Argus Geopolitical Intel

Osaka is to to host the G20 Summit scheduled as the incumbent President, scheduled for June 28 & 29, welcoming leaders from 37 countries and international organizations. On February 4, just 150 days before this historical event, the Kansai Promotion Council for the 2019 G20 Osaka Summit and the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau co-sponsored the “G20 Osaka Summit Forum” in Osaka.  The host country of the G20 summit leads the group over the course of one year from December through the following November as the G20 presidency. The G20 presidency also organizes relevant ministerial and working group meetings. It is the first time for Japan to take on the G20 presidency. Click Here for more information

Image Credit: ©Airbus 2017 | Photo by S. Ramadier Airbus and China Aviation Supplies Holding Company (CAS) have signed a General Terms Agreement (GTA) covering the purchase by Chinese airlines of a total of 300 Airbus aircraft. The GTA was signed in Paris by Guillaume Faury, President of Airbus Commercial Aircraft and future Airbus CEO, and Jia Baojun , Chairman of CAS, in the presence of visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron . According to Airbus’ latest China Market Forecast for 2018 to 2037, China will need some 7,400 new passenger and freighters aircraft in the next 20 years. It represents more than 19 percent of the world total demand for over 37,400 new aircraft. By the end of January 2019, the in-service Airbus fleet with Chinese operators totaled some 1,730 aircraft, of which 1,455 are A320 Family, and 17 are A350 XWB Family planes. The new GTA comprises of 290 A320 Family aircraft and 10 A350 XWB Family aircraft, reflecting the strong dema...

Image Credit: Creative Commons Two Russian military aircraft have landed in Venezuela 's main airport on Saturday [23/03/2019] reportedly carrying "a significant number of troops" and vast amounts of military equipment, three months after the two nations held joint military exercises.   The party line delivered via Sputnik , Russia's news agency is that the aircraft are in Venezuela to "fulfill technical military contracts" Russia has long been an ally of Venezuela, supporting the South American nation with billions of dollars and backing its military & oil industries. Russia has also been politically vocal by opposing a US plan to issue crippling sanctions against Maduro ´s government.

Image Credit: Creative Commons Theresa May will make a last ditch plea to European Union leaders for a postponement to Brexit and try to persuade the other 27 countries to delay the UK's exit beyond 29 March albeit "a matter of great personal regret". Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn is also coincidentally due in Brussels for separate Brexit talks. The worry is that European Council President Donald Tusk has already said he believed the EU would agree to a short extension, but this would only be if Mrs May's deal is signed off by MPs next week. While another EU summit could be called in an emergency if needed, he said.   Mr Tusk went on to say that the "question remains open" as to how long a delay the other EU leaders would support. The upshot is that if May cant get parliamentary support for the third "meaningful vote" (if she can get it passed Speaker, Burcow ) then there will be no extension to Article 50 and the UK will come bouncing out of the...

Image Credit: Creative Commons Hungary 's total defiance of EU policies will face a new test on Wednesday when the European Parliament's biggest bloc decides whether to expel the Fidesz party of Prime Minister Viktor Orban , part of the centre-right European People's Party bloc. For many right-wing, anti-immigration parties, Mr Orban is a hero for regularly castigating Brussels. Parodied by many as Europe's Trump , as he sees the EU "threatened" by Muslim migrants, who are kept out of Hungary.

Image Credit: Creative Commons Boeing should have addressed the issues after the Lion Air crash in Indonesia last October by grounding all 737 MAX aircraft ahead of any FAA concerns. The problems appear to relate to a policy by Boeing to avoid 737 pilots having to re-certify their credentials to qualify to fly the new MAX generation.  Aircrews were totally ignorant of the existence of the aircraft's automated systems and were therefore unable to turn them off. It finally took Trump to issue an executive order to ground all Boeing 737 MAX Series with immediate effect - probably the best decision by him in his so far un-illustrious Presidency.

Image Credit: Creative Commons Germany's two largest financial institutions Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank have convened formal talks about a merger ending months of speculation. A merger could result in massive cost savings, in particular by closing branches. But critics say integrating the firms would be "complicated and risky".  The German government which owns a 15.5% stake in Commerzbank, acquired after the bank was bailed out following the financial crisis, seems to be in favour of a deal. German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz has urged the two to consider merging, as he believes Germany needs a national champion in the banking sector. Combined the banks would have one fifth of Germany's High Street banking business and control €1.8 trillion of assets, such as loans and investments.