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Iraqi Kurds are on course for economic independence

Location:

IRAQ

The announcement signals the KRG's intent to continue exporting oil and meet its own domestic costs independently of Baghdad. However, at the same time as the KRG is moving…

Ukraine invasion threatens oil trade amid volatility

Location:

INTERNATIONAL

Neither Moscow nor the countries which have imposed sanctions on it wish to damage energy trade, but some disruption to Russian oil product flows is likely. The oil market is…

Beirut’s internal and external pressures will mount

Location:

LEBANON

As a new crisis in relations with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states intensifies and internal sectarian tensions mount, compromise Prime Minister Najib Mikati is pushing ahead…

Iraqi Kurdish militias could return to fraught Kirkuk

Location:

IRAQ

Iraqi security forces took control of Kirkuk following a controversial independence referendum in September 2017. Since then, security in the area has deteriorated, with an…

Russia will target expanded BRICS for grain exports

Location:

RUSSIA

The entry into BRICS of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) -- all major importers of grain -- gives Russia an opportunity permanently to…

Nuclear deal will not moderate Iran's regional policy

Location:

IRAN

Tehran's regional ties have been strained by its support for Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shia militias in Iraq, and sectarian groups in the Gulf. The…

Economic goals drive Indian-Israeli-Emirati-US ‘quad’

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INDIA/ISRAEL/UAE/US

The grouping has been widely described as a new ‘quad’. This label is inspired by the Quad, a long-standing group comprising India, the United States, Australia and Japan.

Summit highlights contours of Indian foreign policy

Location:

INDIA

India will host the 2023 summit as the group’s chair for the year. Events in Samarkand cast a spotlight on its bilateral relations with other member states and gave an indication…

Baghdad will struggle to manage its own borders

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IRAQ

So far, results have been mixed. There have been some positive outcomes in terms of increased customs payments and improved security. However, control of key border crossings…

Doha disagreement delineates Saudi-Iranian rivalry

Location:

INTERNATIONAL

Many producers, facing budgetary pressures because of low oil prices, support output restraint, but they need to act in concert. Russia and Saudi Arabia have offered a freeze…