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Regional Updates

December 2015 | № 10 Regional Updates: Contents

Cyprus...... 3 ...... 4 -Palestine...... 6 ...... 7 Western Balkans...... 8

GPoT No. 10 | 2 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. Regi the challengesthe of CMP. the island’s reunification. According the UN to statement,the leaders were briefed the on progress and Protected Area within framework the of UN-brokered aiming Cyprus talks towards peace the Mustafa met Akıncı with members of Committee the on Missing Persons UN (CMP)inthe Greek 20th On December Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot President UNHeadquarters.the progress negotiations inthe on Cyprus the problem during his end of year the press conference at BanKi-moon said that he was encouraged UNSecretary-General the 16th On December by the foremost living construction. federal inasuccessful together inpeace should not reduced be just to aquestion of troops issues, and and military is that first security and in Ankara for with Turkish talks Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu. Eideexpressed that security U.N. the 11th On December Secretary-General’s Adviser Special on Eide, was Cyprus, Barth Espen improve contacts two the communities. between Programme to promote economic the development of Turkish the Cypriot community and to for Turkish the Cypriot community, worth €32million from EUbudget the within Aid the European the 11th On December Commission approved financial new the assistance programme in various fields. place aiming at promoting stability, peace, and prosperity security Mediterranean Eastern inthe third the Trilateral 9th On December Summit Greece, between and Egypt Cyprus inAthens took 3rdDecember stating that an end to division the of Cyprus was within reach. of StateUS Secretary John held separate Kerry with Turkish talks and Greek Cypriot Presidents on island. on the decisions, of respect interests the with full of two the communities and just solution, on relevant the based Council UNSecurity on 1st where December he reiterated Russia’s hope for aviable Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov Sergey visited Greek Cyprus at ajoint press conference inNicosia. steps fornecessary apermanent solution to Cyprus the question on 1st, stating December that Turkey not will hesitate to take Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu visited Turkish Cyprus onal Up dates: Cyprus GPoT No. 10|3 Yahoo

Global Political Trends Center 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. EGYPT REGI Political Develo 1. 2. 1. 3. 2. 4. 3. 4. Internati Ec onomic President el-Sisi met with world leaderson sidelines the of UNsummit the on climate change in Egypt was unanimouslyEgypt voted tochairmanship the lead of UN Counter the Terrorism Committee year 2014-2015, fiscal the During Egypt’s GDPgrew by 4.2%; Minister Ashrafal-Araby saidthe Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, held atelephone with his Russian call counterpart, Sergei companiesSeveral by run allegedly Muslim Brotherhood members were by seized state the due to In year’s the third summit Greece, Egypt, between and Cyprus, three the leadersof countries the The governmentEgyptian planswith Saudito holdtalks Arabia, Kuwait, theand United Arab

assess the security of airports. Egyptian assess security the registration database of travelers and hired consultancy London-based global Control Risks to In an effort tighten to security after the crash the of Russianplane, Egypt has shifted to electronican stability. security El-Sisi, once for again, called formation the of a joint force Arab military to restore and political firespeople.that 18 killed At least two men firebombs threw into anightclub incentralCairo, setting of an explosion and officers weretaken into custody sentenced prisonand terms serve to actions. their for punished.be In weeks the following police several speech, the thatsaid inaspeech officers police who commitwill mistakes Following criticism the of President media, inthe police el-Sisi turnout rate. stages of Egypt’s parliamentary elections produced a28.3% Egypt’s High Committee Electoral (HEC) announced that both Paris. in the UN Security Council inJanuary Council UNSecurity in the 2016. government is working to increase growth the rate to 5-5.5%during 2016-2017. Lavrov to approaches discuss to Syrian the crisisand uniting opposition groups to battle terrorism. to outlawed ties the their organization. underlined cooperationtheir on stability, security, and Mediterranean in Eastern the trade region. Arabia’s King Salman ordered that Saudi investments $8billion. exceed inEgypt Emirates to improve economic cooperation, and economic secure aid. In same the context, Saudi operation to support Government’s the economic reforms program across key economic areas. and 19,Egypt World On the December $1 billion signed Bank in a development finance policy ONAL UP onal De velo Develo DATES: EGYPT pment pment pment s s s GPoT No. 10|4 Egyptian Streets

Global Political Trends Center 5. REGI 6. 7. 8. 9. The Egyptian-led, multinational investigation intothe Russian plane crash concludedthat the A report published by British the government supported conclusion the that affiliation thewith Foreign Minister attended Shoukry meeting the inNew York City for on bringing talks Syrian the In an urgent Arab meeting in Cairo, League Foreign Minister Sameh Shourky for called the In late December, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan reached an agreement on studies the conducted to be have identifiedgroupsthe potentially responsible forthe plane crash. crash was not caused by terrorism. to Later purported month, inthe Russian Services Security Muslim Brotherhood should considered be apossible indicator of extremism. government and opposition groups to negotiating the table. “immediate and unconditioned withdrawal of Turkish forces from Iraq”. the filling filling the thedam. of on repercussions the of Renaissance the Dam as well as disagreement the resolution to regarding ONAL UP DATES: EGYPT GPoT No. 10|5

Global Political Trends Center the currentthe situation continues.” state solution. He that added “valid questions as to how long Palestinian the Authority remain will if of StateSecretary John warned that Kerry key Israeli were policies “imperiling” viability the of a two- situationthe region in the and to Abbas’ similar statements during meeting their in November, US public is ‘deceived’ by leadersand urged Israel to “get out of our lives and our land.” Referring to At an event commemorating anniversary of 51th the PLO, the President Abbas said that Israeli the Hezbollah’s Hassan leader Nasrallah said that retaliation for assassination the is forthcoming. leader, was who one of longest the prisoners inIsrael, inan air inDamascus. strike killed has been month, the During Israel Hezbollah targets several struck border. near Lebanese the Asenior Hezbollah youngseveral Jewish of extremists burning accused to death aPalestinian family inJuly. of aJewish couple settler -as means of deterrence. same Onthe day, arrested Israeli services security Israeli3, the army demolished West the home Bank of a Palestinian of overseeing accused killing the attack thatpeopletwo left several dead woundedand in Tel theAviv first in dayDecember of2016.On throughout month. the vehicular assaults Several and stabbing attacks were followed by ashooting The between clashes settlersIsraeli and Palestiniansthe in BankWest and escalated Jerusalem request. Israeli teenagers inJune from 2014,was expelled Turkey upon Israel’s al-Arouri,Saleh one of planners the of aterror attack three that killed met inIstanbul –no details on meeting the were released. Moreover, an agreement, Turkish President Erdogan and Hamas Mashal leader days after it wasknown that Turkey and Israel are inching towards some issues such as Gazablockade the remaining unresolved. Two thatconfirmed an outline forthe agreement been hasreached, with order to firm up principles for a reconciliation agreement.Reports Israeli and Turkish officials metinSwitzerland in inmid-December ISR REGI AEL-P ONAL UP ALES DATES: ISR TINE AEL-P ALES TINE GPoT No. 10|6 Pavantulsija

Global Political Trends Center 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. S Regi YRI inGeneva. Syria istalks ready inpeace to part take Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem during said on 24th his December visit to Beijingthat towards end the of January. international road map for process. aSyrian peace The GenevaU.N. plans in talks to peace hold U.N. the 18th On December unanimously Council Security approved a resolution endorsing an internationalkind inthe body’s 70-year history. resolution Islamic aimed at so-called the State starving of funds. The summitthe was first of its finance 17th On December ministersfrom the 15 nationsCouncil adopted Security the UN on a coordinate efforts against extremists in Syria, Iraq,Libya, andEgypt Afghanistan. to fight terrorism. SaudiDefense Minister Mohammed alliancebin Salmansaidthe new would Saudi 15th On December Arabia said 34mainly Muslim nations alliance joined military anew northeastern Syria’s Hasakeh province to launch two-day the Syrian Democratic Conference. Kurdish factions and other opposition groups gathered on samethe day for a meeting in for8th a conference aimed atfront. pursuing a tounified seek talks December peace Meanwhile, Syria’s disparate and political armed opposition factions came together inSaudi Arabia on 5th. December coalition US-led the fighting Islamic State militants in Syria on Germany’s parliament voted support tomilitary German to send Omarthe oil fields under IScontroleastern in Syria. Thelaunched UK firstDecember Syria airstrikes on 3rd, targeting otherthe groups on 2nd. December including “shrinking” the of Islamic the State, al-Nusra Front and involvement inhis country’s war has to led significant changes, Syria’s president Bashar al-Assadthat told Russia’s Czech TV onal Up A dates: S YRI A GPoT No. 10|7 Al-Tahrir

Global Political Trends Center part ofpart Serbian the public as aformal see recognition of Kosovo. and Pristina.Belgrade Chapter implies 35also implementation the of Brussels the Agreement which regards financial control,Chapter while 35 is dedicated the to normalization of relationsbetween first the two penned Serbia chaptersthe in negotiationsChapterwiththe EU 14th. December on 32 5. members and Montenegrin the parliament. and integration with NATO defense structures. The accession final is subject to approvalall of NATO a member at next the summit of NATO leadersin July 2016.Joining NATO requires defense reforms Stoltenberg accession to go said he quickly, talks expected suggesting that might country the become Montenegro received an invitation for NATO membership on 2nd. December NATO chief Jens 4. immigrants Macedonian authorities have erected aprotective fence on border the with Greece. Macedonia is facing seriousproblems due to refugee the crisis.To prevent of entry the name. Currently neither sideis ready for acompromise regarding name the dispute. FYR The 16th. mainDecember topicwith talks Greekof wasaofficials dispute over Macedonia’s Macedonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Poposki made first official visit Athensto on 3. establishment of CSM the is not completely consistent with Constitution the on December. 23th of Serbian Municipalities (CSM).Constitutional The Court of Kosovothat decided the issue concerns applicationthe of Brusselsthe Agreement and establishmentthe of Community Kosovo 2. of committing war This crimes. action provoked tensionsnew between Sarajevo Banjaand Luka. agency SIPAsecurity arrested afew Serbian nationals on suspicion autonomy. Prior to marking the of anniversary the of DPT, the state of Dayton Serbia, presents most the important guarantee of its progressthe and of Herzegovina. Bosnia However, Republic inthe Federation consider Dayton the Peace Treaty as amain obstacle to Peace Treaty Politicians on 14th. December represent who the and HerzegovinaBosnia marked anniversary 20th of the Dayton the 1. WES Regi Serbia: M FYR M Kosovo: Bosnia andHerzegovina:Bosnia ontenegro: onal Up is currently going through crisis caused aseriouspolitical by two main issues. The first TERN B acedonia:

dates: WES ALK ANS T B

ALK ANS GPoT No. 10|8

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