In Geopolitics Today - Thursday, April 7th
Spain Seeks to Mend Ties with Morocco, Energy Crisis Grips Argentina as Gas Prices Rise, India and Israel Conduct Joint Missile Defence System Test
Spain Seeks to Mend Ties with Morocco
Last month, Spain declared “a new stage” in its relations with Morocco following a letter sent by the Spanish prime minister to the Moroccan king in which Spain recognized Western Sahara as an autonomous region under Morocco’s rule. Now, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is set to meet Moroccan King Mohammed VI during a two-day visit to Rabat that will mark a further easing of diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
The Spanish leader has called Rabat’s proposal for incorporating Western Sahara as an autonomous region of Morocco as “the most serious, realistic and credible” initiative for resolving the decades-long dispute over the territory which Morocco annexed in 1976. While Western Sahara is largely barren and sparsely populated, the territory is rich in phosphates and provides access to vast fishing grounds in the Atlantic Ocean. These resources translate into tremendous value that requires investments to reap the benefits of. The announcement in March marked a sharp turn from longstanding Spanish policy which considered the Western Sahara region as under the ‘occupation’ of Morocco. Spanish officials are seeking to further improve relations with Morocco as global fertilizer supplies become threatened by sanctions on Russia, which is a major supplier of products used in the production of fertilizers.
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Energy Crisis Grips Argentina as Gas Prices Rise
Argentina is in the midst of a major energy crisis caused by rising natural gas prices, directly affecting the indebted state’s budget as officials scramble to secure supplies with limited means. This energy shortage is already causing political turmoil as the country’s grain transporters have called for a strike in the face of high fuel prices, compounding issues for the government in Buenos Aires which is struggling to acquire adequate energy supplies.
Argentinian officials are attempting to remedy the situation caused by high energy prices by attempting to ramp up local production while also seeking out alternative import partners. While Argentina has approved a new pipeline connecting its huge Vaca Muerta shale formation to the domestic energy grid, the project is not expected to become operational until 2024. With a lack of clear options to source the necessary natural gas from domestic supplies, officials are now in talks to increase natural gas imports from Bolivia to some 16-18 million cubic meters as winter approaches in the southern hemisphere. However, Bolivia’s natural gas exports transit Brazil, which may not be willing to part ways with significant energy flows needed for its own citizens and industries. In an attempt to persuade the Brazilian government divert some of these flows, Argentina's Economy Minister Martin Guzman is expected to travel to Brazil this week hold talks with Brazil’s Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque.
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India and Israel Conduct Joint Missile Defence System Test
Israel Aerospace Industries and India’s Defence Research and Development Organization have successfully test a jointly-developed Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) Air and Missile Defence System. The successful test firing of the MRSAM system is a product of a working group on cooperation in defence industries established in 2021 between the two countries.
The formation of this working group has brought together defence experts from India and Israel for over a decade, and the MRSAM system is a consequence of this collaboration. The working group has enabled India to reap the benefits of a flow of advanced technologies and industrial capabilities from Israel, which is a leader in high-tech weapons development. The MRSAM system promises to provide both countries air defence capabilities for ground assets against a wide range of threats including fighter aircraft, UAVs, helicopters, and cruise missiles. The system is capable of engaging multiple targets simultaneously at a distance of up to 70 kilometres. Capable of 360-degree defence against aerial threats, MRSAM will prove particularly useful for India as it seeks to significantly bolster its anti-air capabilities.
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