Country Risk Rating

The death of former prime minister Rafik Hariri in a huge car bomb attack in Beirut in February put the question of Syrian involvement in Lebanon high on the international political... 2005-04-05

The Turkish government has announced that it will shortly sign the additional protocol that extends its existing EU customs union protocol to the 10 new EU members. This removes the... 2005-04-04

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's focus on international issues over the past few months has been criticised domestically, where there are splits emerging between Islamic and secular... 2005-03-10

Now that Turkey has been given a date for the start of EU accession negotiations, efforts to end the division of Cyprus has become more urgent. Certainly, as full members of the EU,... 2005-03-10

Following the announcement of an Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire in February, Jordan announced that its ambassador to Israel would be returning to the Jewish state, four years after... 2005-03-08

A new trade deal between Jordan and Israel was agreed in December. The deal, which aims to remove most remaining trade barriers, prepares for the establishment of a free trade zone... 2005-02-11

2005 will be a difficult year for Turkish diplomacy. Ankara's primary objective is to pursue closer ties with the EU. However, it cannot afford to ignore developments in Iraq. Kurds... 2005-02-11

Renewed high-level talks between the Israeli and Palestinian premiers are boosting hopes for a ceasefire. Optimism about the prospects for peace now appears to be higher than at any... 2005-02-11

There have been several signals of goodwill between Israel and Egypt in recent weeks, in the context of cautious optimism about the regional peace process. As well as signing a partial... 2005-02-11

Indications of a government clampdown on Islamists emerged in December and January. In one key incident, riot police surrounded the headquarters of the Islamist-dominated professional... 2005-02-11