Programs

At the intersection of economics, finance, and foreign policy, the GeoEconomics Center is a translation hub with the goal of helping shape a better global economic future.

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Featured Analysis

empowerME’s event on fintech’s influence in MENA was featured in Al-Monitor

Econographics Jun 6, 2025

The search for safe assets

By Hung Tran

The deterioration of the US fiscal outlook has put international investors, especially foreign central banks, in a quandary. There is no good alternative to US Treasuries as safe reserve assets.
Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia
empowerME’s event on fintech’s influence in MENA was featured in Al-Monitor

Econographics May 29, 2025

After partial relief, what’s next for Syria sanctions?

By Alex Zerden

Syria remains a high-risk jurisdiction due to years of conflict, endemic corruption, state institution collapse, narcotrafficking of captagon, insufficient anti-money laundering efforts, and inadequate financing of terrorism controls.
Economic Sanctions Economy & Business
empowerME’s event on fintech’s influence in MENA was featured in Al-Monitor

Sinographs Jun 2, 2025

Hong Kong highlights China’s policy of decoupling from US financial markets

By Jeremy Mark

The political benefits of an international financial center with Chinese characteristics will outweigh the pain that decoupling inflicts on China’s private sector.
China Economy & Business
empowerME’s event on fintech’s influence in MENA was featured in Al-Monitor

New Atlanticist May 27, 2025

What’s the Trump administration’s dollar strategy? It depends on who you ask.

By Alisha Chhangani

Within the White House, there appear to be competing and fractured views of the dollar’s role. This dissonance could result in harm to the currency’s long-term dominance.
Digital Currencies Economy & Business
empowerME’s event on fintech’s influence in MENA was featured in Al-Monitor

Issue Brief Jun 6, 2025

How Japanese economic statecraft has shifted from promotion to protection

By Charles Lichfield

Japan is in a geopolitically challenging neighborhood and is witnessing the basic tenets of its foreign policy—from alignment with the United States to fostering a rules-based environment—come under unprecedented stress.
East Asia Economic Sanctions
empowerME’s event on fintech’s influence in MENA was featured in Al-Monitor

New Atlanticist Jun 6, 2025

Even as courts step in, Trump still has plenty of tariff options. US trading partners should intensify negotiations.

By Brian Janovitz

Section 301 may entail more work for the White House, but it could provide a relatively straightforward pathway to broad-based tariffs.
Economy & Business Politics & Diplomacy

In-Depth Research

In the News Nov 15, 2024

Avoiding Entanglement: G20 Responses in a Taiwan Crisis report cited by the Wall Street Journal on how China would respond to trade restrictions from the West

Read the full article here
Brazil China
empowerME’s event on fintech’s influence in MENA was featured in Al-Monitor

Report Oct 22, 2024

The economic and social costs of the war in Gaza

By Perrihan Al-Riffai

After a year of war, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and neighboring countries need a permanent ceasefire. But with development gains erased, billions of dollars in infrastructure damaged, and skyrocketing unemployment, the Middle East also urgently needs a solid reconstruction plan.
Conflict Israel
empowerME’s event on fintech’s influence in MENA was featured in Al-Monitor

Report Oct 9, 2024

End of the line: The cost of faltering reforms

By Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center and Rhodium Group

The China Pathfinder project examines whether China’s economy is converging or diverging with the world’s leading open market economies.
China Digital Policy
empowerME’s event on fintech’s influence in MENA was featured in Al-Monitor

Issue Brief Sep 20, 2024

Toward a financial inclusion agenda for the global majority

By Nicole Goldin

Policymakers, investors, and innovators must advance a new financial inclusion agenda designed for the global majority.
Economy & Business Fiscal and Structural Reform
empowerME’s event on fintech’s influence in MENA was featured in Al-Monitor

Report Sep 9, 2024

Sharing the post carbon economy means building a resilient EV supply chain

By Sarah Bauerle Danzman

In this report Sarah Bauerle Danzman advances the policy discussion by compiling trade, investment, and EV industrial policy data across the G20, and offers six recommendations to the G20 to build a resilient EV supply chain.
Brazil China
empowerME’s event on fintech’s influence in MENA was featured in Al-Monitor

Report Jun 7, 2024

Reconstructing Ukraine at war: The journey to prosperity starts now

By John E. Herbst, Olga Khakova, Charles Lichfield

Rebuilding the Ukrainian economy after Russia’s full-scale invasion will be a monumental task. Reconstruction can’t wait for peace and must be a well-coordinated, inclusive process.
Economy & Business Energy & Environment

Read the latest from the GeoEconomics Center

New Atlanticist

Jul 18, 2025

Four questions (and expert answers) on the new US cryptocurrency legislation

By Atlantic Council experts

Atlantic Council experts pull back the curtain on three new pieces of legislation on digital currencies, covering everything from stablecoins to CBDCs.

Digital Currencies Economy & Business

Econographics

Jul 17, 2025

Charting a strategic path for Syria’s postwar reconstruction

By Kimberly Donovan, Jonathan Panikoff, Lize de Kruijf, Manal Fatima

As Syria emerges from over a decade of conflict, easing sanctions by the United States, the European Union (EU), and other European partners is an important step toward reintegrating Syria into the global economy. Yet, for a country that has been economically isolated for over fourteen years, lifting sanctions is only the beginning.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Jul 17, 2025

What Ancient Greece can teach the United States about defending against cyber attacks

By Carole House

Applying lessons from the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC to present-day cyber warfare is surprisingly instructive.

Cybersecurity Iran
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Content

In the News

Mar 3, 2022

empowerME’s event on fintech’s influence in MENA was featured in Al-Monitor

By Atlantic Council

Digital Currencies Economy & Business

In the News

Mar 3, 2022

Lipner in Foreign Policy: Israel Needs to Make Up It’s Mind on Ukraine

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Crisis Management

New Atlanticist

Mar 3, 2022

Ecuador is a test case for how the US can counter Beijing’s influence in Latin America

By Gabriel Alvarado

Ecuador's dealings in China highlighted just how important it will be for the United States to nurture its ties with governments that have shown an interest in cooperating with Washington.

China Cybersecurity

In the News

Mar 3, 2022

Lipsky quoted in CNN Business on the uncertainty business face as a result of sanctions imposed on Russia

Read the full article here.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

In the News

Mar 3, 2022

Our research on the location of Russian central bank’s foreign exchange reserves featured in Axios

Read the full article here.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

In the News

Mar 3, 2022

Chemali quoted in Washington Post on Russian reserves held abroad

Read the full article here.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

In the News

Mar 2, 2022

Lichfield quoted in CNN Business on Russia’s import substitution policies following western sanctions in 2014

Read the full article here.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

BelarusAlert

Mar 2, 2022

Putin’s Ukraine War fuels protest mood in Russia and Belarus

By Brian Whitmore

Russian President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has sparked the biggest European conflict since WWII and is now fueling a growing anti-war protest mood in both Russia and Belarus.

Belarus Civil Society

In the News

Mar 2, 2022

Slavin quoted in the Daily Mail on Biden’s nuclear negotiations with Iran

By Atlantic Council

Arms Control Defense Policy

New Atlanticist

Mar 2, 2022

Here’s why crypto won’t save the Kremlin from sanctions

By JP Schnapper-Casteras

Moscow turning to cryptocurrency to evade financial punishment is more illusory than it might appear.

Digital Currencies Economic Sanctions
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Experts

Fellow

Reem Goussous

Nonresident senior fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East

Americas Arabic

Fellow

Achilles Tsirgis

Visiting Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Economy & Business European Union

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Inês Bravo Figueiredo

Co-President, Volt Portugal

Millennium Leadership Program

Central Europe Economy & Business

Staff

Bart Piasecki

Assistant Director

GeoEconomics Center

Fiscal and Structural Reform International Financial Institutions

Fellow

Helena Fee Rasch

Visiting Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Jacobo Ramos Folch

Policy Manager, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Millennium Leadership Program

Central Europe Economy & Business
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Events

Online Event Mon, July 21, 2025 • 9:30 am ET

Atlantic piracy, current threats, and maritime governance in the Gulf of Guinea
Africa Civil Society Economy & Business North & West Africa
Online Event Tue, July 22, 2025 • 10:00 am ET

Israel’s Noach Hacker on the resilience of the Israeli economy in times of war
Conflict Economy & Business International Markets Israel
Online Event Thu, July 24, 2025 • 10:30 am ET

Strengthening the resilience of the Caribbean services sector
Caribbean Economy & Business
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