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Putin remains focused on "near abroad". The Russian leader will meet the leaders of CIS countries in St Petersburg next week

Putin remains focused on "near abroad". The Russian leader will meet the leaders of CIS countries in St Petersburg next week

Russian President Vladimir Putin  remains focused on the "near abroad". Tomorrow and on Monday (21-22 December) Putin will attend a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council and an informal meeting of CIS leaders in St. Petersburg. The Kremlin press service reported that during the EAEU meeting, the leaders plan to discuss current issues related to the EAEU's activities, outline guidelines for further deepening integration processes and developing the Union's single market, and approve a number of significant documents and decisions. Furthermore, at Vladimir Putin's initiative, the traditional informal meeting of the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States will take place in St. Petersburg on December 22. The Russian President will also hold bilateral discussions with the leaders of a number of countries.

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Sultan of Oman travels to Saudi Arabia on milestone official visit

Sultan of Oman travels to Saudi Arabia on milestone official visit

The visit is being hailed as a milestone visit in the two neighbouring countries. The two countries have often had disputes on a range of issues. However, in recent months there has been a growing rapprochement between Riyadh and Muscat as high-level officials of the two countries have exchanged visits and conducted extensive consultations on a number of political and economic issues of common interest. A number of trade deals are expected to be signed.
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Envoy says EU understands GCC concerns about Iran

Envoy says EU understands GCC concerns about Iran

The European Union's envoy to Saudi Arabia has expressed the bloc's understanding of the concerns shared by the Gulf States regarding Iranian activity in the region. Patrick Simonnet, the EU Head of Delegation to Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia was speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. Simonnet clarified that the situation today differs from what it was back in 2015 and   many issues needed to be resolved.
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GERD crisis: After the Security Council, Egypt heads to Brussels

GERD crisis: After the Security Council, Egypt heads to Brussels

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry headed to Brussels on Saturday (10 July) to hold talks with officials from the European Union on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) crisis. Last week Egypt and Sudan raised the issue at the UN Security Council who in turn entrusted the African Union to resume negotiations between the two countries and Ethiopia. 
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Putin and Pashinyan meet to discuss South Caucasus

Putin and Pashinyan meet to discuss South Caucasus

The Armenian prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday (7 July). This was the third face-to face meeting of the two leaders in six months. The two men also speak on the phone often. “Putin’s peace” between Armenia and Azerbaijan has so far held, yet the Kremlin must be under no illusion that it will be plain sailing going forward. There is still a lot of work to be done before Armenia and Azerbaijan commence the journey for peace and reconciliation, and the Russian’s may even have their own reasons for not wanting that process to move too swiftly. The alternative is tight management of the current arrangements, and that may mean many more Putin-Pashinyan meetings to come.
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Unstable oil prices after Saudi Arabia and UAE fail to agree on supply rates

Unstable oil prices after Saudi Arabia and UAE fail to agree on supply rates

Oil prices jumped to a new high after a disagreement between Saudi Arabia and the UAE about oil production quotas. West Texas Intermediate crude advanced to $76.98 a barrel, the highest since November 2014, as the OPEC+ talks are postponed indefinitely. Meanwhile, Brent crude, the global benchmark, maintained its three-year high of about $77 a barrel. 
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Opinion: Josep Borrell argues for more engagement with the South Caucasus

Opinion: Josep Borrell argues for more engagement with the South Caucasus

The EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, has called for more EU engagement with the South Caucasus. Writing on his blog on the website of the European External Action Service, Borrell said that there is a growing expectation on the side of EU member states and partners for the EU to take a more active role in addressing the conflicts in the Eastern neighbourhood. "We are ready to help rebuild not only physical roads and bridges, but also paths to reconciliation and peaceful co-existence," the High Representative said.