In Geopolitics Today: Friday, March 3rd
Biden Administration Issues New National Cybersecurity Strategy, Argentina Reiterates Claims on the Falkland Islands, and other stories.
Biden Administration Issues New National Cybersecurity Strategy
The Biden administration has issued a new National Cybersecurity Strategy, which includes several key objectives such as increasing cybersecurity standards for critical infrastructure entities, conducting offensive and disruptive cyberattacks against malicious actors, and holding software makers liable for falling below requirements. The strategy also emphasizes collaboration with the private sector to dismantle cyber threats.
This new strategy reflects the White House's increasing focus on cybersecurity as a core national security issue and its willingness to make the private sector accountable for cybersecurity in critical infrastructure entities. The United States is also taking a more proactive approach in neutralizing cyber threats, especially ransomware, and has enacted various regulations to improve domestic cybersecurity. These include enforcing new minimum cybersecurity requirements for specific critical infrastructure sectors and mandating that critical infrastructure entities report cyber incidents within 72 hours.
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Egypt and Russia Explore Closer Economic Ties
Egypt and Russia are exploring measures to boost economic cooperation and increase bilateral trade. Russian-based companies are seeking alternative markets in Africa due to Western sanctions against Moscow, and Egypt offers Russia a gateway to African markets.
Egypt may become Russia's gateway to African markets in the long run, as Russia seeks to increase its foreign trade with China, Arab countries, and Africa in light of sanctions. This could have implications for the balance of power in the region, as Egypt has traditionally been a close ally of the United States. Moreover, by trading in national currencies, Egypt may reduce its reliance on the US dollar, which could help ease pressure on demand for the currency in the country. This would be beneficial for Egypt's international trade.
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Ecuador's Oil Industry Hit by Production Outages
Ecuador's oil industry has been facing difficulties for the past decade. Production outages have been caused by poorly constructed and corroded infrastructure, natural disasters, and frequent civil unrest.
Violent protests have occurred frequently, hindering President Guillermo Lasso's plans to boost oil production. The most recent production outage was due to the closure of Ecuador's two principal oil pipelines due to a landslide in the Amazonian province of Napo. As a result, national oil company Petroecuador was forced to shutter wells and declare force majeure, and production will be offline for up to three weeks.
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Argentina Reiterates Claims on the Falkland Islands
New talks over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands have been called for by Argentina, as announced by the Argentinian foreign ministry. During the G20 summit in New Delhi, Argentina's Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero informed his British counterpart that his government was abandoning the pact. The decision effectively ends the 2016 Foradori-Duncan pact, a non-binding statement to agree to disagree on the sovereignty of the islands.
The announcement was met with criticism in the UK, which also claims authority over the Falkland Islands. The Foradori-Duncan pact included an agreement to identify the remains of unknown Argentinian soldiers who died during the 1982 Falkland War. The archipelago is home to an estimated 3,200 people from 60 countries and the UK identifies the islands as a self-governing overseas territory. In 2013, a referendum was held on the island to gauge whether residents wished to retain their status as a British territory, with an estimated 99.8 percent of participants voting yes.
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Germany Edges Closer to Washington’s Indo-Pacific Framework
Ground forces from the German Bundeswehr will be dispatched to the Talisman Sabre 2023 combat exercises, held biennially in Australia and reputed to be the largest joint military training between Australia and the United States.
An infantry company from the German army will participate, along with troops from the sea battalion and air force. The Talisman Sabre exercises are held biennially and are reputed to be the largest joint training operations between Australia and the United States. Other participants include France, Japan, and South Korea. The exercises are being conducted in the Asia-Pacific region and are intensifying the power struggle against China. The German Navy will also dispatch a small fleet to the Pacific, and the German Air Force had already participated in Pitch Black and Exercise Kakadu in Australia. The deployment is seen as a “show of force.”