On 16 May 2023 I put the following question to Professor Anoush Ehteshami (Professor of International Relations in the School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University), following a talk he gave to the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University about ‘The Geopolitics of China’s Belt & Road Initiative and Western Focus’ – Q. ‘Is the potential for “convergence” in MENA a geopolitical “pivot” upon which war can be avoided in the South China seas?’ To hear the full answer Professor Ehteshami gave click on the following link and then fast forward to the Q&A at 58:02 to 1.11 using the progress bar underneath the video or on your smart TV search You Tube for ‘Anoush Ehteshami’ + ‘China’s Belt & Road’:
https://lnkd.in/eeEnAbHc
In his answer Professor Ehteshami connects:
(i) The conclusion of the UN that a better world requires the building of infrastructure.
(ii) The UN’s estimated cost of building this infrastructure of anywhere between $15-30 Trillion.
(iii) Who is going to pay for it?
(iv) The opportunity that exists for a dialogue about connectivity.
The business opportunites that exist for multinational companies in MENA are huge, provided ‘convergence’ can take place – see the ‘Geopolitical Mediation’ page at www.diplomaticlawguide.com. He describes Iran as the last ‘El Dorado.’ So, if your company is not switched on to the opportunities he describes, I would urge you to listen to his answer to my question. There appears to be an opportunity for business to shape the future of MENA by initiating and leading a mediated dialogue between stakeholders in the region. See also my previous post – ‘The Idea of Geopolitical Mediation’, and the ‘Geopolitical Mediation’ and ‘Negotiating Political Order’ pages at www.diplomaticlawguide.com.