The State Department's Dane Johnston on Strategic Redundancy for Mideast Trade
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Dane Johnston outlined a U.S. strategy to champion multimodal trade corridors, notably the India‑Middle East‑Europe Economic Corridor. He emphasized creating strategic redundancy in transport routes to mitigate disruption risks and boost regional interconnectivity. By leveraging American diplomatic and logistical expertise, the initiative seeks to accelerate economic integration across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The discussion highlighted the corridor’s potential to reshape global supply chains and generate substantial trade growth.
Financing Europe’s Priorities with the European Investment Bank’s Nadia Calviño
At IMF‑World Bank Week, European Investment Bank President Nadia Calviño outlined the bank’s shifting focus toward security, climate and technology as Europe confronts geopolitical turbulence and energy volatility. She highlighted a dramatic four‑fold increase in defense‑related financing, surpassing €4 billion in...
Driving Digital Growth Through Connectivity Investment
The Atlantic Council convened a round‑table during the World Bank‑IMF spring meetings to examine how to close the global digital divide. Speakers highlighted that between one‑third and one‑half of the world still lacks affordable, reliable internet, a gap that hampers...
What to Watch at the 2026 IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings
The 2026 IMF‑World Bank Spring Meetings will center on debt sustainability, climate finance, digital currency regulation, and strategies for emerging‑market growth. Senior Fellows Hung Tran, Nicole Goldin and Martin Mühleisen will outline expectations, emphasizing policy coordination and financing gaps. Their...
Paschal Donohoe on the World Bank's Role in a Changing World
The interview with Paschal Donohoe, World Bank Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer, at the 2026 spring meetings centers on the Bank’s response to geopolitical shocks and its renewed job‑creation agenda. Donohoe warns that the Iran‑related crisis and broader Middle‑East conflict...
Foreign Minister Timčo Mucunski on North Macedonia’s Transatlantic Priorities
Foreign Minister Timčo Mucunski used a Washington‑based Atlantic Council event to outline North Macedonia’s transatlantic agenda, emphasizing the country’s historic first strategic dialogue with the United States and its broader Euro‑Atlantic trajectory. He highlighted concrete deliverables from the talks, including U.S....
IMEC During a Time of War
The Atlantic Council panel examined the India‑Middle East‑Europe Economic Corridor (IMAC) amid the Iran‑Israel war that has shut the Strait of Hormuz, driving up prices for oil, fertilizer and aluminum. Speakers highlighted how the conflict underscores the need for...
Ajay Banga on the World Bank Group’s Jobs Agenda and Global Development
Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, used the Atlantic Council forum to outline the institution’s dual focus on immediate geopolitical crises – from the Middle‑East war to the Ukraine conflict – and the slower, structural forces reshaping global...
The Red Sea Front and Yemen's Role in the Iran War
Panelists said the 2022 truce between the Houthis and Saudi-aligned forces has largely held militarily and remains a key factor constraining Houthi escalation, because both sides value ongoing talks that could lead to a political settlement. The Gaza war and...
Building Central Asia’s Future Through Regional Integration
The Atlantic Council panel examined how Central Asian states are deepening regional integration amid a backdrop of relative stability. Speakers from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and a U.S. expert discussed initiatives ranging from trust‑building and security coordination to infrastructure projects...
How Russia and China Are Enabling Iran and Evading Western Economic Restrictions
The video examines how Russia and China are quietly enabling Iran’s war effort by circumventing Western economic sanctions. Research from the Economic Statecraft Initiative shows that China supplies Iran with drones, anti‑ship cruise missiles, surface‑to‑air missiles and related components through supply...
A Conversation with Brian Ellsworth on AI in Latin America and the Caribbean
The Atlantic Council’s Experts of the Americas podcast featured Brian Ellsworth, a veteran journalist turned AI and public‑policy analyst, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping Latin America and the Caribbean. Ellsworth highlighted uneven adoption across sectors—education faces the most visible...
Democracy Pulse: How Demographic Change Is Impacting Global Prosperity
Democracy Pulse examines how rapid demographic shifts reshape global prosperity, contrasting aging high‑income nations with youthful low‑income economies. The episode highlights stark differences in population growth rates, median ages, and worker‑to‑retiree ratios, underscoring the fiscal challenges ahead. Low‑income countries are expanding...
"We Don't Want to Get Scooped" On Going to the Moon, Says Dr. Asha M. George at Space Science Week
Dr. Asha M. George, representing a bipartisan commission on biodefense at the Atlantic Council, addressed the National Academies of Sciences during Space Science Week. She highlighted the administration’s renewed commitment to return humans to the Moon, framing the decision as...
Gina McCarthy: "We Have to Work with Our International Partners" On Advancing Clean Energy
Gina McCarthy, the former EPA administrator, used a recent remarks to stress that the United States must deepen cooperation with foreign allies to accelerate the clean‑energy transition. She framed the current turbulence as a chance to adopt an "opportunity‑driven" mindset,...
