Evaluating the Taliban’s Economic Policies
September 13th, 2024
Via The Diplomat, a report on the Taliban government’s economic success: Any group or party in power, whether elected or forcibly self-installed, bears the responsibility of ensuring that citizens have access to sustainable income and the resources needed to maintain a decent standard of living. Fostering economic growth and facilitating the provision of essential resources […]
Read more »Nobody’s Backyard: A Confident Central Asia
September 7th, 2024
Via Carnegie, an article on how the decline of the United States’ influence in Eurasia and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine have thrust the smaller nations of Central Asia into the global spotlight: Central Asia has faced seismic geopolitical shifts over the past few years. Major global crises—the deterioration of U.S. relations with China and ensuing […]
Read more »Afghanistan Announces Mining Deals Worth Over $1 Billion with Uzbekistan
August 27th, 2024
Via Ariana News, a report on recent agreements between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan: The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has signed five mining agreements with Uzbekistan worth $1.15 billion. These were among 35 agreements and memorandums of understanding signed recently with Uzbekistan – MoUs worth $2.5 billion. The deals in the mining sector include the geological […]
Read more »Taliban Wants Tourists To Visit Afghanistan
August 24th, 2024
Via CNN, an article on tourism in Afghanistan: Ben Herskowitz stood on a hill overlooking the ancient archaeological landscape of Bamiyan, nestled among the high mountains of the Hindu Kush. In the distance, he could see white snow-capped mountains, greenery and blossoming trees spread across Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Valley. It was “one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to in my […]
Read more »Uzbekistan Forges Ahead, Deepening Relations With Taliban-ruled Afghanistan
August 21st, 2024
Via The Diplomat, a report on a growing relationship between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan: On Saturday, August 17 Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov became the highest-ranking foreign leader to visit Afghanistan since the Taliban’s 2021 return to power. The $2.5 billion in trade and investment deals signed between the two sides, just days after the third […]
Read more »Taliban and China Restart Copper Project
August 19th, 2024
Via Nikkei Asia, a report on the Taliban and its Chinese partner restarting the controversial Mes Aynak copper project: A copper-mining project in Afghanistan finally got off the ground last month after a delay of over 16 years, but critics worry that a lack of independent supervision could lead to widespread pollution and the destruction […]
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.