Italian Air Force F-35 Jet Conducted Its First Alert Scramble & more– 26th Sep 2023

Saluton from Tibidabo! This is Rorshok Multilateral Update from the 26th of September twenty twenty-three A summary of what's going down in the world's major multilateral institutions

An Italian Air Force F-35 jet, stationed in Poland, recently conducted its first alert scramble on Thursday the 21st, in response to unidentified Russian aircraft near NATO borders over the Baltic Sea.

This mission aligns with NATO's commitment to ensuring European airspace's safety and security through enhanced air policing.

NATO extends its support to Baltic nations like Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, providing security through rotational contributions from member nations.

This operation addresses concerns about Russian air activity near NATO airspace, driven by tensions due to NATO's proximity to Russian borders following the inclusion of Baltic states in the alliance.

Alongside air policing, NATO has established a Ballistic Missile Defense system to protect against missile threats, demonstrating its dedication to collective security amidst evolving global geopolitical challenges.

Next up, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejected the latest UN proposals to revive the Black Sea grain deal on Saturday the 23rd, labeling the West an "empire of lies."

Russia withdrew from the Black Sea grain initiative in July due to unmet promises, such as sanctions removal and reconnection to the SWIFT system.

The UN Secretary-General had outlined measures to improve Russia's grain and fertilizer exports, aiming to persuade Moscow to rejoin the Black Sea deal, which facilitated Ukrainian grain exports and addressed a global food shortage.

However, Lavrov stated that the proposals were unrealistic.

He also accused the West of a neo-colonial mindset in their efforts to gain support for Ukraine, asserting that a "global majority" was being deceived by the West.

Moving on to another heated corner of Eastern Europe, the Balkans. Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, has warned that Kosovo and Serbia may miss their chance to join the EU if they don't resolve their issues soon.

Recent talks between the two nations failed due to Kosovo's demand for Serbia’s recognition of Kosovo’s independence before implementing a previous agreement.

Tensions between them date back to a nineteen ninety-eight nineteen ninety-nine war, and Serbia has not recognized Kosovo's independence since two thousand and eihght.

Borrell urged both parties to ease tensions and hold new elections in northern Kosovo, since the first ones had a low turnout.

The EU faces pressure to take a tougher stance on Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who has close ties with Russia and has not imposed sanctions on Moscow over Ukraine, raising concerns about Russia exploiting Balkan tensions to divert attention from Ukraine.

Air force chiefs from several Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore, did not attend a conference in Myanmar due to the ASEAN regional bloc's accusations against the ruling junta for targeting civilians in its post-coup crackdown.

ASEAN had accused the junta of ignoring a peace plan agreed upon with the bloc to end violence sparked by the military regime's coup.

Although Myanmar is still an ASEAN member, its military rulers have been excluded from high-level bloc meetings since their takeover.

Myanmar also hosted the annual meeting of the heads of the ten-nation bloc's air forces, focusing on defense cooperation, combating extremism, and disaster relief. However, they did not attend the meeting, sending a clear message of condemnation against the junta's actions.

David McAllister, Chair of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed concern about the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

He warned that any attempts to remove or coerce Armenians from the region would lead to "serious consequences" for the EU's relations with Azerbaijan.

McAllister highlighted reported blockages of humanitarian aid corridors and their impact on local populations.

While acknowledging recent positive steps like the ceasefire and talks, he emphasized that these cannot be the only actions taken.

He urged Azerbaijan to allow humanitarian organizations access to the region and ensure living standards to support lasting peace.

Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad expressed concern that Mercosur's fate relies on Argentina's presidential elections.

He emphasized the urgency of finalizing the Mercosur-EU trade agreement by December and criticized potential delays caused by France.

Haddad discussed Brazil's efforts to secure a special status in negotiations with the U.S., particularly in the green energy sector. He highlighted Brazil's ability to export clean energy and assist the U.S. in reducing its carbon footprint.

He reaffirmed Brazil's commitment to achieving zero deforestation in the Amazon by twenty thirty and its role in the country's ecological transformation.

Regarding Brazil's G20 presidency, Haddad pledged to address global issues like country indebtedness and high-interest rates.

Haddad urged governments to prioritize poverty alleviation over increased military spending, especially in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The Somali government has requested a three-month delay in the planned withdrawal of three thousand African Union Transition Mission Forces in Somalia (or ATMIS) due to ongoing setbacks in countering the al-Shabaab terrorist group.

This request, made to the UN Security Council, aims to address pressing security challenges in Somalia's transition.

The drawdown's second phase was set to remove these peacekeepers by month-end, but unforeseen events have stretched Somalia's military thin, revealing vulnerabilities and requiring reorganization. Somalia argues that the ninety-day suspension is crucial to overcoming these obstacles.

The ATMIS mission, in operation since two thousand seven aims at assisting Somalia against al-Shabaab. In a related development, the Somali Defense Ministry announced airstrikes that killed a senior al-Shabaab leader and seven guards in Bakool province.

Somalia continues to grapple with insecurity primarily due to al-Shabaab and ISIS threats.

Interpol is collaborating with the Irish police to ascertain the identity of an elderly man arrested on suspicion of fraudulently applying for a passport in Cork, Ireland, using the name of a baby that died in nineteen fifty-three.

The man appeared in Cork District Court charged under the name Philip Frank Morris, born in December nineteen fifty-two, with no fixed address. He was apprehended at the Passport Office in Cork.

The man said he needed the passport to leave Ireland but did not cooperate with the authorities. He had held an Irish passport for thirty years but recently obtained a Personal Public Service number.

He is in custody while investigations continue, involving both Irish authorities and Interpol. Additional charges may be brought against him.

Construction of the one thousand and twenty-eight-kilometer Abidjan-Lagos highway project is set to start in January twenty twenty-four and will cost $15.6 billion, following discussions among experts from five ECOWAS member countries.

It aims to link bustling seaports and include a rail line. Originally approved in twenty sixteen with a completion date of December twenty twenty-four, funding delays have caused setbacks.

The initiative involves a comprehensive and coordinated system of intermodal transport and logistics infrastructures and services to facilitate trade within the ECOWAS region.

G20 nations have backed the International Monetary Fund (or IMF) and the Financial Stability Board guidelines, a significant step toward regulating cryptocurrencies. These guidelines, addressing crypto risks, stablecoins, among others, aim to ensure economic and financial stability.

The G20, including Brazil, Canada, Germany, the UK, and the US, unanimously endorsed the Delhi Declaration, committing to monitor crypto risks closely and promote consistent global implementation.

This endorsement suggests that a complete crypto ban is unlikely in India, as international cooperation is needed for enforcement.

The G20 will continue discussing crypto regulations at an upcoming meeting in October. Kristalina Georgieva, IMF Director, highlighted that further work is needed in the digital money and cryptoassets space.

That’s it for this week! Thanks for joining us!

For those who don't know, we have a new show! Apart from the country updates and The Ocean Update, we have launched the Arctic Update, which covers what's happening North of the Arctic Circle. Wanna check out our updates? Follow the link in the show notes!

See you next week!