Archives des China-India-Africa - Page 4 of 18

Our board member Stéphane Gompertz discusses Africa-Europe relations in Vienna

Posted on 14 June 20221 June 2023 by the_bridge_tank

On June 7, 2022, our Board Member Stéphane Gompertz, former Ambassador to Austria & Ethiopia, and former Director for Africa at the French Foreign Office took part in a panel discussion on the current state of relations between Europe and Africa and the potential for future partnerships. The event organised at the Bruno Kreisky Forum for International Dialogue in Vienna, Austria, was the result of a cooperation between the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe (CFA/ÖFZ), the French Embassy in Austria, the Institut français des relations internationales (ifri), and The Bridge Tank.

Relations between the EU and Africa have been deteriorating in recent years, characterized by the absence of mutual trust and understanding, which has weakened the ability to build stable, future oriented, and mutually fruitful cooperation. Africa has increasingly looked to other partners for trade, investments, and security, most notably to China. The seminar held in Vienna aimed to discuss how the relationship and its prospects are perceived by both sides and what is going to be needed to overcome the manifold obstacles in order to achieve a significant paradigm shift.

How realistic is a new partnership between Europe and Africa?

The session was opened by Ambassador Gilles Pécout, Ambassador of France to Austria, and Dietmar Schweisgut, Secretary General, Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe, followed by an interview of Toni Haastrup, Senior Lecturer International Politics at University of Stirling, Co-Editor of “Routledge Handbook on EU-Africa Relations.”

The panel discussion moderated by Georg Lennkh, Member of the Board, Bruno Kreisky Forum for International Dialogue, gathered:

Thierry Vircoulon, Associate Research Fellow, Sub-Saharan Africa Center, IFRI
Ambassador Stéphane Gompertz, Board Member, The Bridge Tank
Ambassador Irene Horejs, former EU-Ambassador to Niger, Mali, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Peru
Margit Maximilian, Journalist, ORF Austria

An initial assessment of current dynamics between the EU and Africa revealed a common conclusion among the session’s participants, including our board member Stéphane Gompertz, namely that the status quo is no longer an option. The war in Ukraine has contributed to this shift. For the first time, the African Union offered to provide mediation to Europe, as Senegalese President and African Union Chairman Macky Sall met with Russian President Putin in Sochi on June 3, 2022.

Noting the growing influence of China in Africa, Thierry Vircoulon, Associate Research Fellow, Sub-Saharan Africa Center, IFRI, noted that all majors powers with aid programs in Africa also have conditionalities. In the case of China, the conditionality is for African countries not to recognize Taiwan.

Ambassador Irene Horejs, former EU-Ambassador to Niger, Mali, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Peru, pointed out that after the Treaty of Lisbon, the EU’s development action in Africa became not only increasingly politicized but also over-bureaucratic. In addition to being too focussed on security, the EU’s policies toward Africa suffered similar problems over the last decades. Financial instruments dedicated to migration and security have been too heavy, too slow, and over-bureaucratic for disappointing results, Ambassador Horejs argued. All these factors contributed to the current “Europe fatigue” on the African continent.

Ambassador Stéphane Gompertz provided an overview of Africa’s new partners and described the motives of these new actors taking hold on the continent. He thereby questioned China’s goals and whether its presence could become military. Further, he noted India’s strategic interests in Africa and pointed out Turkey’s support for regressive mosques on the continent. Russia’s hostility to the French presence in Mali but also the Russia-Cameroon military agreement have reshaped relations between Africa and the EU. Ambassador Gompertz acknowledged mistakes in the French armed forces’ strategy in the field, as France and the EU should have been more careful in their approach. They notably should have avoided having talks with some djihadist factions or giving directions on what a good regime is.

Future paths of action

According to Ambassador Gompertz, 6 avenues are to be explored on the front of Africa-EU relations:

More solidarity with Africa in light of the crisis and war in Ukraine, especially with regard to African refugees and food security;
More realism with insurgent movements and in negotiations with them;
More realism with military regimes based on what they deliver, while also avoiding double standards;
More emphasis on the private sector, particularly on small & mid-sized companies run by women;
Enhanced support for NGOs;
A clear communication policy towards African youths, using all the apps and artistic forms the youth follows.

“Europe should defend, not impose its values in Africa,” Ambassador Gompertz concluded.

The Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe was established in 1978 by President Jacques Chirac and Chancellor Bruno Kreisky.

To rewatch the full session:

The Bridge Tank at the “Nouvelles d’Afrique” Forum of the Prospective and Innovation Foundation

Posted on 2 June 20227 June 2023 by the_bridge_tank

On May 30 and 31, 2022, the Forum “Nouvelles d’Afrique “Réagir et s’unir” was held in Montpellier, co-organised by the Prospective and Innovation Foundation, chaired by Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, the City of Montpellier, and the Foundation for studies and Research on International Development (FERDI). The Bridge Tank joined in the discussions through its chairman Joël Ruet, who participated in a session on the financing of agriculture.

The African continent is currently facing major challenges: rivalries between major powers and intra-continental divisions, economic and financial turbulences, the challenge of the ecological transition and its financing, and the need to make up for lost ground in agriculture and achieve food self-sufficiency. It is against this backdrop that the Forum sought to contribute to a process of global action and collaboration around Africa’s major projects, mobilising African and European expertise.

On 31 May, Day 2 of the Forum, Joël Ruet, Chairman of The Bridge Tank, took part in a round table discussion entitled “Financing agriculture in the face of the dual urgency of producing and protecting the environment”, moderated by Jean-Marc Gravellini, former Director at the French Development Agency (AFD) and Senior Fellow at FERDI.

Participants to the roundtable discussion included :

Pierre ARNAUD, Former Director at AFD, former Vice-Chairman of Compagnie Fruitière;
Joël RUET, Chairman, The Bridge Tank, former Special Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Equipment in Senegal;
Patrick CARON, Vice-President for International Relations at the University of Montpellier, President of Agropolis International;
Francis DOSSOU SOGNON, CEO of AgroSfer.

During the session, Joël Ruet noted that “a large part of the African continent is now taking the lead on climate change adaptation issues”. For this to happen, it is essential to understand and integrate the dynamics of the African financial system, an idea developed by The Bridge Tank in an issue brief published a year earlier on financing the African economy.

During an earlier session on the economic challenges of the green transition in Africa, Hervé Machenaud, former Director of the Asia-Pacific branch of the EDF Group, said that the African continent should not be in “energy transition” but in “green development.” Addressing the issues of energy and agriculture, Mr Machenaud insisted on the considerable potential of renewable energy in Africa, adding however that agriculture in Africa will require controllable energy, with rationalised and optimised fossil fuels being part of the solution. In both these areas, Europe stands to gain from transferring its technologies to Africa, because technology develops in developing markets.

To rewatch the session and discussions:

The Bridge Tank’s Davos Innovation Lunch 2022 : The geopolitics era of technology, investment & finance

Posted on 31 May 202215 June 2023 by the_bridge_tank

After the cancellation of the 2021 edition as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Bridge Tank was back in the Swiss Alps’ Davos for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting from 22-26 May 2022. In the footsteps of its previous edition in January 2020, The Bridge Tank convened another high-level conversation on 25 May as part of its now traditional Innovation Lunch held on Promenade 53.

With Joel Ruet, economist and president of The Bridge Tank & Pranjal Sharma, business columnist and board member of The Bridge Tank, leading the discussions, this year’s Innovation Lunch addressed “The geopolitics era of technology, investment and finance – scenarios, risk mitigation and emerging markets.”

The discussion tackled the current dynamics of globalisation, noting its increasing fragility with geopolitical shocks putting businesses at risk and with economic crises less and less likely to be handled in an efficient collective manner.

Business strategies are now aligning with the grand strategies of states; trade suddenly has strategic areas, investment is sovereign, technology is no longer just competitive but rival. The internet and global finance may hardly remain a unified system as they bump into different geographies. China, the US, Russia have certainly set this trend, but the EU and India now devote more energy to gain strategic positions within this new « no-deal » order. Observers of Africa also recognise early signals of a regional awareness that the continent must play strategic too.

The rules for this next phase of globalisation will not be decided just by the West any more. Indeed, the emerging markets in Asia and Africa will be co-authors of the rules.

Engaging with the EU Commission on strategic autonomy

Posted on 26 May 20227 June 2023 by the_bridge_tank

On 10 May 2022, The Bridge Tank joined a study trip to Brussels that met with European Commissioner Thierry Breton among others. The study trip was organised by the Prospective and Innovation Fondation (PIF) and its chairman Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former Prime Minister of France. The Bridge Tank was represented by Joël Ruet and Philippe Coste, respectively chairman and board member of the organisation.

This study trip on the subject of European sovereignty and autonomy in the face of global pressures and tensions consisted of five interviews with high-ranking EU officials and researchers. The study trip’s delegation met with Laurence Graff, Head of Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA), with two representatives of the Belgian think tank EGMONT – Royal Institute for International Relations, with Ambassador Philippe Léglise-Costa, Permanent Representative of France to the EU, with Denis Redonnet, Deputy Director-General of the Directorate-General for Trade at the European Commission, and finally with Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market.

The Bridge Tank is pleased to publish the report of this day in Brussels (a more detailed report is available in French).

Commissioner Thierry Breton – The balance of power and geopolitics of the internal market: towards stronger regulations and value chains

Recent crises have revealed weaknesses in Europe’s balance of power with China and the United States. According to Thierry Breton, de-globalisation is impossible today and certain dependencies are bound to persist (e.g. rare earths and semi-conductors). Rather than establishing European ‘sovereignty’, we need to establish a balance of power based on the size of the European continent to ensure relative autonomy and the ability to choose and defend ourselves.

The EU will rigorously enforce its rules and interests against the GAFAs and multi-national technology companies, without any possibility of extraterritoriality, with the Digital Market Act and the Digital Service Act setting out the rules for access to the European market.

More generally, the Commission has in recent years assessed the weaknesses of value chains in each critical sector (e.g. batteries, semi-conductors, lithium, rare earths). It has now become impossible to reason on a country-by-country basis within the EU, and ecosystems and regulatory approaches need to be developed at continental level. For lithium, for example, refining capacity must be developed, as the continent has sufficient lithium resources.

DG CLIMA, Laurence Graff – European climate policy and ambitions: carbon neutrality and energy sovereignty

According to Laurence Graff, Head of Unit at the Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA), European climate policy is now of both national and international interest. It was in 2008, during the French Presidency, that the first climate-energy package was adopted. This paved the way for European leadership on environmental issues, which has produced results both in the Member States and internationally. All this was made possible by a differentiated approach and concrete solidarity through various European funds. The European Commission (EC) pays close attention to support mechanisms for climate vulnerability. This was illustrated in 2022 by the creation of a Social Fund for Climate. But the climate issue is also a strategic one, encompassing issues of innovation and international competitiveness.

According to Frans Timmermans, EC VP, the Green Pact represents a new growth strategy, with issues of support and management of economic transition for certain sectors, by strengthening the industries of the future and supporting those in difficulty. The aim is for Europe to become the first carbon-neutral continent, a vision that is more relevant than ever given the current need for energy sovereignty. This concern is also at the heart of the EC’s RePowerEU plan, revealed on 18 May 2022.

EGMONT – The Royal Institute for International Relations: European global power and the balance of power

After the financial and migration crises of the past 20 years, the European Union seemed to have emerged weakened and with a sense of unfinished business. The crises caused by COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine have enabled strong and irreversible progress to be achieved. Although there are difficulties in developing a common diplomatic position, particularly with the risk of a rift in the position of the 27 on the sanctions imposed on Russia, the French Presidency’s proposals aimed at making the Union a global power are coming to fruition. This is made possible in particular by the changing position of Germany, whose current government is proving to be more European than its predecessors, open to variable-geometry advances towards closer cooperation. Egmont is seeing positive signs in Franco-German relations.

During the exchanges between the various participants in this meeting, the question of the balance of power between the EU and Beijing once again found itself at the heart of discussions. Although China has agreed to grant European groups considerable financial margins, a change of course on the part of the Chinese authorities could seriously weaken these companies. The European project must necessarily include a strong position in relation to powerful countries and encourage a union of democracies. This position is reflected in the EU’s continental balance of power vis-à-vis China, particularly in terms of trade relations, where the Union has already indicated its intention to rebalance the balance of power. According to Egmont, European economic power is now beginning to assert itself primarily through the normative power of the European market.

Ambassador Léglise-Costa – European dynamics in response to present and future crises

The exchange session with Ambassador Philippe Léglise-Costa, Permanent Representative of France to the EU, addressed the current dynamics in the common strategy of the European Union.

According to Ambassador Léglise-Costa, the evolution of the German position is particularly notable, a finding similar to that of the Egmont Institute. Faced with the various crises that have hit the continent in recent years, Germany has taken strong decisions characterized by greater openness to common concerns. This contrasts with a more German-centric approach in the past. Beyond the conceptual, the Franco-German tandem has come out strengthened. Germany’s support for the French presidency made it possible to vote on the text on the reciprocity mechanism in public procurement. As the text on subsidies to state-owned enterprises is also advancing, it will contribute to rebalancing the balance of power with countries like China.

According to Ambassador Léglise-Costa, the European position in terms of defense strategy must now progress and encourage the EU to re-equip itself in order to reduce its dependence on the United States, if only because of the risk of political change in US.

DG TRADE, Denis Redonnet – Open strategic autonomy and economic cold war

The European Union is now emerging from an era of all-out free trade agreements, which made it the jurisdiction with the greatest amount. The approach has now changed, and so have the issues of economic integration, to focus on an approach of “open strategic autonomy”. This approach intends to continue to reap the benefits of openness, while working to rebalance the situation to counterbalance the practices of certain economic partners.

The crises facing the EU today are generating increased demands for precaution and protectionism. These tendencies towards protectionist withdrawal can be seen in the EU’s southern neighbourhood in the implementation of agreements to replace European imports with local products. Other types of difficulties encountered today concern the distortions of global competition linked to Chinese state capitalism, which generates distortions around the cost of capital and the system of state-owned enterprises. In the face of this, it has to be said that the rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) do not allow for good governance of these practices. This partly explains the withdrawal of the United States from this system and the illegal tariffs from the WTO’s point of view that the US and China are now imposing on each other. These practices are undermining the dispute settlement system, which was one of the most advanced mechanisms for international governance. Although the 25 member countries of the WTO (including China) have set up an alternative system, the absence of the United States from the WTO reform process renders any EU-led efforts to reform futile.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine required a rapid response and adaptation on the part of the EU. In economic terms, this is illustrated by the speed with which the first five packages of sanctions were put in place. In terms of exports, 25% of EU and G7 exports to Russia are under sanctions. This strategy is undoubtedly part of a medium- to long-term cold war, and will undermine and degrade Russia’s industrial potential in the medium term. Economic and commercial relations are being used to leverage power. The United States is also sending out signals that it could do the same to China, as it had begun to do to the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei and is now doing to Russia. Such an extension to the whole of China would have gigantic consequences.

Conclusion

As the Prospective and Innovation Foundation noted after the trip, “the international climate continues to deteriorate dangerously, but the Union is responding well, in particular by expressing the idea of sovereignty in all its forms”.

Joël Ruet participates in a webinar on “COP26 and the Brahmaputra: A New Perspective based on the Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) Framework”

Posted on 5 May 202216 May 2022 by the_bridge_tank

Our President, Joël Ruet participated in the webinar on May 5th, 2022 on the topic “COP26 and the Brahmaputra: A New Perspective Based on the Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) Framework”. This is the 5th in a series of webinars organized by the Maritime Research Center and M/S NirDhwani Technology Pvt Ltd.

His participation was an opportunity to continue the conversation on the blue economy started with key stakeholders, such as the Maritime Research Center.

As there are many solutions on « environmental engineering » coming from the global south towards river aspects, in particular from the Indo-African side, Joël Ruet suggested enhancing cross learning in terms of environment and engineering, notably water storage for hydroelectricity, navigation regulation and velocity regulation can have a positive impact on avoiding disasters and protecting biodiversity. At the condition of a step by step learning. The COP26 that dealt about integration of environment to adaptation and adaptation to mitigation towards cobenefits and nature based solutions opened an avenue and Joel Ruet has high hopes for the next COP which will be held in Egypt in November. Thanks to the various exchanges about the Brahmaputra region, he was able to appreciate the vast amount of knowledge that should be shared during COP 27 – “We must learn from the experience of Brahmaputra”.

The Bridge Tank at the BOAO Forum for Asia 2022: Promote Energy Integration and Build Green World

Posted on 21 April 202216 May 2022 by the_bridge_tank

The BOAO 2022 Forum was held from April 20 to 22 in a hybrid mode, aiming to conduct an open dialogue in a post-COVID world and on the prospects of common development in the world of tomorrow.

Since 2018, The Bridge Tank has participated in the annual “Chinese Davos” event. Our President, Joel Ruet spoke at a high-level panel in the presence of Mr. Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to China, Mr. Baodong Li, Secretary General, BOAO Forum and former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, Mr. Mr. Jizhen Liu, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and Director of State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy Sources, Mr. Hailiang Song, President of China Energy Engineering Group Co, Mr. Jianhua Hu, President of China Merchants Group and Mr. Haiping Xiang, Chief Engineer of China National Energy Administration.

In his speech, Joël Ruet spoke about the global issues related to energy integration and trajectories. He stressed the importance of “deep decarbonation technologies” in accelerating net zero emissions by 2035-2040. Until then, he added that each country or territory will have a role to play to have its own “transition trajectory”, not only adding renewable energies but also integrating them into the networks with a more rational and efficient use.

Joël Ruet addressed the issue of adaptation, which must no longer be looked separately from other issues. He illustrated his remarks through the example of carbon sinks, which have be created from optimized ecosystems everywhere, not only in forests, but also in savannahs or mangroves.

Dr. Ruet also demonstrated that energy trajectories are already low-carbon, which is particularly the case for Africa and most of the G77 countries. It is important that these trajectories are recognized as such and therefore funded by the North and that technology and know-how transfers are funded accordingly.

In response to the question of how to implement global support to energy trajectories of the global south, the President of The Bridge Tank proposed two solutions: first, allow the South to manage itself with more funding to create local champions, keep the gas trade open to them, and ensure that their carbon sinks are recognized as an incentive to develop them; and second, enable their local financial entities to play a larger role by recognizing that “risks” are over rated there in comparison to actually high profitability.

As in the 2021 edition, Joël Ruet was one of the three French speakers, representing the circle of Think Tanks, alongside Jean-Pierre Raffarin and Henry Giscard D’Estaing, who respectively represented the political and economic worlds.

Read here the agenda of the BOAO Forum 2022.

Analytical report: China’s value chain strategy on cobalt – lessons for EU

Posted on 20 April 202220 April 2022 by the_bridge_tank

Strategic materials are ubiquitous in all sectors relevant for the green economy and the energy transition. Regarding cobalt, it owes its current visibility to its increasing use in low carbon technologies, also called green technologies (renewable energy and rechargeable batteries). Cobalt is used as an input in the magnets of wind turbines, and for the production of the cathodes of lithium-ion and nickel metal hydride batteries, which are then incorporated in electric or hybrid vehicles. In the current context of the electrification of mobility, cobalt is therefore regarded as a strategic material. The production of cobalt is however one of the prime examples of the unequal distribution of the earth’s resources, the metal being extremely concentrated in one country: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), who represents 70% of global production, and the DRC’s reserved are controlled substantially by what has now become an unavoidable actor in the cobalt value chain: China.

As a continuation of our work on analysis China’s materials strategy, we have developed a report to analysis how China has imposed itself on the cobalt value chain, both upstream and downstream, and has progressively managed to build itself a comparative, if not absolute, advantage. This report aims to conduct a combined analysis of the strategies that have been implemented both by the Chinese government as well as industrial actors in order to gain this hegemonic position on the value chain. These strategies have allowed for the constitution of a resilient and dominant Chinese ecosystem around the cobalt value chain on the international stage.

Read our report here

The Bridge Tank and French Development Agency launch their final workshop on Blue Economy

Posted on 21 March 202212 April 2022 by the_bridge_tank

On March 16, 2022, The Bridge Tank held the final workshop in a series of three with the mandate of the French Development Agency on blue economy in the Bay of Bengal (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka). This workshop aimed at the identification of possible bilateral and regional cooperation with the contribution of the French know-how in the maritime field. It also aimed at open up the conversation to design solutions which the French side could contribute in response to the challenges identified during the first two workshops in collaboration with key players in the Bay of Bengal region.

The discussion was based on 6 main takeaways in terms of needs and gaps identified from the first two workshops:

The role of blue economy in the region
The role of data
Improving coordination
Strengthening private and public cooperation
Promoting institutional capacity building in front of data collection and coordination
Developing pilot projects

This workshop was comprised of three closed-door panels:

Panel 1: Institutional cooperation and ambitions at regional level with the support of French know-how

Moderator: Dr. Joël Ruet, President, The Bridge Tank

Dr. (Mrs) Hélène Djoufelkit, Research Director of the AFD
Mrs. Runa Khan, Founder & Executive Director of the Friendship NGO
Mr. Daniel Fernando, Chairperson, Blue Resources Trust, Sri Lanka
Dr. Arnab Das, Executive Director & Founder, Maritime Research Centre, India
Mr. Matthieu Piron, Policy officer for international affairs, Directorate for Sea Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ministry for the Sea
Mr. Benoît Gauthier, Head of the Regional Economic Service, Embassy of France in India
Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan, Director-General, National Maritime Foundation, India
Dr. P. Krishnan, Director, Bay of Bengal Inter-Governmental Organization (BOBP-IGO), regional

Panel 2: Developing nationally and regionally viable projects to enhance the value chains of blue economy

Moderator: Dr. Joël Ruet, President, The Bridge Tank

Mr. Manish Singhal, Deputy Secretary General, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), India
Mr. Martin Lemenager, Senior Program Manager for Infrastructure, AFD Office in Indonesia
Mr. Loïc Monod, Bioeconomy research officer, France AgriMer
Mr. Nicolas Vuillaume, Indian Ocean Representative, Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS)
Dr. Mostafa A. R. Hossain, Professor, Aquatic Biodiversity & Climate Change, Department of Fish. Biology & Genetics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, consultant with AFD Bangladesh
Dr. Arnab Das, Executive Director & Founder, Maritime Research Centre, India
Mr. Aruna Maheepala, Senior Research Officer of National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency of Sri Lanka
Mr. Shri Aditya Dash, Vice Chairman, Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), India
Mr. Bruno Bosle, Country director of the AFD Office in India
Mr. Reda Souirgi, AFD Sri Lanka, represented by Mrs. Panchali Ellepola, Project Officer
Mr. Benoît Chassatte, Country director of the AFD Office in Bangladesh

Panel 3: Enhancing shared resources through a regional network & general conclusion

Moderator: Dr. Joël Ruet, President, The Bridge Tank

Mrs. Afifat Khanam Ritika, Research Officer Bangladesh Institute of Maritime Research and Development
Mr. Pattabhi Rama Rao, Group Director, Ocean Observations, Modelling and Data Assimilation Group, Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)
Dr. (Mrs) Hélène Djoufelkit, Research Director of the AFD
Dr. Joël Ruet, President, The Bridge Tank
Mr. Jacky Amprou, Regional Director for South-Asia, AFD

The spirit of this project is to organize a series of three workshops, co-hosted by The Bridge Tank and the French Development Agency. The first workshop, which was organized in November 26^th, 2022, aimed at gathered strategic thinking of the participants ahead of developing a growing interaction between them and institutes and policy makers in the second workshop, in January 21^st, 2022.

Read our report here and our executive summary here

Watch the replay of our workshop here

HORASIS 2022 USA – Biden’s first year, Ukraine, and EU’s leadership

Posted on 4 March 202216 May 2022 by the_bridge_tank

During the 2022 Horasis USA Meeting, held March 4, The Bridge Tank participated in a conference on Joe Biden, the European Union and Ukraine, alongside Esko Aho, Former Prime Minister of Finland, Finland, Michael D. Brown, United States Shadow Senator, District of Columbia, USA, Yves Leterme, Former Prime Minister of Belgium, Belgium, Jed Rakoff, Senior Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, USA, and chaired by Jerry Hultin, Chair, New York Academy of Sciences, USA.

The discussion centered on the American president and his responsibility as the head of a leading democratic state, particularly in light of the war in Ukraine, as well as his potential future actions. How far will the Biden leadership go? What can we expect him to accomplish before the 2024 American elections?

Our President Joel RUET flagged that:

Beyond US energy package, there ought to be some joint US-EU effort to quick land green finance,
He called for joint technology programs and shared industrial platforms
In line with Prime Minister Aho’s view that viewing NATO as an internal lose-win game between the US and the EU, Joel Ruet emphasized this situation has brought opportunities to jointly look at joint security issues, and have NATO evolve from defense to security,
In reply to Jerry Hultin’s point on the view the Global South has on Russia’s assault to Ukraine and on China, Ruet mentioned that many African countries feel they have gained much of what they could from China and leveraged on this onto other countries, and that many of them now observe the new set of tools used on Russia, advising the “West” and notably the EU to engage into a conversation on these economic tools with its strategic partners in the South, not to alienate them, and, positively, to mutualise the treatment of the Russia-Ukraine crisis through real global tools,
Lats but not least, echoing some concern by shadow Senator Brown, Joel Ruet offered that, even though they differ from one country to another due to history, so called ‘racial issues’ ought to be discusses more globally, not intra-societies.

Watch the full discussion here on our youtube.

The Bridge Tank and French Development Agency launch their 2nd workshop on Blue economy: implementation issues

Posted on 1 February 20229 March 2022 by the_bridge_tank

On January 21, 2022, The Bridge Tank held the second workshop in a series of three with the mandate of the French Development Agency on blue economy in the Bay of Bengal (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka). Whereas the first workshop aimed at earmarking new blue economy priorities for various actors and nations in the Bay of Bengal, this second workshop: Blue Economy in the Bay of Bengal – Implementation Issues, aimed to open discussions between experts, policy makers and economic actors to identify gaps and challenges that impede a concrete and efficient implementation of blue economy value chains in the Bay of Bengal region. By linking research and operational approaches, this workshop conducted a collective inventory of data gathering and treatment systems, logistic and financial resources and gaps for sustainable blue economy activities (value chains and social and natural resilience) implementation and acceleration.

This workshop was comprised of two panels; the first panel, open to the public, was dedicated to exploring the importance of data collection towards the improvement of monitoring blue economy assets. The second panel, a closed-door round table, centered on engaging discussion between public and private entities, researchers and implementers towards the implementation of a sustainable blue economy.

Among the challenges identified, the speakers all agreed on the following 5:

Lack of information and coordination within countries and in the region;
Need for institutional capacity building;
Enhance resources (fisheries) enhancement;
Need for increasing public and private cooperation;
Need for more regional joint research studies and projects.

Panel 1: Data collection for improved monitoring of the blue economy’s assets

Speakers:

Dr. Shailesh Nayak, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), India
Ms. Akshita Sharma, Biodiversity Portfolio Manager, AFD Delhi
Mr. Nishan Perera, Blue Resources Trust, Sri Lanka
Mr. Abu Saleh Khan, Executive Director, Institute of Water Modelling, Bangladesh

Discussion participants:

Dr. (Mrs.) Hélène Djoufelkit, Research Director of the AFD
Arnab Das, Director, Maritime Research Center, India
Md. Adbul Wahab, EcoFish Team Leader, World Fish Bangladesh Wing
Dr. (Mrs.) Chime Youdon, Associate Fellows, National Maritime Foundation, India
Saurabh Thakur, Associate Fellows, National Maritime Foundation, India

Panel 2: National framework for improved coordination between public, private entities, researchers and implementers

Short presentation of take-aways from experts’ workshops and objectives by Joël Ruet, President of The Bridge Tank & Jacky Amprou, Regional Director for South-Asia, AFD
Round table – 5 minutes pitch of projects, initiatives or solutions from each speaker
Open discussion across panelists

Speakers and guests:

Mr. Shri Aditya Dash, Vice Chairman, Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), India
Ms. Dharshani Lahandapura, Chairperson, The Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), Sri Lanka
Mr. Khairul Majid Mahmud, Director, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Bangladesh
Ms. Panchali Ellepola, Project Officer, AFD Sri Lanka
Mr. Ameya Prabhu, Vice-President, Indian Chamber of Commerce, India
Ms. Soma Mitra-Muckerjee, Director, Head of Projects, The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, India
Mr. Pattabhi Rama Rao, Group Director, Ocean Observations, Modelling and Data Assimilation Group, Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)
Mr. Reda Souirgi, Country Director Sri Lanka, AFD

With the participation of the panelists from the panel 1.

The third and final workshop in this series will be held mid-March 2022 and will aim to identify political ambitions in the sector and willingness/possibility of regional cooperation with the contribution of the French know-how in the maritime field.

Read our report here and our executive summary here.

Watch panel 1 and panel 2 of the workshop on our Youtube.r