In Geopolitics Today: Wednesday, January 25th
South Korea Has a Key Role in the Supply of Modern Technologies, France Agrees to Pull its Troops Out of Burkina Faso, and other stories.
South Korea Has a Key Role in the Supply of Modern Technologies
The Republic of Korea, with its top-notch production technologies and manufacturing capabilities in semiconductor, rechargeable batteries, steelmaking, and biotechnology, has professed interest in being a key player in the global supply chain of modern technologies. The insecurity in the supply of critical technologies is causing states to adopt protectionist measures, with continued access to rare earth materials vital in shaping Seoul's long-term strategic outlook.
As the intensification of China-US strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific diminishes space for cooperation and increases the risk of confrontation, fragmentation of supply chains, trade protectionism, and the securitization of emerging technologies are causing political polarization. As a result, South Korea's policy of strategic ambiguity may be coming to an end as geopolitical tensions are incrementally pushing Seoul ever-closer to overt strategic alignment with Washington.
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France Agrees to Pull its Troops Out of Burkina Faso
France has announced it is withdrawing its troops from Brukina Faso after Ouagadougou requested Paris reduce its military footprint in the country. A 2018 agreement on the status of French armed forces present in the country has been formally terminated by the Burkinabe government, and France has stated they will honour Ouagadougou’s request.
The troops set for withdrawal are part of a deployment known as “Sabre” which was intended to fight against jihadist forces in the Sahel. The withdrawal will take effect one month after receipt of the written notification provided by Burkina Faso’s government on Monday. By all accounts, France’s military presence in Burkina Faso and elsewhere in the region has become increasingly unpopular, with protests against the French military presence reportedly linked to perceptions that France has not done enough to tackle Islamist militancy.
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Egypt and India Enter into Strategic Partnership
India and Egypt have elevated their bilateral ties to a strategic partnership as Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi began a visit to India. The partnership is set to develop a long-term infrastructure for cooperation in the field of politics, security, economics, and science.
El-Sisi has invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Cairo to finalize the initiatives. The elevation of the bilateral relationship is economically significant and particularly important for the defence and security industries of both countries. The partnership has a lot of promise as Egypt can act as a bridge for India’s growing economy to enter other markets in Africa. Economic engagement with Egypt could thus prove strategically important for India, with agriculture, industrialization and pharmaceuticals serving as key industries for establishing economic ties in the region.
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The Strategic Sovereignty of the European Union
A Franco-German declaration was published in Paris earlier this week, stating that Germany and France are seeking greater “European sovereignty” and are working to “strengthen” the European Union as a geopolitical actor in the international arena.
Germany has suffered a number of setbacks in its relationship with the United States recently, including by publicly demonstrating its growing military dependence to Washington and the present threat of European deindustrialization caused by businesses seeking to take advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act by moving their production facilities to the US. The declaration professes further military support for Ukraine “for as long as it takes,” announces new armament projects, and a new Franco-German military exercise in the Indo-Pacific.
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UAE Leadership Visit to Pakistan Promises Further Economic Assistance
A visit by the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, to Pakistan for meetings with Prime Minister Rahim Shebaz Sharif, was made on Tuesday, as the country struggles with an economic crisis. The visit follows a previous one by Sharif to Abu Dhabi earlier in the month, in which assistance from the UAE was sought.
Pakistan's economy is reportedly near collapse, with a plummeting currency, rising inflation, devastating flood damage, and drained energy import reserves leading to regular nationwide blackouts. The UAE has stepped in to help and agreed to lend Pakistan $1 billion as well as deferring a previous $2 billion loan. The UAE is a key trading partner for Pakistan, with bilateral trade between the two countries expected to double its 2021-2022 volume of $10.6 billion in the years ahead.