Economy & Business

Biden-Erdoğan icebreaker could set the stage for a bilateral thaw

By Grady Wilson

Biden and Erdogan emerged from a long meeting on the sidelines of the June 14 NATO summit upbeat and positive, setting the stage for dialogue and progress in bilateral relations. Turkey and the United States share an expansive list of disagreements and tensions points as well as mutual interests and opportunities. Both sides are unanimous on the importance of bilateral relations but it remains to be seen how the two countries will manage their current challenges.

If Raisi wants to improve the Iranian economy, price controls are where to start

By Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou

Lawmakers and government officials in Iran repeatedly revert to the same set of failed populistic economic policies, failing to make short-term sacrifices that benefit the country in the long term. One such policy is price controls, a favorite in the toolkit of Iranian policymakers, who have attempted to control persistently high inflation rates over the past decades, but obviously with no success.

Recap: Can technology kill democracy?

On Monday June 14, the Fondation Tocqueville with the support of the Atlantic Council and Le Figaro, along with their partners the French-American Foundation and Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom presented a virtual public event debate on the impact and potential dangers of technology on democracy and democratic systems.

Hong Kong’s future on edge: Countering China’s national security law

By Ash Jain, Joel Kesselbrenner, and Peter Mattis

The United States and its allies must take further actions to push back on Beijing’s crackdown in Hong Kong.

China’s anti-foreign sanctions law: Companies in the crosshairs

By Hung Tran

On June 10, 2021, China’s National People’s Congress passed the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law. This has raised the complexity and risk of doing business globally, especially as sanctions and counter-sanctions are likely to proliferate in the intensifying US-China strategic competition.

Collective cybersecurity for the Three Seas

By Safa Shahwan Edwards, Simon Handler, Trey Herr, Adam Marczyński, and Jakub Teska

In Central and Eastern Europe’s Three Seas region, twelve countries have joined together to invest in critical infrastructure projects and increase interconnectivity on energy, infrastructure, and digitization efforts along the way. To strengthen the resilience of these technical investments and better bind together the defensive cybersecurity operations of these societies, Three Seas member states should establish a regional hub for cybersecurity together with key private sector partners.

Princess Reema tells Saudi women entrepreneurs to dream big

By Stefanie Hausheer Ali

On June 23, 2021 the Atlantic Council’s empowerME Initiative held a workshop featuring a keynote fireside chat with Saudi Ambassador to the United States, Her Royal Highness Princess Reema Bint Bandar Al Saud, which was moderated by US Embassy Riyadh Chargé D’Affaires Martina Strong, and a panel discussion with Endeavor Saudi Arabia Managing Director Lateefa Alwaalan, 500 Startups MENA Partner Amal Dokhan, S&P Global Chief Public & Government Affairs Officer Courtney Geduldig, and UPS Vice President for Community Relations Esther Ndichu, which was moderated by empowerME Director and Resident Senior Fellow Amjad Ahmad.