How Natural Resources Could Help Build Peace in Afghanistan
March 24th, 2020
Via The Wilson Center’s New Security Beat, a report on Afghanistan’s natural resource potential: Potential water wars due to plans for multiple dams, violent opium cartels supporting world heroin markets, and many conflict-financing minerals including everyday talc used for baby powder. These are the types of natural resources stories that usually make front page news about Afghanistan. But natural resources […]
Read more »India-Chabahar-Afghanistan TIR Corridor Launched
March 15th, 2020
Via The Financial Tribune, a report on the launch of the Chabahar corridor: Two loaded containers were transported successfully from India’s Mumbai to Iran’s Chabahar, which exited through Dogharoun Border crossing to Afghanistan under cover of TIR Carnets (TIR Convention) on Friday. According to Mostafa Ayati, an official with the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs […]
Read more »The Greater Caspian Region: A New Silk Road, With or Without A New Belt
March 7th, 2020
Via The Atlantic Council, an interesting look at Central Asia and the new Silk Road: With the signing of a US-Taliban peace agreement, now might be a good time to look ahead to how Afghanistan might strengthen its economic connectivity with both its neighbors and more distant markets. Now, there will be a 135-day period of […]
Read more »Afghanistan’s Mineral Resources: Lost Opportunity and Threat
February 2nd, 2020
Via The Diplomat, a report on Afghanistan’s mineral resources: Torn by four decades of war and desperate poverty, Afghanistan is believed to be sitting on one of the richest troves of minerals in the world. The value of these resources has been roughly estimated between $1-3 trillion. Afghanistan has vast reserves of gold, platinum, silver, […]
Read more »Afghan Transit Cargo: Game Changer For Gwadar Port
February 2nd, 2020
Via Lowy Interpreter, commentary on how Gwadar – the Chinese-run port in Pakistan – may have found a path to success: On a sunny Tuesday in the third week of January, a cargo ship named Diyala docked at Gwadar seaport, in south-west Pakistan. The enthusiastic port staff quickly unloaded the cargo. When the unloading was finished, Chinese […]
Read more »China’s Economic Stabilization Efforts in Afghanistan
January 31st, 2020
Via The Middle East Institute, a look at China’s economic engagement with Afghanistan: Economic development as a key to a country’s stabilization has been one of the cardinal principles guiding China’s international engagement. In December 2019, during his first public appearance as a Chinese representative for European affairs, Wu Hongbo outlined the Chinese perception of […]
Read more »Focusing primarily on The New Seven Sisters - the largely state owned petroleum companies from the emerging world that have become key players in the oil & gas industry as identified by Carola Hoyos, Chief Energy Correspondent for The Financial Times - but spanning other nascent opportunities around the globe that may hold potential in the years ahead, Wildcats & Black Sheep is a place for the adventurous to contemplate & evaluate the emerging markets of tomorrow.