the Arab-Israeli and Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts, as well as the...
The Istanbul four? What the recent summit in Turkey could mean for Syria
On 27 October, 2018, the leaders of France, Germany, Russia, and Turkey met in Istanbul to discuss the crisis in Syria. In a joint...
With Merkel stepping down, what is the future of conservatism in Germany?
Angela Merkel’s decision to end her political career, apart from sitting out her third term as German Chancellor until 2021, can be compared to...
Chinese investment in Africa: New model for economic development or business as usual?
As China’s trade relations with other world powers continue to attract attention, African leaders have gathered in Beijing for the third summit of the...
The Idlib conundrum
On Friday, 7 September, the Astana Troika summit in Tehran brought together the leaders of Iran, Russia, and Turkey to discuss the current situation...
Syria’s reconstruction: No willing payers in sight
Lately there has been a lot of rhetoric about the start of the reconstruction process in Syria. Such a statement was made by Iranian...
BRICS: An alternative platform for multilateralism?
Since 1 January 2018, South Africa has held the BRICS presidency, during which over 15 ministerial and 60 official meetings and forums have been...
A man beyond Europe: Deciphering Donald Trump
Trying to identify the inner logic of the Trump presidency, while at the same time not blaming his incessant antics on some fault of...
US strategy and the business environment in Iran
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was signed in Oct 2015 between Iran and the six major nuclear powers: the US, UK, France,...
Migration and the challenge to maintain European unity
The migration crisis in Europe has split the political elite not only across the EU, but also within individual European states. The discussion on...