Can Iran afford to walk away from nuclear talks?
For the first time since the Iranian Islamic revolution in 1979, Tehran turned to the IMF last year and asked for emergency assistance after inflation rose to 50% in three years and approximately 6 million Iranians are out of work while the pandemic continues and vaccines are far off in the future
Daniel Sonnenfeld/The Media Line |
Published: 04.23.21 , 09:00
The U.S. and Iran have in recent weeks embarked on negotiations for a mutual return to the nuclear deal to limit Tehran s nuclear aspirations, which then-U.S. president Donald Trump abandoned in 2018.
Iran has demanded that the U.S. move first and fully lift the sanctions, for it may not be able to survive measures that even prohibit U.S. companies from dealing with anyone who has have economic ties to Iran.
Unsurprisingly, the study confirms that emigration is highest among young people.
In addition to young people in the region typically having fewer responsibilities and more willingness to engage in the potentially risky move of leaving their home country, they also face some of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world. This is especially true in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Kosovo, where the current unemployment rates among young people rates are 40.2 per cent and 46.9 per cent respectively. As the wiiw study looked at data from 2011 onward, it should be mentioned that historically the rates have been higher – 2012 saw youth unemployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina at 63.43 per cent.
‘Iran’s Economy Is Closer Than Ever to Collapse,’ Says Expert Daniel Sonnenfeld
Tehran must compromise in Vienna negotiations or face economic danger
After a period of stagnation, the US and Iran have in recent weeks embarked on negotiations for a mutual return to compliance with the Iran nuclear deal – the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Until now, Iran has played hardball, demanding that the US move first and fully lift the sanctions it had placed on business with the Islamic Republic. But Iran may not have the economic fortitude that would allow it to sustain its stubbornness and economically survive under sanctions.
Summary
Resilience is the key angle through which policymakers imagine the next-generation Eastern Partnership (EaP). Achieving it is a tough challenge for the EaP countries. They are exposed to geopolitical risks and some of their internal and border conflicts are escalating. The coronavirus pandemic has put pressure on their societies and state resources.
This brief draws from the discussions at a conference organized by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, KfW Development Bank, and GMF. This yielded recommendations for the new, ambitious, and measurable post-2020 deliverables centered around building more resilient economies, empowering vibrant civil societies, and ensuring responsive and accountable state institutions.
According to a recent Emerging Europe report looking at the IT landscape across the region, the total number of IT professionals employed in the sector across the 23 countries of is 1,990,000. This figure is expected to reach 2,090,000 by the end of 2021.
Poland has the highest number of IT professionals, 440,500 in 2019, followed by Ukraine with 289,200.
Across the region the average gross salary in IT amounted to 1,583 euros in 2019, with Slovenia paying its IT workers the highest amount, and Georgia the lowest. The lowest gap between the average salary in the economy and the average salary in IT is also in Slovenia – 31 per cent, while in Belarus IT salaries are 191 per cent higher than the average in the economy.