ASEAN:

How political leadership transitions could shape Southeast Asia’s future

World Economic Forum, Sep 30, 2024 –
New political leaders taking office across countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) could reshape regional dynamics, influencing diplomatic engagements, policy orientations and economic strategies across member states.
ASEAN members including Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines have all had changes in leadership in recent years.
Such leadership changes could create greater regional solidarity, much-needed economic reforms and deeper regional integration – all of which would enhance ASEAN’s cohesion and prosperity.

USMCA – ‘MADE IN NORTH AMERICA’:

Donald Trump’s John Deere Threat Has a Problem: the USMCA Act He Signed

Newsweek, Sep 24, 2024 – “They’ve announced a few days ago that they’re going to move a lot of their manufacturing business to Mexico,” Trump said. “I’m just notifying John Deere right now: If you do that, we’re putting a 200 percent tariff on everything that you want to sell into the United States.”….
However, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) signed by Trump in January 2020, a replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), prohibits the leverage of tariffs on a range of goods, allowing companies to manufacture in Mexico and Canada and export back to the U.S. without high costs.
If Trump wanted to slap higher levies on John Deere and any companies vying to make similar moves, he would need to repeal the agreement. Withdrawal of trade agreements requires action from Congress.
AUTO INDUSTRY PREPS FOR UNPRECEDENTED USMCA REVIEW AS CRUCIAL ELECTIONS LOOM
Automotive News, Sep 26, 2024 – The U.S., Canada and Mexico must confirm in writing by July 2026 whether they want to continue with the free trade agreement.
OPINION: CANADA’S TARIFF ON CHINA’S ELECTRIC VEHICLES IS ALL ABOUT US POLITICS
‘FORTRESS NORTH AMERICA’
The Hill, Sep 21, 2024 – That’s why it sends a message to the U.S. that Canada is willing and able to close Fortress North America to Chinese trade and investment, which is key if the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement is to be renewed in July 2026.
TRUMP SAYS HE COULD IMPOSE TARIFFS WITHOUT APPROVAL FROM CONGRESS. IS HE RIGHT?
‘PROBABLY YES’
ABC News, Sep 25, 2024 – The Constitution affords Congress the power to “lay and collect Taxes, Duties” as part of its remit to “provide for the common Defence [sic] and general Welfare of the United States.”….
But, in recent decades, the legislative branch has increasingly handed over such power to the executive….
Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 allows the executive to gain temporary tariff authority in response to an adverse trade policy taken up by another country. Trump could use the measure to justify tariffs on China in a fashion resembling his first term, Lovely said.
“Probably yes,” Lovely added, though she noted that the time limit on the authority could require Trump to apply for a second round of approval from the Office of the United States Trade Representative, a government agency.

EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION:

Putin continues to circumvent Western sanctions

Compliance complicated by Armenia’s membership in Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union

Sofia Globe, Sep 25, 2024 – For more than two and a half years, Russia has managed to circumvent many Western sanctions imposed after the Kremlin launched its full-scale military aggression against Ukraine.This has been possible thanks to allied countries. Among the countries benefiting from Russia’s evasion of sanctions, Armenia stands out. Although the Armenian government claims to be “reorienting” towards the West, the facts show that Yerevan remains an important economic partner of Moscow.According to The Wall Street Journal, “compliance with the sanctions is complicated by Armenia’s membership… in the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union, which largely eliminates customs borders between its members.”….If the West really wants the war in Ukraine to end as soon as possible, then the US and the EU should stop ignoring Yerevan’s role in Moscow’s circumvention of the sanctions they themselves imposed.

SE ASIA:

ASEAN ‘best economic opportunity’ over medium term, European businesses say

Business World, Sep 24, 2024 – More than half of European businesses surveyed see ASEAN as providing the best economic opportunities over the next five years, the European Union-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) said.
“Over the 10 years that the Council has conducted the survey, our respondents regularly report that ASEAN is the region of best economic opportunity, and they see it as a region where they intend to increase investment and trade,” EU-ABC Chairman Jens Rübbert said in the report.
“The continued absence of a region-to-region FTA [free trade agreement] between the EU and ASEAN is perceived as a disadvantage….”
It added that to realize the potential in the ASEAN market, ASEAN policymakers must work on removing existing barriers, enhancing economic integration, and forging stronger ties with the EU through comprehensive trade agreements.

SOUTH ASIA:

Why does the EU flourish while SAARC stagnates?

The Business Standard (Bangladesh) Sep 21, 2024 – A key reason for the EU’s success lies in its solid economic foundation, established through a common market enabling free movement of goods, services, people and capital, fostering economic growth and making Europe a powerful trading bloc….The 1992 Maastricht Treaty formalised political integration, introducing common foreign and security policies while the EU has since harmonised policies in education, immigration and sustainability.Without supranational bodies like the European Commission or Parliament, SAARC struggles to drive reforms or ensure compliance….The first and most crucial step is resolving the political disputes that have paralysed the organisation. Without peace between India and Pakistan, SAARC is unlikely to make any substantial progress.
SOUTH ASIA REGIONAL TRADE LEAST INTEGRATED IN WORLD
Financial Express (Bangladesh), Sep 21, 2024 – Regional trade in South Asia has remained the least integrated in the world and has not improved much over decades due to the narrow and non-cooperative political economic approach in the region, experts viewed at a webinar on Friday.
South Asia regional trade has remained 5 per cent in the last 30 years while South East Asia regional trade has reached 25 per cent and European Union trade reached 20 per cent, they observed.
The experts also opined that the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation might complement the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to some extent, but a rejuvenated SAARC could play a vital role in regional integration.

EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION:

Russian-led Eurasia: How Ukraine is Impacting Moscow’s Regional Partners

EAEU member states helping Russia bypass economic sanctions

Australian Institute of International Affairs, Sep 20, 2024 – Russian-led Eurasia refers to the group of post-Soviet states that have coalesced around Russia following the collapse of the USSR. These states are most readily seen through regional organisations, such as the CSTO, but also the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), launched in 2015 as an ambitious EU-style trading bloc….
UN voting records show Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan consistently abstaining or voting with Russia on key Ukraine resolutions….
In the economic sphere, access to the huge Russian market of over 140 million people offers tangible incentives to partners. This includes access to supply chains, infrastructure, and the Russian labour market….This access also extends to energy supply, where EAEU member states enjoy gas prices (according to Russian sources) 10 times lower than for EU member states. Loyalty to Russia has concrete economic advantages that go some way in explaining the leader-follower dynamic.
SHOULD THE WEST SANCTION RUSSIA’S NEIGHBORS IN CENTRAL ASIA?
Moscow Times, Sep 16, 2024 – Russian companies are turning to Central Asia not just as a refuge from political instability, but also as a strategic hub to bypass sanctions. This poses a dilemma for the West: finding a way to disrupt Russia’s supply of “battlefield technology” without severing ties with Central Asian economies.

UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL:

The Future Of Global Peace: Why The UNSC Needs Comprehensive Reform – Analysis

Call for regional representation within UN Security Council Gaining momentum

Eurasia Review, Sept 15, 2024 – ….Another concept that is gaining momentum is the call for regional representation within the UNSC. This would entail allocating permanent seats to regional groups such as the African Union, the Arab League, or the Pacific Islands Forum. Such an approach could resolve some of the dilemmas regarding which specific countries should be chosen to represent larger regions. However, this model also raises concerns about how to ensure effective leadership and decision-making within these regions, as well as how to strike a balance between regional representation and the necessity for global consensus.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: ‘A GLOBAL FORM OF FEDERALISM’

“We could order the world on the basis of existing regional cooperation organizations”

‘MADE IN NORTH AMERICA’

Opportunities in ASU-Mexico partnership equip talent for North American microelectronics jobs

ASU exports English language to Mexico

‘Essential skill’ enables Mexico’s semiconductor manufacturing hub
ASU News (Arizona State University), Aug 27, 2024 – One country can’t accomplish it all when it comes to the semiconductor or microelectronics sector.
While Arizona is a rapidly expanding hub for revitalizing the industry in the United States, Arizona State University is also working with partners in Mexico to help achieve strategic goals for diversifying the North American semiconductor supply chain….
Regardless of where in the world semiconductor operations take place, English is the standard language for trade and science, making it a crucial skill for anyone interested in working in the field.
The English for the Semiconductor Industry course helps non-native English speakers build this essential skill.
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

USMCA; ‘REGIONAL PROTECTIONISM’:
PRETEXT FOR A NORTH AMERICAN CUSTOMS UNION?

Opinion | ‘Canada can’t afford to sit out the trade war on our borders’

‘CANADA MUST ALIGN OUR TARIFF POLICIES’ WITH MEXICO, U.S.
Financial Post (Canada), Aug 26, 2024 – For Canada, our economy depends heavily on the movement of goods in North America and the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) [USMCA] free trade agreement.…
Allowing Chinese government-subsidized products free access to our market could easily wipe out our ability to have healthy steel, aluminum and EV sectors of our own….
Both the U.S. and Mexico have decided to put tariffs on these products to defend their workers against efforts by China to dump subsidized products into North America….
Canada must align our tariff policies on Chinese steel, aluminum and EVs with those of our trading partners, Mexico and the U.S. Not doing so will expose our economy to serious risks….
One is the risk that Chinese government-subsidized products could wipe out Canadian production and, with it, the well-paying jobs that many Canadians depend on….
The second is that our trading partners, the U.S. and Mexico, would be exposed to Chinese metals coming through Canada and eroding our North American steel, aluminum and automotive markets.

SE ASIA – ASEAN:

US itself pushing Asean closer to China

Express Tribune (Pakistan), Aug 25, 2024 – This affinity is also reflected in the people, academics and researchers of the ASEAN countries who consider China as an invaluable ally, thanks to their strong trade ties with Beijing, growing people-to-people exchanges and benefits brought about by the projects of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) such as the China-Laos Railway, Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway and Malaysia’s East Coast Rail that promote regional integration and serve as a catalyst of growth for regional economies and domestic tourism and industry….
What’s more, the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025 envisages building a highly cohesive, integrated and resilient economy. In the coming years, these security architectures as well as the West’s ambivalent attitude toward ASEAN, return of Donald Trump to the White House and labeling of China as “greatest strategic challenge” will likely widen the gap between ASEAN and the US, accelerating the trend of a robust ASEAN-China relationship.

PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM:

Pacific Islands leaders to meet as region faces ‘polycrisis’ of threats

REGIONAL ORDER OUT OF CHAOS

‘IF THE REGION IS TO SURVIVE, IT REALLY NEEDS SOMETHING TO DRIVE THEIR COLLECTIVE AGENDA AND IDENTITY’
Al Jazeera, Aug 23, 2024 – ….Five years on, as the UN chief returns to the region for the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting, the annual gathering of the region’s main political and economic grouping, there’s a growing sense of urgency as existential threats intensify on several fronts.
In June, Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka described the Pacific region as facing a “polycrisis”, saying climate change, human security, transnational drug trafficking, and geopolitical competition were reinforcing and exacerbating one another….
Sandra Tarte, an academic at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji who specialises in regional politics, said there were “a lot of ambitious things on the agenda” at the meeting.
“If the region is to survive, it really needs something to drive their collective agenda and identity,” she added.

EUROPEAN UNION: DICTATING BEYOND ITS BORDERS:

Europe’s plot to regulate political speech in America

The Hill, Aug 17, 2024 – Eighty years ago, the U.S. government launched a war bond campaign featuring a painting by artist Norman Rockwell in the struggle against the authoritarian threat from Europe. The picture they chose was Rockwell’s Freedom of Speech depicting a man rising to speak his mind at a local council meeting in Vermont. The image rallied the nation around what Louis Brandeis called our “indispensable right.”
Now, that very right is again under attack from another European government, which is claiming the right to censor what Americans are allowed to say about politics, science and other subjects….
Today, the vast majority of political speech occurs over the Internet and specifically social media. That is why the internet is the single greatest advancement for free speech since the printing press.
It is also the reason governments have spent decades seeking to control speech over the internet, to regulate what people can say or read.
One of the greatest threats to free speech today is the European Digital Services Act. The act bars speech that is viewed as “disinformation” or “incitement.”

EU BACKTRACKS AFTER COMMISSIONER THREATENED MUSK OVER TRUMP INTERVIEW

EU COMMISSION TRIED TO SAVE FACE BY SAYING THIERRY BRETON’S LETTER TO MUSK WAS UNAUTHORIZED
European Conservative, Aug 14, 2024 – It took less than a day for the European Commission to completely backtrack on its attempt to intimidate X owner Elon Musk into censoring his interview with President Trump. Officials distanced themselves from the commissioner who sent the threatening letter and claimed that he acted alone, with no prior authorization from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
As we reported, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton—the EU’s self-styled “digital enforcer” responsible for creating and overseeing the bloc’s infamous social media censorship tool, the Digital Services Act (DSA)—wrote a letter to Musk ahead of the billionaire’s two-hour-long live interview with the Republican presidential candidate, “reminding” him that failing to moderate any content on X that “may incite violence, hate, or racism … including in the context of elections” will face legal repercussions and the “full use of [the EU’s] toolbox.”

Malaysia’s BRICS bid to build on its allegiance to ASEAN

East Asia Forum, Aug 18, 2024 – Some may argue that Malaysia joining BRICS might challenge ASEAN centrality due to the influence of Russia and China, but ASEAN centrality itself can help balance this dynamic by serving as a stabilising force. By ensuring a unified ASEAN approach, Malaysia can use its BRICS participation to strengthen regional cohesion, prioritise ASEAN’s collective interests and maintain its role as a neutral and cohesive bloc….It is unrealistic to downplay the importance of the G7. But the trade structure between ASEAN, the BRICS and the G7 opens up new areas of opportunity. The G7 countries are major trading partners for ASEAN, as major markets for electronics, machinery, textiles and agricultural products. This robust trade relationship is strengthened by substantial investment flows from G7 countries into ASEAN.Trade between ASEAN and BRICS, on the other hand, is driven by demand for raw materials, energy and consumer goods, with China and India being the main markets for ASEAN exports. On top of that, BRICS countries are increasingly investing in infrastructure projects in ASEAN, further consolidating economic ties.

Lula Proposes South America Act As A Bloc

Eurasia Review, Aug 16, 2024 – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday (Aug. 14) advocated for greater integration among South American countries to advance regional development and seek robust trading partners beyond the continent, including China….
Building a relationship based on trust and mutual interest is what drives us to promote South America as a bloc,” the president added, recalling his long-standing support for strengthening relations within regional blocs such as the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac).

EUROPEAN UNION – GERMANY:

Revealed: Thousands of Afghan ‘Refugees’ Taking Vacations back in Afghanistan

Despite Taliban control from which they sought ‘asylum’

European Conservative, Aug 16, 2024 – What makes the revelations particularly shocking is that Germany has classified Afghanistan as an unsafe country of origin, and has refused to repatriate migrants to Afghanistan since the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban regime took back power three years ago.
The paradox is that ordinary Afghan citizens, who are seeking “refuge” in Germany, don’t seem persecuted by the Taliban at all—and are happy to return home on holiday.

THE NEW REGIONAL MERCANTILISM: EU vs. EAU:

Armenia Praised For Implementing Key Reforms Under EU Agreement, as Russia Fumes

Armenian Mirror-Spectator, Aug 15, 2024 – A Brussels official has praised Armenia’s progress in implementing reforms in key areas under its existing agreement with the European Union….
Armenia has effectively suspended its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization and is threatening to withdraw from the Moscow-led security grouping of six former Soviet nations altogether due to its failure to respond to repeated border incursions from Azerbaijan in 2021 and 2022. At the same time, Yerevan has strengthened its military ties with Western nations, including France and the United States. Armenia, a member of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, has also been more vocal recently about its potential bid to join the European Union.

THE ‘NORTH AMERICAN SUPPLY CHAIN’:

Reshoring In North America: Strategy For Manufacturing Excellence | Opinion

‘Key is to think of North America as a single, integrated manufacturing zone’

Raghunandan Gurumurthy Forbes Councils Member
Forbes Business Council COUNCIL POST
Forbes, Aug 7, 2024 – In an era of unprecedented global supply chain disruptions, North America must bolster its industrial self-reliance through strategic reshoring efforts. As an industrial engineering expert with years of experience in global manufacturing, I’ve witnessed firsthand the vulnerabilities exposed by over-reliance on distant supply chains. It’s clear that the United States, Canada and Mexico must work together to create a robust, resilient manufacturing ecosystem that serves our collective interests…..
A Coordinated North American Approach
Now, let’s talk about how to make this tri-country strategy work in practice. Here’s my blueprint for success:
1. Intelligent Process Allocation Assess each country’s manufacturing strengths, labor skills and costs. Assign production stages strategically, matching labor-intensive processes to lower-cost regions and high-precision tasks to areas with specialized skills. Review and adjust regularly based on performance metrics.
2. Integrated Digital Supply Chain Implement a unified, cloud-based supply chain management system accessible across all three countries. Provide real-time visibility of inventory, production schedules and shipment statuses. Include alert mechanisms for potential disruptions, enabling quick adjustments.
3. Cross-Border Skill Development Create exchange programs for workers and managers to gain hands-on experience in facilities across North America. Develop standardized training modules that address specific skills gaps in each country’s manufacturing sector.
4. Harmonized Regulatory Framework Establish a joint committee to identify and address regulatory inconsistencies. Focus on aligning standards for emerging technologies and creating a streamlined approval process for new products and processes.
5. Sustainable Infrastructure Investment Coordinate infrastructure development to support this new manufacturing paradigm. This means not just roads and bridges but also 5G networks, renewable energy grids and advanced recycling facilities. The key is to think of North America as a single, integrated manufacturing zone.
Does anyone not see the mega-government, open-border central planning in this agenda? If allowed to be implemented, this fascist “public-private partnership” mindset means the end of an independent, free-enterprise United States as we know it, just as what has developed among the once-independent nations of the European Union.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Region-Building: Common Objectives Part 1 of 6 – The above list of regionalist priorities is reflected in this compilation of news article excerpts from over a decade ago. The 6-part series depicts these and other key strategies, envisioned by all of the world’s regional blocs to usurp sovereignty away from their respective member nations.

SE ASIA – ASEAN:

ASEAN On Positive Trajectory To Become World’s Fourth Largest Economy By 2030 — ASEAN Official

BERNAMA (Malaysia), Aug 8, 2024 – ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Deputy Secretary-General Satvinder Singh said this includes its gross domestic product (GDP) which soared 51 percent to US$3.8 trillion last year versus US$2.5 trillion (US$1=RM4.47) in 2015….
What’s important is we are one of the very few regions where our trade is almost as large as our GDP (and) the biggest component of trade is not our trade with China or the United States, but our intra-Asian trade, which is somewhere close to US$800 trillion.
“What we are trying to say is, as much as we have grown as the largest trade component, we have also grown a lot in terms of our trade with the rest of the world,” he said.
This is the uniqueness of economies within the ASEAN bloc, unlike the European Union or the North American Free Trade Area where “they like to trade with each other.”

‘MADE IN NORTH AMERICA’:

Donald Trump’s invitation to Chinese carmakers might boost US transition to EVs

Yahoo!, Aug 2, 2024 – At a March rally in Ohio, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump broke with party rhetoric on Chinese investment and welcomed carmakers from the country to build factories in the US.
“If they want to build a plant in Michigan, in Ohio, in South Carolina, they can – using American workers, they can,” the former president said in Dayton. It’s an invitation he has since repeated, including at the Republican National Convention last month….
For Trump, the overture to Chinese companies is an alternative to cheap Chinese autos flooding US markets, a concern that both he and other Republicans like Senator Marco Rubio of Florida have repeatedly raised amid reports of Chinese electric vehicle and battery manufacturers considering building plants in Mexico.
Under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, as long as 75 per cent of auto content – including key parts – is made in North America, the products can qualify for tariff-free import into the US. Should the Chinese manufacturers choose to build in Mexico and ship the final products across the border, Trump said, he would slap them with heavier tariffs.

EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION – TO INCLUDE IRAN?

Iran President Pezeshkian: Regional Union Leads to Strengthening of Cooperation

Kazakhstan ready to expand ‘cooperation with Iran in regional agreements such as … The Eurasian Economic Union’

Iran Press, July 30, 2024 – Iran’s new President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a meeting with Maulen Ashimbayev, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan….stated that Iran, Kazakhstan, and other countries of the region have lived in a common cultural and civilization area and the cultural pride and personalities of the region belong to all of us….
Pezeshkian added: “Also, the effort to create a regional union can diminish the borders between the countries of this civilizational and cultural sphere.”
[Ashimbayev]  emphasized his readiness to help strengthen relations with Iran and stated: “We consider Iran a strategic partner of Kazakhstan and are ready to expand bilateral as well as regional and international cooperation with Iran in regional agreements such as Shanghai, SICA and the Eurasian Economic Union.”

MIDDLE EAST REGION:

Israel’s Netanyahu calls for ‘NATO-style alliance’ in Middle East to counter Iran

Middle East Monitor, July 26, 2024 – Speaking at the United States’ Congress on Wednesday…. Netanyahu envisioned it as “an extension of the groundbreaking Abraham Accords,” referring to the normalisation of diplomatic relations with Israel by various Arab states over the past few years, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. He suggested that such a pact be named the “Abraham Alliance”.
During his address to US Congress, Netanyahu gave the example of Iran’s firing of hundreds of missiles toward Israel, which was rapidly countered by not only Tel Aviv and American forces, but also with the help of regional states such as Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The region already “saw a glimpse of that alliance” on that night, the Israeli premier said.
See also: Open Borders in the Middle East?

NORTH AMERICA:

AMLO Says Trump’s Threat to Ban Mexican Cars Is Just a Bluff

AMLO: USMCA helps prevent North America from falling behind China

BNN Bloomberg, July 24, 2024 – President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador….known as AMLO, said he’s not too concerned about comments made by Trump in the heat of an election campaign, since when he was in office he had supported the North American free trade agreement, known as USMCA….
Trump’s proposal to shut the US-Mexico border would cause chaos, affecting the transit of 300,000 vehicles and a million people each day, and limit trade in products crucial to the US economy, Lopez Obrador said….
Lopez Obrador also said that the USMCA helps prevent North America from falling behind China.

ARE US MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST MEXICAN CARTELS ON THE TABLE? TRUMP SAYS ‘ABSOLUTELY’

‘THE CARTELS ARE RUNNING MEXICO’
Mexico News Daily, July 25, 2024 – “They’re killing 300,000 people a year with fentanyl coming in,” he said, offering a figure that is almost triple the number of estimated drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2023.
Trump said that “Mexico is going to be given a very short period of time to police their border” and if they don’t do the job effectively, his government will take action….
Trump asserted that “Mexico is petrified of the cartels because they’ll take out a president in two minutes.”
“They’re petrified of the cartels. The cartels are running Mexico,” he said.

EU: UK BREENTRY?

‘It’s clear this government’s goal is to have us rejoin the European Union’

‘LABOUR IS BEGINNING THE PROCESS OF REJOINING THE EUROPEAN UNION’

Express (London, UK), July 20, 2024 – This is the mood music around the proposal buried in the King’s Speech to have a fast-track mechanism for implementing new EU regulations.

EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION:

Eurasian Economic Commission to review Iran’s observer status in September meeting

MENAFN, July 21, 2024 – The minister responsible for trade at the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) has announced that the commission will review Iran’s application for observer status during its upcoming meeting in Yerevan, Armenia, scheduled for late September….
Iran has been actively pursuing observer status in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) following the signing of a free trade agreement with the union.

SAARC – Pakistan at UN:

Pakistan pushes for preventing any state from dominating regional peace organisations

‘REGIONAL INTEGRATION REPRESENTS THE NEXT PHASE OF INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS’

AKRAM CALLS OUT INDIA: ‘QUEST FOR REGIONAL HEGEMONY BY ONE LARGE STATE HAS UNDERMINED’ SAARC’S POTENTIAL
DAWN (Pakistan), July 21, 2024 – UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan stands for boosting cooperation between the United Nations and regional and sub-regional organisations in maintaining world peace and security, a top Pakistani diplomat has said, while also stressing that no state should be allowed to dominate regional organisations.
“We must strive for a collective vision that benefits all,” Ambassador Munir Akram told the UN Security Council which held a debate on Friday under the chairmanship of Russia, the 15-nation body’s president for July. In this regard, the Pakistani envoy underscored that the particular national interests of member states do not hinder regional integration….
Pakistan, he said, believes that other regional organisations such as the African Union (AU), the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO), and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), along with cross-regional groups, like the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), should also work towards expanding global integration through appropriate association agreements….

What Is the SCO Doing Wrong? Lessons From ASEAN and SAARC

The Diplomat, July 20, 2024 – As the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in July came to an end, questions about the futility of the organization remained. Initiated by China as the Shanghai Five in 1996, the organization for a long time included most Central Asian states plus Russia and China, before expanding to include India, Pakistan, and Iran…. Central Asian leaders have never really felt equal in the room with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. In this sense, the dynamics of the SCO are more similar to that of SAARC, given India’s dominance, as opposed to the smooth-talking, consensus-seeking ASEAN way.

ASEAN, GCC:

ASEAN eyes forming trade pact with Gulf Cooperation Council

The Investor (Vietnam), July 20, 2024 – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) recently dropped another hint that they might try to strike a trade pact with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as the former tries to boost its trade with partners outside the region.
A free trade agreement (FTA) between the two blocs is likely, ASEAN’s Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn told the press on Friday.

GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL:

GCC Deplores Israeli Knesset Decision Rejecting the Establishment of Palestinian State

FANA News, July 18, 2024 – The Gulf Cooperation Council on Thursday condemned the Israeli Knesset’s decision on a draft law rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state. In a statement today, GCC Secretary- General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, expressed his strong condemnation and refusal to approve the Israeli Knesset’s decision on the draft law….

SOUTH PACIFIC – PIF:

Pacific island leaders agree to enhance Japan’s role in the region amid growing China influence

AP | ABC News, July 17, 2024 0 Leaders of 18 Pacific island nations and areas agreed to an enhanced role of Japan in the region’s development while opposing any attempted coercive activity, in a joint declaration adopted at their summit Thursday, as Tokyo seeks greater engagement to counter China’s influence.
The Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting, or PALM, launched under a Japanese initiative in 1997, has become Japan’s key diplomatic tool to deter China’s security and economic influence in the region by strengthening its ties with the Pacific Island Forum members.
JAPAN, PACIFIC ISLANDS TO BOOST SECURITY TIES
Nikkei, July 18, 2024 – Japan and Pacific island nations agreed on Thursday to increase security, trade and climate cooperation following a three-day summit in which Tokyo sought to deepen ties with its island neighbors as China makes further diplomatic headway in the vast region.
The 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting, or PALM10, was attended by the 18 members of the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) and Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
“It is increasingly important that we work together to maintain and strengthen an international order that is free, open, and based on the rule of law,” Kishida said at a news conference after the summit.
The leaders will “strengthen defense exchanges” through port calls with vessels and aircraft from the Japan Self Defense Force….

‘MADE IN EUROPE’: EU and the ‘NEW MERCANTILISM’:

EU urged to require more ‘made in Europe’ standards for hydrogen sector

Offshore Energy, July 3, 2024 – 20 major electrolyzer manufacturers, including Nel Hydrogen, Siemens Energy and thyssenkrupp nucera, have signed a letter calling on the European Commission President nominee Ursula Von der Leyen to ensure a level playing field and require more “made in Europe” standards for the industry.
The companies claimed that Chinese subsidies for state-owned hydrogen companies create a “skewed” playing field that puts European manufacturers at a significant disadvantage.

S.E. ASIA – ASEAN:

Japan commits to ASEAN power grid project to counter China

Nikkei Asia, July 2, 2024 – The Japanese government will offer financial assistance to domestic companies, including Kansai Electric Power (KEPCO), for an inter-island power transmission project in Indonesia. The move is part of Tokyo’s efforts to become a player in Southeast Asia’s grid development as China flexes its economic muscle in the region.

VIDEO: GLOBAL SHAKEDOWN (2015)
The world’s developing and projected regional blocs. (Excerpt @ 20:15 of 27:33)