Regional Security Videos
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The Recent Energy Developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East
The Recent Energy Developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East
Laury Haytayan
13 September 2023
0:00 - Intro
0:24 – Recent developments in the Lebanese oil and gas sector
0:32 – Exploration drilling in Lebanon’s Block 9
2:26 – The second licensing round
3:05 – Seismic survey in Block 8
4:04 – The sovereign wealth fund law
4:47 – Eastern Mediterranean updates
4:54 – The impact of the Russia-Ukraine war
5:12 – Egypt-Israel-EU memorandum of understanding
7:36 – Europe’s energy future
9:52 – India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)
Laury Haytayan delves into several recent noteworthy developments in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
In August, exploration drilling commenced in Block 9 located off the Lebanese coast. The outcomes of this drilling are highly anticipated, as they could lead to the discovery of substantial gas reserves. The second licensing round for offshore oil and gas exploration in Lebanon is set to conclude soon, with an expected closure date in October 2023. This round has faced multiple delays, and its outcome is eagerly awaited to gauge industry interest. Lebanon has also signed contracts for geological seismic surveys in Block 8. Finally, there is an ongoing discussion surrounding the proposed Sovereign Wealth Fund in Lebanon, which aims to manage revenue from oil and gas resources for the benefit of the country's economy. The fund's status is pending parliamentary approval.
Regional dynamics are influenced by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, impacting energy dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean. With the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the EU last year, Israel and Egypt have emerged as key gas producers in the region. However, Europe has learned from past experiences, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and is increasingly focusing on renewable energy sources to reduce its dependency on natural gas.
Another significant development in the G20's announcement about establishing the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). This ambitious connectivity project has the potential to reshape the economic landscape of the region, fostering economic development. It is therefore crucial to emphasize the paramount importance of focusing on economic opportunities and connectivity rather than becoming entangled in political conflicts.
Laury Haytayan is a Lebanese energy policy expert with special interest in the geopolitics of oil in the Middle East and North Africa. She is also a host of Energy Espresso podcast.
#LebanonEnergy #EasternMediterraneanEnergy #IMEC
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The Results of the Turkish 2023 Elections
The Results of the Turkish 2023 Elections
Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak
Moshe Dayan Center
and Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security
16 June 2023
On the 28th of May, Recep Tayyip Erdogan was re-elected as the President of Turkey. The elections took place in the aftermath of a deadly and devastating earthquake that claimed the lives of 50,000 people in Turkey and caused massive destruction. Despite the impact of the earthquake, President Erdogan managed to secure re-election, even in the most affected areas. He also won in the religious and conservative provinces, as his opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, failed to gain Sunni Muslim votes due to his Alevi faith. Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak provides an overview of the election results and their potential consequences for the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond.
#Turkey #Turkishelections #erdogan
Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, Ph.D (Tel Aviv University) is a researcher at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University, and an expert on contemporary Turkish politics and society. Hay is the editor of Turkeyscope, and a member of the Middle East Network Analysis Desk. He is a frequent guest on Israeli and international media, where he regularly appears to discuss contemporary Turkish issues.
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The Results of Turkish 2023 Elections
The Results of Turkish 2023 Elections
Marios L. Evriviades
Professor of International Relations and Security
Neapolis University Paphos
12 June 2023
The results of the latest presidential election in Turkey have confirmed and solidified a one-man rule of Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his oriental despotism based on an ideology that combines Sunni supremacism with extreme Turkish nationalism. Professor Evrivades has analyzed what Erdogan's win means for Turkey and the wider region.
#Turkey #TurkishElections #Erdogan
Marios L. Evriviades is a Professor of International Relations and History at Neapolis University Pafos. He is also a Senior Fellow at ERPIC. Prof. Evrivaides holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from the University of New Hampshire, an M.A. in International Relations, a M.A.L.D. in Law and Diplomacy, as well as a Ph.D. in International Relations, all from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. -
The 2023 Parliamentary Elections in Greece
The 2023 Parliamentary Elections in Greece
Marios L. Evriviades
Professor of International Relations and Security
Neapolis University Paphos
12 June 2023
On the 21st of May, Greece held general elections. However, the results did not provide the ruling conservative government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis with a parliamentary majority. Therefore, Mitsotakis called for a snap election to take place on the 25th of June, which will use a majority bonus system making a majority win for his party more likely.
#Greece #GreekElections #Mitsotakis
Marios L. Evriviades is a Professor of International Relations and History at Neapolis University Pafos. He is also a Senior Fellow at ERPIC. Prof. Evrivaides holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from the University of New Hampshire, an M.A. in International Relations, an M.A.L.D. in Law and Diplomacy, as well as a Ph.D. in International Relations, all from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. -
The China-Brokered Saudi Arabia-Iran Rapprochement
The China-Brokered Saudi Arabia-Iran Rapprochement
Ephraim Sneh
Brigadier General (Retired), Israel Defense Forces
Chairman, S. Daniel Abraham Center for Strategic Dialogue
15 March 2023
Recently, Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations as a result of a deal mediated by China. Dr. Sneh gives his view on whether the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement will be a lasting one. He also touches upon China's potential future role in the Middle East.
#China #Iran #SaudiArabia
Dr. Ephraim Sneh is an Israeli politician, physician, and retired brigadier general in the Israel Defense Forces. He was a member of the Knesset for the Labor Party. From 1994 to 1996 he served as a Minister of Health. In 1999 he was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense, and in 2001 he was appointed Minister of Transportation. He is currently chairman of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Strategic Dialogue.
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The Current Status of US-Turkish Relations
The Current Status of US-Turkish Relations
Alan Makovsky
Center for American Progress
10 January 2023
Alan Makovsky is a senior fellow for National Security and International Policy at American Progress. From 2001 to 2013, he served as a senior professional staff member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he covered the Middle East, Turkey, and other related issues. At the Washington Institute for Near East Policy—a private think tank where he worked from 1994 to 2001—Makovsky wrote widely on various Middle Eastern and Turkish topics. He also founded and directed the Washington Institute’s Turkey Research Program. At the State Department where he worked from 1983 to 1994—Makovsky variously covered southern European affairs and Middle Eastern affairs for the Bureau of Intelligence and Research. He also served as the political advisor to Operation Provide Comfort in 1992 and as the special advisor to the special Middle East coordinator from 1993 to 1994. -
Israel-Lebanon Maritime Border Deal
Dr. Amit Mor
CEO, Eco Energy Financial & Strategic Consulting
24 October 2022
The recent maritime border deal between Israel and Lebanon is a major achievement with contributions from many players. Although the negotiations lasted for around a decade, several factors played a role in making the agreement possible to be reached at this particular time. Dr. Amit Mor from Eco Energy Financial & Strategic Consulting gives his take on the deal and its significance for the two countries and the wider region.
#Israel #Lebanon #MaritimeBorder
Amit Mor, an energy economist, energy strategist, and financial analyst, is the CEO and co-owner of Eco Energy Ltd., an Israeli-based financial and strategic consulting and investment firm that specializes in the energy, environmental, and infrastructure sectors. He earned his Ph.D. in Energy, Environmental and Mineral Economics at the Pennsylvania State University (1997). The topic of his dissertation was “Natural Gas Projects in the Developing World: an Empirical Evaluation of Merits, Obstacles and Risks”. He did his graduate studies in economics and business administration, as well as his B.A. degree in Economics, Finance and Psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
During the past 27 years, Dr. Mor has specialized in energy finance and economics. He served as a consultant to governments, financial organizations, public and private companies in the fields of petroleum, natural gas, electricity and renewable energy. During the 1990’s he worked for eight years as a Consultant and Project Manager at the World Bank in Washington D.C., and specialized in the finance of natural gas, power and energy projects, as well as in reform planning of energy and environmental policies of developing countries. He was engaged in assignments in Middle Eastern, European, Asian, South American, and African countries. During the 1980s he served as an Assistant to the Israeli Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and as a Chief Economist in the Economic Planning Authority in the Ministry of Economic Planning.
During the past 15 years, Dr. Mor and Eco Energy worked intensively on issues concerning the development of the Eastern Mediterranean and Israeli gas sector. Dr. Mor and his partner Shimon Seroussi also lead the team that prepared the Energy Master Plan for the State of Israel and participated in the World Bank team that prepared the Energy Sector Review for the Palestinian Authority.
Dr. Mor has a special interest in international and Middle Eastern economies, energy and energy geopolitics. He published the book “Renewable Energy in the Middle East - Enhancing security through regional cooperation”, Springer, October 2009, under the “NATO Science for Peace and Security Series: Environmental Security” (co-editor with Michael Mason).
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The Biden Administration's Policy in the Eastern Mediterranean
The Biden Administration's Policy in the Eastern Mediterranean
Alan Makovsky
Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
#EasternMediterranean #Biden #Turkey
Alan Makovsky is a senior fellow for National Security and International Policy at American Progress. From 2001 to 2013, he served as a senior professional staff member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he covered the Middle East, Turkey, and other related issues. At the Washington Institute for Near East Policy—a private think tank where he worked from 1994 to 2001—Makovsky wrote widely on various Middle Eastern and Turkish topics. He also founded and directed the Washington Institute’s Turkey Research Program. At the State Department where he worked from 1983 to 1994—Makovsky variously covered southern European affairs and Middle Eastern affairs for the Bureau of Intelligence and Research. He also served as the political advisor to Operation Provide Comfort in 1992 and as the special advisor to the special Middle East coordinator from 1993 to 1994. -
A New Partnership between Israel, India, the US and the UAE (I2U2)
A New Partnership between Israel, India, the US and the UAE (I2U2)
Dr. Ephraim Sneh
Brigadier General (Retired), Israel Defense Forces
Chairman, S. Daniel Abraham Center for Strategic Dialogue
25 July 2022
On July 14, 2022, the leaders of India, Israel, the United States, and the UAE convened a virtual summit and issued a statement committing themselves to joint investments and initiatives in water, energy, transportation, space, health and food security. What is the new “I2U2” Group?
#i2u2 #WestAsiaQuad
Ephraim Sneh is an Israeli politician, physician, and retired brigadier general in the Israel Defense Forces. He was a member of the Knesset for the Labor Party. From 1994 to 1996 he served as a Minister of Health. In 1999 he was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense, and in 2001 he was appointed Minister of Transportation. He is currently chairman of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Strategic Dialogue.
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