PISM Bulletin

After recent elections in Iran, President Hassan Rouhani has secured power. His re-election means Iran will continue the policy of breaking out of its economic isolation and luring Western investment, especially in oil and gas exploration and production. On the other hand, Iran’s actions and the tensions with the U.S. increase investment risk, which must be considered by European companies, including Polish ones.

On 1 July, Hungary took over from Poland the annual presidency of the Visegrad Group. Its motto, "V4 Connects", is meant to express both the importance of regional infrastructure development and group cohesion. Its presidency will work to facilitate more efficient use of EU digitisation and innovation programmes by V4 members. However, the presidency programme does not contain a common answer to the issue of deepening European integration. With an ongoing election campaign, Hungary might attempt to politicize its V4 cooperation.

Trump administration policy has prompted concerns among Latin American countries about how their relations with the U.S. will develop. The negative reactions stem from the U.S. president’s decisions on weakening trade commitments, restricting immigration, and reducing foreign aid. Continuing such actions will only increase China’s influence in Latin America. It also will provide opportunities for greater engagement by other Asian countries, as well as the EU and Russia. Consequently, the U.S.’s traditional leadership in the region will continue to wane.