First Independent Mena Newspaper
Empirical studies show that the international monetary system is already tripolar. The Chinese currency, the renmimbi, has increasingly become a reference currency, as one which exhibits a high degree of co-movements with other currencies. In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, the renmimbi has accelerated its standing as the East-Asia exchange rate reference currency […]
Malta’s newly elected Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat, has renewed his ambition to establish a new partnership with Libya geared towards developing together “as equals” rather than being financially oriented. Prime Minister Muscat said Libyans need “genuine friends” as partners in development “with an open mind.” He lamented the cooperation environment between the countries lying on […]
North and West Africa are facing a complex set of challenges in terms of democratic transition and consolidation, a growing prominence of Islamist influence, and potential knock-on effects of recent socio-political transformations. Adding to this complexity is Africa’s raising geopolitical importance that is evident in the growing interest of other extra-territorial powers, such as China, […]
Egypt has received warnings that the European Union (EU) would stop its aid package of €5 billion if its reforms for democracy fail to be effective. In the European Union’s latest report, the European Commission was unsatisfied with the progress Egypt has registered since the elected government took over. EU has already cut some of […]
The European Union has made a contribution of approximately €20.8 million to the payment of February’s salaries and pensions of almost 82,000 Palestinian civil servants and pensioners in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and called on all other donors to provide their promised financial support to the PA, a press release announced on […]
Štefan Füle, Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, has become the first highly positioned European Union (EU) representative to visit Tunisia and have a discussion with the new government. At the end of his visit, he said the EU will support the country’s transition period after signing an agreement to finance social programs aimed […]
The European Union has agreed to extend Egypt nearly €5 billion economic and political assistance to help the country cope with the transition phase it is going through. The decision was made on Wednesday during the EU-Egypt Task Force, the largest-ever meeting between the European Union and Egypt. The economic and political assistance package will […]
The adage ‘a chain is as strong as its weakest link’ is well applied to the need for harmonised maritime standards across a region as diverse as the Mediterranean. As one of the world’s major shipping areas, the Mediterranean Sea comprises some 450 ports and terminals, handling more than 300,000 port calls per annum. Progress […]
Tunisia and the European Union will start talks in the few coming weeks on an Open-Sky agreement expected to create new destinations, more job opportunities, spur economic growth and reduce flights costs. The two sides are expected to engage in several rounds of negotiations on the liberalization of the rules and regulations of the international […]
The World Bank has warned that the fiscal crisis in the Palestinian territories is deepening, urged donors to take urgent action to face up the situation and called for lifting the barriers preventing the private sector development. In a report on Palestinian economy monitoring released Wednesday, the international financial institution underscores the key role a […]