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MEOG NEWS IN BRIEF MEOG

participate in drills with the Greek military. When it comes to Turkey, the E.U. has a because the information hasn’t been made
“The adversarial positions of the UAE and mix of sentiments with France, along with public. A LinkedIn page appearing to belong
Turkey across the Middle East and North Greece and Cyprus, taking a hardline stance, to Aladel said he’d started the new role this
Africa are spilling into the East Mediterranean compared to the more conciliatory approach month.
dispute, as can be seen by the UAE dispatch of favoured by E.U. nations such as Germany, Aramco is the world’s biggest oil exporter
fighter jets,” says Nigar Goksel Turkey project Spain, and Italy. and provides most of the income for the
director at the Brussels-based International Russia has yet to make a public statement Persian Gulf kingdom. SAEV invests in
Crisis Group. on the Greece–Turkey tensions but it is deeply early-stage oil, gas, renewable and chemicals
In a week in which Erdogan resolved to entrenched in both the Eastern Mediterranean technologies that can potentially benefit the
make “no concessions on that which is ours” and the Black Sea, where Erdogan recently parent company. SAEV generally spends
and Greece announced it would extend its announced Turkey’s biggest ever gas find. The several million to tens of millions of dollars
maritime territory around some of its islands U.S. Navy’s top admiral in Europe warned last on each acquisition, focusing on companies
unrelated to the dispute, the tensions are only year that Moscow is in the process of turning developing drilling techniques, chemical
escalating. the eastern Mediterranean into one of the applications or blockchain-based trading.
Greek–Turkic enmity goes back a long way world’s most militarized zones, in part as a Majid Mufti ran the business for the last
but for the past half-decade, the most serious result of building up a naval hub at the Syrian four years. It has backed 45 technology firms,
disputes have centred on the status of Cyprus. port of Tartus. Greek media reported this primarily in the U.S. and Europe, since 2012,
The Greek-backed military coup and week that the Russian Navy has gathered nine he said in an interview in January. SAEV
Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, led to military vessels between Cyprus and Syria, aimed to start a new fund of about $500
a split island and since the formation of the including three submarines. million to seek out more acquisitions, he said
breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern US President Trump has made phonecalls at the time.
Cyprus (TRNC) and the Republic of Cyprus expressing concern to his Greek and Turkish Mufti confirmed by phone Wednesday
joining the E.U. in 2004 all helped tensions to counterparts over the rising tensions, urging that he had stepped down, without providing
rise and simmer. the two NATO members to commit to further details. Aramco’s media office didn’t
Cyprus’s unresolved status features in dialogue, according to a White House Press immediately comment on the management
the Eastern Mediterranean dispute because Secretary. Still, although the USS Hershel change. A call to the previous CEO’s office
Turkey considers any deals Cyprus signs on Woody Williams recently arrived on the number wasn’t answered.
energy exploitation illegal unless the TRNC is Greek island of Crete, the White House has BLOOMBERG
also involved. Greece, meanwhile, considers largely left Germany to mediate the crisis.
Turkish gas exploration near Cyprus illegal. BNE
Into the pot comes the flow of refugees SERVICES
from Syria and elsewhere making their way
west through Turkey into Greece, the re- COMPANIES Zahedan-Chabahar railway
conversion of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia into a
mosque and allegations of President Erdogan Saudi Aramco appoints to be operational next year
advancing a “neo-Ottoman” strategy in the
Eastern Mediterranean as part of an “attempt new CEO for $500 million Head of the parliament’s Construction
to implement expansionist aims against Committee said that Zahedan-Chabahar
neighbours and allies.” investment arm railway, in the southeastern province of
It’s a long list, complicated by Turkey and Sistan-Baluchestan, is going to go operational
European states’ entanglements in the Middle Saudi Aramco appointed a new chief in the next Iranian calendar year (begins in
East, North Africa and beyond. Turkey is executive officer to run its $500 million March 2021), IRIB reported on Saturday.
dabbling in Libyan waters and is backing venture capital and investments arm after the Noting that the necessary funding for
the U.N.- backed Libyan government – with previous head departed, according to people the project has been supplied from the
whom it has signed a maritime accord with knowledge of the situation. country’s National Development Fund
to permit Turkish drilling in the Eastern Mahdi Aladel, who formerly led the state (NDF), Mohammad-Reza Rezaei-Kouchi
Mediterranean. Ranged against the Libyan energy producer’s base oils and lubricants said local contractors like Khatam-al Anbiya
government is warlord Khalifa Hafter – who division, will take over as CEO of Saudi Construction Headquarters are working
is supported by Russia, France the UAE and Aramco Energy Ventures LLC, according to on the project and it will be completed and
Egypt. the people, who asked not to be identified operational soon.

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