Global

China and Iran have signed a deal on comprehensive co-operation for the next 25 years. The details of the agreement have not been revealed but the Russian newspaper Izvestya says it is known that it will cover not only such areas as economy and culture, but also sensitive fields such as defense and intelligence.

The recent blockage of the Suez Canal by the 400-metre-long 'Ever Given' container ship exposed the vulnerability of global trade routes. It reopened the debate about alternative routes, including the opening of the Northern Sea Route via northern Russia, and the Northwest Passage via northern Canada. These routes, however, are not without their problems. Maximiliaan van Lange analyses the background and current thinking in this article for commonspace.eu.

Russia and China were high on the agenda as the most senior EU and US diplomats reviewed global challenges and moved to reset the transatlantic relationship.

"Russia’s aggressive actions constitute a threat to Euro-Atlantic security". This was stated unambiguously in a statement issued by NATO Foreign Ministers at the end of their meeting in Brussels on 23-24 March.

21 March is celebrated as International Nowruz Day. Nowruz marks the first day of spring and is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually occurs on 21 March. It is celebrated as the beginning of the new year by more than 300 million people all around the world and has been marked for over 3,000 years in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East and other regions.

8 March is International Women's Day. Women of the world want and deserve an equal future free from stigma, stereotypes and violence; a future that’s sustainable, peaceful, with equal rights and opportunities for all. To get us there, the world needs women at every table where decisions are being made.

Pope Francis met this Saturday morning in Najaf with Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Al-Husayni Al-Sistani in a visit which stressed the importance of friendship, mutual respect and dialogue between religious communities.

Russian media continue to speculate about a possible Chinese-Russian military alliance. The influential newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta says that this is unlikely. The newspaper cites Russian experts as saying that bloc concepts were obsolete.