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Europe
Hungary
11.10.2024 This year marks the centennial of the Turkish-Hungarian Friendship Treaty, The 1923 agreement was elevated to a strategic partnership in 2013 and to an "enhanced strategic partnership" last year, encompassing cooperation across all sectors. Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Bayraktar met with Szijjártó, Hungarian minister of foreign affairs and trade, during the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum in Russia yesterday. Following the meeting, Bayraktar said on X: "We reiterated our commitment to maintaining and expanding our successful natural gas exports to Hungary in the near future." Hungary is keen to expand bilateral energy cooperation with Ankara, recognizing the crucial role Türkiye's natural gas supply plays in bolstering its energy security, Ambassador Matis, the Hungarian envoy in Ankara told. He said the bilateral agreement between Türkiye and Hungary "is a good start," referring to a 2023 deal between Turkish Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (BOTAS) and the Hungarian MVM CEEnergy company under which Ankara began exporting natural gas to Budapest. "2023-2024 have been the most active years in our energy sector over the past decade." "We are ready to continue cooperation in natural gas. This could be gas known as 'Turkish Blend' or LNG," Matis said. "Türkiye is now the most important transit route for our energy security due to the Russia-Ukraine war," he said. Highlighting a potential for cooperation in nuclear energy, Matis said that Hungary's Paks Nuclear Power Plant shares the same technical specifications as Türkiye's Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant which is currently under construction. He emphasized Hungary's extensive experience in operating nuclear power plants, expressing a willingness to share knowledge and expertise with its Turkish counterparts. The ambassador highlighted the importance of renewable energy sources, such as geothermal and solar power, for Hungary. "Turkish companies are active in Hungary's renewable energy sector and are performing exceptionally well," he said. The ambassador highlighted the significant growth in bilateral trade between Türkiye and Hungary, from $2 billion in 2013 to approximately $4.3 billion in 2023. He emphasized that reaching $6 billion in bilateral trade is merely a stepping stone. He expressed the ambition to further elevate the economic relationship, aiming to achieve a trade volume of $10 billion and strengthening the collaboration even further. New infrastructure has been established to support growth, including the launch of a Turkish public bank in Hungary and visa assistance for Turkish entrepreneurs. "We actively support Turkish companies considering investments in Hungary," he said, adding they are working closely with the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency to offer support and facilitate their entry into the Hungarian market. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
France
11 October 2024 Hurricane Kirk remnants reach France, leaving at least one dead. /Video/ (Source: France 24 / youtube - U.S.)
Note: 6 898 views
Poland
Oct 11, 2024 at 2:02 PM EDT Poland's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sikorski, said yesterday: 'I'd like you to know Starlink units in Ukraine are not funded by Mr. Musk. 'They have been, are and will be funded exclusively by Poland. We do it, nobody else does it. And it's a factor in Ukraine being able to continue fighting.' Sikorski's statements were made on Polish news channel Polsat News. Sikorski said that Starlink is an important factor in Ukraine's defense, as the access to the internet that it supplies is secure and cannot be meddled with. Poland is spending a record amount on defense, up to $48.5 billion. Sikorski's comments counter previous Newsweek reporting, which has said that Starlink in Ukraine is supplied by a $23 million SpaceX contract with the Pentagon. A U.S. Space Force spokesperson spoke to Newsweek about these claims saying: 'The Space Force has a contract to provide Starlink services in Ukraine through November 30, 2024, for a total obligated amount of $40,610,000.00.' Newsweek has contacted the Polish government via email for comment. (Source: Newsweek - U.S.)
European Commission
11/10/2024 18:14 Brussels floats plan to bypass Hungary's long-held veto on €6.6 billion military assistance for Ukraine. A proposed reform - still in the very early stages, - of the European Peace Facility would allow member states to make financial contributions to the EPF on a voluntary basis, rather than a mandatory one. Would it be acceptable for Budapest, as it would relieve the country from chipping into the common fund?. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has repeatedly decried the EU's provisions of military equipment as a "pro-war policy." The switch in contribution to the EPF would require the unanimous support of all 27 member states. (Source: Euronews - Headquarters Lyon, France / AP - U.S.)
Albania
11/10/2024 - 20:12 GMT+2 The centres built by the Italian government in Albania are ready to host migrants rescued by Italian ships in the Mediterranean Sea, eleven months after the agreement between the two countries was signed. Up to 400 people will initially be transported to the coastal Albanian town of Shengjin. The entire centre of Gjadër is in fact a place of forced detention, fenced off and monitored by Italian police officers. Here, a centre ran by Italian staff has been set up. Interpreters, medicals visits and the possibility of applying for asylum are guaranteed. The main section is meant to house asylum seekers while their requests are being processed. Applications must be completed within 28 days, according to the accelerated procedure foreseen in Italian law. During this time, applicants will be able to meet lawyers and staff from international organizations. Those who are not entitled to asylum will end up in another part of the camp. If the capacity is exceeded the migrants will be transferred to Italy before being repatriated to their countries of origin. There is a prison, with a capacity of 20 places, for migrants who commit crimes. Asylum seekers who have their request accepted will be transferred to Italy with a residence permit. Those who receive a refusal will be repatriated, always at the expense and under the responsibility of Italy. Tens of millions of euros have been spent to build these structures, but the authorities are not able to quantify the overall cost of the procedures for the five-year duration of the agreement between Italy and Albania. /Photo/ (Source: Euronews - Headquarters Lyon, France)
United Kingdom
Fri 11 Oct 2024 03.30 CEST Zelenskyy, Keir Starmer and Nato chief Rutte meet in London on Thursday. Rutte said Ukraine’s request to use long-range missiles against Russia was discussed, ‘but in the end it is up to the individual allies.’ Starmer’s spokesperson said there had been no change to the UK government’s position on the use of long-range missiles. (Source: The Guardian - United Kingdom)
Asia
China
October 11, 2024 14:59 Recently, the U.S. made an announcement on providing substantial military assistance to China’s Taiwan region. Decree of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China No.13: Decision on taking countermeasures against U.S. military companies and senior executives. (Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of PRC)
Iran
October 11, 2024 • 11:18 am ET Iran will need to think carefully about whether it is suitable to create another direct confrontation with Israel, which might also lead it to a direct confrontation with the United States. However, it can potentially balance the deterrence equation vis-à-vis Israel by pursuing a nuclear deal that will end the current escalation and reduce the risks of direct confrontation with Israel, creating a possible wedge between the United States and Israel and buying Iran time to think about its national security. If Iran decides to go down this path, it must consider that there will be a new US administration in January, which presumably will continue to support Israel but, on the other hand, might be interested in a deal to prevent a regional war. (Source: Atlantic Council - U.S.)
by Citrinowicz, a nonresident fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs and a fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies
North Korea
October 11, 2024 What should the United States do? Given the differences in the objectives of Russia, China, and North Korea, the United States should be mounting major information operations against these three countries to highlight their differences and fuel distrust among them. Doing so would increase the likelihood of decoupling at least some of their partnerships. Some examples of potential information operations seem obvious. With China, it is important to publicly declare that China seeks dominance in Northeast Asia and beyond. The United States should call attention to how North Korea’s close cooperation with Russia defies Chinese dominance, making China unhappy. In addition, North Korea regularly threatens to use nuclear weapons, which could ignite a nuclear war in the region. This is likely why Chinese leader Xi has said that he will not permit war or chaos on the Korean Peninsula. Information operations could sensitize the Chinese leaders and people to these threats, inducing China to pressure North Korea to rein in its nuclear weapon production, its provocations, and its threats to use nuclear weapons. Information operations are also possible against Russia and North Korea. For example, media stories could tell the Russian people that North Korea has sent a significant number of dilapidated artillery and other munitions to Russia that have been causing Russian casualties. While the North Korean elites have likely been reassured by the food and economic resources that Russia has been providing, the media could explain that North Korea has been apparently exhausting its available munitions supplies such that Russian payments to North Korea will likely be declining significantly in the coming year. In addition, the United States should recognize that North Korean military advisors are supporting Russian use of North Korean military supplies in occupied areas of Ukraine. The North Korean regime has likely only sent elite North Korean personnel to perform such functions, fearing that other North Koreans would probably defect to the West. It has been reported that six officers from this group were killed in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, a message that will likely anger their families in Pyongyang and thus should also be broadcast into North Korea. The South Korean Defense Minister has said that North Korea will likely send more of its troops to support Russia, probably on the battlefield. Given Russian attitudes, those troops may well serve as cannon fodder. The North Korean elites need to hear what Kim may do to their sons. Also, North Korean military life supporting the Russian military in captured Ukrainian territory is likely not very good. Russian treatment may make many of those North Korean soldiers receptive to psychological operations against the North Korean regime, an opportunity that should not be missed. This new cooperation between Russia and North Korea is hardly a signal of a budding long-term alliance and U.S. information campaigns could help speed its demise. (Source: The National Interest - U.S.)
by Bennett
Turkey
October 11, 2024 at 4:15 pm Recently, Turkiye has shown willingness to be part of BRICS, a second plea for inclusion in Sino-Russian forums. The first was made a few months ago, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) annual meet-up. Ankara became the first NATO ally to bid for BRICS and the bloc is expected to assess the request in its October summit in Russia. BRICS would significantly jeopardise Ankara’s current role in NATO and it could lose its membership in the transatlantic alliance, as Turkiye would slide from being an ally to a threat for NATO. (Source: Middle East Monitor - United Kingdom
North America
United States
10/11/2024 7:29 PM Milley, a decorated military officer became a target for right-wing scorn after it became known that he expressed concerns over Trump’s mental stability in the wake of his 2020 election loss to Biden. He is described by journalist Woodward in his new book, 'War', with October 15 release date, as incredibly alarmed at the prospect of a second Trump term in the White House. In the wake of the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, Woodward writes, Milley insisted on securing a meeting with the then-newly-minted attorney general, Garland, to urge him to investigate domestic violent extremism and 'far-right' militia movements. Milley’s sit-down with Garland might have been the first-ever meeting between a chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the country’s top civilian law enforcement official. Milley, the US Army general who Trump appointed as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2019, had been a source for Woodward’s last book, 'Peril'. At a March 2023 meeting at the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC he told the journalist that 'no one has ever been as dangerous to this country' as the former president. The general’s private comments to Woodward, which have not been previously reported, were echoed in cutting remarks Milley made publicly at his September 2023 retirement ceremony. In the speech, he said the US military is 'unique' among the world’s fighting forces because it does not profess fealty to any one person. Apparently referencing Trump, he added: “And we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator! (Source: msn / The Independent - United Kingdom)
NATO
11 October 2024 22:30 (UTC+04:00) NATO will begin its annual Steadfast Noon nuclear exercises on Monday, October 14, with more than 60 aircraft taking part in them, which will carry out training flights over Western Europe. Steadfast Noon will last two weeks, they will involve fighters capable of carrying American nuclear warheads, but combat weapons will not be used. This is an important test of the alliance's nuclear deterrence, according to Alliance Secretary General Rutte. Steadfast Noon employs 2,000 military personnel from 8 air bases and various types of aircraft, including nuclear-armed aircraft, bombers, escort fighters, tanker aircraft and aircraft capable of conducting reconnaissance and electronic warfare. (Source: Azernews - Azerbaijan)
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