The final at Istanbul’s Sinan Erdem Sports Hall delivered a dramatic five-set battle. Italy took the opening set 25–16 before Türkiye responded by winning the second 25–22. Italy regained control with a 25–12 victory in the third, but Türkiye fought back to take the fourth set 25–21 and force a deciding set.

In the fifth set, Türkiye produced a commanding finish, winning 15–10 to secure the European crown in front of the home crowd.

Türkiye Defends Its European Title

The victory follows Türkiye’s historic triumph at the 2023 European Championship, meaning the national team has now won back-to-back continental titles.

Türkiye delivered an impressive campaign throughout the tournament, winning eight of its nine matches. After progressing from the group stage, the team defeated Azerbaijan, Germany and Serbia in the knockout rounds to reach the final.

The championship match presented one of the toughest possible challenges, with Türkiye facing an Italian side regarded among the strongest teams in international women’s volleyball. Türkiye ultimately prevailed after five sets to retain its place at the summit of European volleyball.

Vargas Shines in the Final

Melissa Vargas was among Türkiye’s standout performers in the championship match, scoring 28 points and playing a decisive role in the victory.

Under head coach Daniele Santarelli, Türkiye has continued to establish itself as one of the leading forces in international women’s volleyball.

European Crown Brings Olympic Qualification

The victory in Istanbul carries significance beyond the European title. Türkiye also secured qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, becoming the first European women’s volleyball team to guarantee its Olympic berth.

Winning another major trophy on home soil marks a new milestone for Turkish women’s volleyball and further strengthens Türkiye’s position among the elite nations of the sport.

With a second consecutive European championship now secured, Türkiye’s remarkable rise on the international volleyball stage continues.

Overview

On Friday, 4 September, the conference hall of the Asteria Hotel in Venray, in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, hosted the International Scientific and Practical Conference "Akhal-Teke Horse: The Turkmen Art of World-Class Horse Breeding." The event opened the wider World Beauty Championship among Heavenly Akhal-Teke horses, held at the Peelbergen Equestrian Centre in Kronenberg, and gathered a large delegation from Turkmenistan together with diplomats, ambassadors, media and equestrian experts from across Europe and beyond.

The Akhal-Teke is one of the oldest horse breeds in the world, developed over thousands of years on the territory of modern Turkmenistan. It is known for its slender build, its endurance in extreme desert conditions and its distinctive metallic, almost golden coat. For Turkmenistan the breed is far more than an animal. It is a national symbol, and in 2023 UNESCO inscribed the art of Akhal-Teke horse breeding and the traditions of horse decoration on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognising the customs, craftsmanship and knowledge built up around the horse over generations.

The conference was structured in two parts. It began with opening remarks and a plenary session of speeches from international experts, and continued, after a short break, with five thematic breakout sections held in parallel. The programme reflected the ambition of the event, which was to examine the Akhal-Teke not from a single angle but through history, art, science, sport and cultural diplomacy.

Opening Words

Ambassador Sapar Palvanov welcomed guests and introduced the presentation of the Dutch edition of the book by the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, "The Horse as a Symbol of Faithfulness and Happiness." In his remarks, the Ambassador stressed that the book is not only about horses but about the deeper relationship between people and animals, and about faithfulness understood as loyalty to one's roots, memory and culture. He argued that translating such a work into Dutch turns national heritage into a space for dialogue, allowing readers in another country to compare their own experience with that of the Turkmen people.

The Ambassador also placed the event in a long historical frame. He recalled that what Europeans call the Great Silk Road was known to the ancestors of the Turkmen people as the Golden Road, and was described by early historians as a route of equestrian culture. Along those roads, he noted, not only goods travelled but also ideas, knowledge, traditions and horses. He presented the gathering in the Netherlands as a modern continuation of that ancient story, in which one of the new roads between peoples has become a book.

António Buscardini, President of the Press Club Brussels Europe and Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Travel Tomorrow, a media partner of the event, chose to look at the subject through the lens of heritage, travel and cultural dialogue. He picked up the same image of the Silk Road as a route of equestrian culture, noting that long before tourism existed in its modern form, horses carried not only people but ideas, languages, traditions and craftsmanship. "Horses did not simply connect places. They helped connect cultures," he said. He argued that the Akhal-Teke should be understood as much more than an exceptional breed, describing it as part of a broader cultural heritage tied to craftsmanship, knowledge and the relationship between people and horses.

The Book Behind the Presentation

A central element of the opening was the presentation of the Dutch edition of "The Horse as a Symbol of Faithfulness and Happiness," written by Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, National Leader of the Turkmen people and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, known in his country by the title "Arkadag", meaning Protector. Copies were made available to guests, who could take the book with them at the end of the conference. The Dutch edition carries on its cover a photograph of an Akhal-Teke stallion in full ceremonial decoration, its golden coat matched by an ornamented collar and breastplate set with green stones, an image that captures both the breed itself and the craft traditions that surround it.

The book belongs to a series of works the author has devoted to the Akhal-Teke, alongside earlier titles such as "Akhal-Teke Horse, Our Pride and Glory" and "The Flight of Celestial Race Horses." It traces the evolution of the breed and its role in world history, and examines the place of the horse in Turkmen literature, folklore, painting, sculpture and carpet weaving. Rather than treating the Akhal-Teke as a subject of breeding alone, it presents the animal as a thread running through the culture that raised it.

Ambassador Palvanov used the presentation to explain why such works are translated at all. Translation, he argued, turns national heritage into a space for dialogue, because a book that exists in only one language belongs first of all to the environment that produced it. He cited a passage in which the author writes that world culture is the result of the shared experience of humanity, while national experience forms part of that wider whole. The Ambassador said the aim was for a Dutch horse breeder, trainer, veterinarian or simply a horse lover to open the book and recognise something familiar. "Because love for a horse does not require translation," he said, adding that the culture which has grown around that love does deserve to be translated. The Dutch edition has now joined versions of the work already published in several other languages.

The Plenary Session

The plenary session included a presentation on the artistic dimension of the breed by Antonio Jariola, head of the Italian cultural and show company Proeventi, a theatre director specialising in equestrian and circus performances and artistic director of Fieracavalli in Verona. Speaking from his background in dramaturgy and staging, he examined why the Akhal-Teke so often appears almost unreal when it enters a performance space. He linked this to the horse's silhouette, its long neck, fine head and light body. "The Akhal-Teke possesses a fundamental characteristic in the world of art: the ability to transform the body into image and movement into emotion," he said. He described the breed's gliding gait, developed to avoid sinking into desert sand, as producing a quality of lightness that makes the horse appear to float on stage, closer to a contemporary dancer than to a conventional show animal.

Neda Berger, head of the Austrian-Turkmen Association, spoke about the wider cultural and humanitarian meaning of the championship. She described the Akhal-Teke as a unique heritage and pride of Turkmenistan, a horse that has preserved its original form across the centuries, and underlined its role in sport, in beauty contests and in cultural diplomacy. "The Turkmen Akhal-Teke can rightly be called an ambassador of peace, a symbol of friendship and goodwill," she said. She welcomed the 2023 UNESCO recognition of the breed and congratulated not only Turkmenistan but lovers of equestrian art around the world, presenting the horse as a bridge between countries.

A more personal note came from Alexandre Gro, national technical expert of the French Equestrian Federation, who recounted his experience training and presenting an Akhal-Teke stallion in France. He described a horse of exceptional sensitivity and a striking golden coat, presented in the setting of the Republican Guard's riding hall and covered widely in the French press at the time. His account focused on patience, balance and mutual trust in training, and on the breed's suitability for the Olympic disciplines of dressage, show jumping and eventing. "The Akhal-Teke is the living witness of a thousand-year history and a constant ambassador of equestrian nobility," he said.

Science, Sport and Stewardship

The scientific perspective was represented by Julio Bendezu-Sarmiento, senior researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and the National Museum of Natural History, and co-director of a Turkmen-French archaeological mission that has worked in Turkmenistan for more than three decades. He placed the horse at the centre of human history. "The riding horse was the world's first means of rapid travel," he said, comparing its historical role to that of the train or the aeroplane today, and locating the early domestication of the horse for riding in Central Asia.

Jean-Philippe Camboulives, Director of the FEI Solidarity Department, spoke on behalf of the international governing body of equestrian sport. He praised the state policy carried out in Turkmenistan to preserve the purity of the breed and its ancient genetic heritage, and highlighted the partnership between the FEI and the Turkmen national federation. He singled out endurance riding, the second FEI discipline after show jumping, as a field particularly suited to the breed, and described the new international horse-breeding academy as one of the most important recent achievements for the development of equestrian sport in the country.

Patricia Johnson, President of the Akhal-Teke Horse Foundation of the United States, presented conservation work carried out in North America. She thanked the people of Turkmenistan for safeguarding the breed over more than four thousand years and stressed that her work does not propose a new direction for the Akhal-Teke, but applies contemporary conservation science in support of established Turkmen breeding traditions. She reported that a first comprehensive North American census had identified more than four hundred purebred Akhal-Teke horses, of thirteen imported sire lines, three of which no longer have a living stallion. "Once it is gone, we are never going to get it back," she said. The plenary also heard from Saragt Babayev, People's Artist and Hero of Turkmenistan and senior lecturer at the State Academy of Arts of Turkmenistan, who spoke about the image of the Akhal-Teke in Turkmen painting, sculpture and national monuments, and about how the beauty of the breed has been recorded in the country's artistic tradition.

The Breakout Sections

After a short break, the conference continued in five parallel sections, each held in a differently named conference hall of the Asteria Hotel and led by a specialist moderator. Section I examined the history and development of the Akhal-Teke horse, while Section II focused on the significance of the 2023 UNESCO inscription of the breeding art and horse-decoration traditions. Section III was devoted to the Akhal-Teke in fine and applied arts, Section IV to breeding and veterinary science and the genetic foundations for preserving the purity of the breed, and Section V to the influence of the Akhal-Teke on world equestrian culture, history and horse breeding.

Together the sections allowed specialists to move from broad cultural themes into the detailed scientific and practical questions that will shape the future of the breed. The format gave breeders, veterinarians, artists and researchers space to work through their own fields in depth, rather than remaining at the level of general presentations.

Following programme of the next days

The programme continues on Saturday, 5 September, with the main championship day at the Peelbergen Equestrian Centre. It includes the open conference of the International Akhal-Teke Horse Breeding Association, a visit to the exhibition dedicated to Turkmen equestrian art and culture, the beauty contest for adult horses, the selection of the World Champion among the winners of the age categories, the "Best Decorated Horse" competition, a show jumping competition, an award ceremony for the winners of the creative and sporting competitions, and a gala dinner with performances by masters of Turkmen culture and arts.

On Sunday, 6 September, the championship closes with cultural performances at the Peelbergen Equestrian Centre and the closing of the exhibition.

Known as the "Soul of the Turkmen People" and the "Heavenly Horse," the Akhal-Teke — one of the oldest and most distinctive purebred breeds on Earth, celebrated for its metallic coat sheen, endurance and proud temperament — was the centerpiece of three days combining elite equestrian sport, scientific exchange and Turkmen cultural heritage.

The visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands by the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty and National Leader of the Turkmen people, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, gave the championship exceptional weight.

As part of the events surrounding the championship, the Dutch-language edition of his book"The Horse: A Symbol of Faithfulness and Happiness" was formally presented in Kronenberg on 4 September, in the presence of Turkmen scientists, academics, diplomats and international horse breeders — with opening remarks by Allaberdy Ashirov, President of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, and contributions from Sapar Palvanov, Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Belgium, and ATHA President Marian Weltevreden.

A Podium Crowned by a French breeder

The beauty crown of the championship went to Yandym, owned by French breeder Audrey Martinez of the CaratKoum stud farm — a result that underlined how far the Akhal-Teke's admirers now stretch beyond Central Asia, with dedicated European breeding lines in France contributing directly to the global prestige of the breed.

High-Level Guests, from The Hague to Limburg

The championship drew an unusually high-level Dutch and international guest list. Attendees included Jan Peter Balkenende, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands (2002–2010) and, since October 2022, a Minister of State (Minister van Staat) — an honorary title reserved for senior statesmen — alongside Emile Roemer, King's Commissioner for the Province of Limburg, Ryan Palmen, Mayor of the Municipality of Horst aan de Maas, and Marian Weltevreden, President of ATHA. Ambassadors from across Central Asia and beyond were also present, including ambassadors of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Türkiye to the Benelux and the Netherlands — reflecting the championship's role as a genuine diplomatic crossroads. The event's international resonance was further amplified by 50 accredited journalists representing outlets such as Al Jazeera, EU Reporter, Wanderlust Magazine, The Europe Today, Diplomat Magazine and Global Tourism Forum.

The programme itself unfolded over three days: beauty and dressage trials for young horses on 4 September, an international scientific-practical conference on Akhal-Teke breeding and Turkmen equestrian art held at the Asteria Hotel in Venray, and the crowning of the World Champion horse alongside a Best Decorated Horse competition and gala evening on the main event day.

Fireworks Under the Turkmen Flag

The three-day championship reached its emotional peak on the final evening with a gala dinner followed by a fireworks display over the Peelbergen grounds — a spectacular closing tribute in which pyrotechnic displays traced the silhouette of a galloping horse alongside the colors of the Turkmen flag lighting up the Limburg sky. The symbolism was far from incidental: 2026 also marks the 35th anniversary of Turkmenistan's independence, a milestone the country is celebrating throughout the year under the official motto "Independent, Permanently Neutral Turkmenistan – Homeland of Purposeful Winged Horses," a designation adopted by the Mejlis (Parliament) specifically to honor both the nation's sovereignty and its cherished Akhal-Teke horses. Fittingly, then, the closing night in Kronenberg fused two threads of Turkmen national pride — the "heavenly horse" and 35 years of independence — into a single, luminous celebration that brought the championship's cultural-diplomacy mission full circle, closing the European chapter of the anniversary year on a note of light, color and shared festivity between Turkmenistan and its Dutch hosts.

Cultural Diplomacy

The championship did not emerge in a vacuum: it was underpinned by intensive bilateral diplomacy in the Dutch capital just one day before the opening ceremony. On 3 September 2026, Turkmenistan's Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rashid Meredov, met in The Hague with his Dutch counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tom Berendsen. The two ministers reviewed the steady progress of Turkmen-Dutch relations and explored deeper cooperation in shipbuilding, port infrastructure, agriculture, energy and diplomatic training through the Clingendael Institute — while explicitly welcoming the organization of the Akhal-Teke championship as a marker of cultural and public rapprochement between the two countries according to the official sources.

Later that same day, Meredov also met with Christoffer Jonker, Adviser on Foreign Affairs and Defense to the Dutch Prime Minister, where the two sides discussed intensifying political contacts within the Turkmenistan–EU framework, expanding Dutch business participation in Turkmen infrastructure and healthcare projects, and — once again — highlighted the equestrian championship in Limburg as a symbol of the countries' shared interest in horse culture and a catalyst for broader social ties.

A Cultural Symbol Bigger Than a Competition

Taken together, the diplomatic talks in The Hague and the championship in Kronenberg formed a single, coherent narrative: horses as instruments of cultural diplomacy. For Turkmenistan, a country whose foreign policy rests on the pillar of permanent neutrality, the Akhal-Teke — inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2023 — offered a soft, universally admired vector through which to deepen engagement with a European partner. For the Netherlands, hosting the first-ever edition of this championship on European soil was both an honor and an opportunity to strengthen commercial and institutional ties with Ashgabat.

As Peelbergen's arenas emptied and the golden horses began their journeys home, the message from Kronenberg was unambiguous: in an era when hard diplomacy can often stall, the shimmering coat of the Akhal-Teke proved, once again, capable of bringing presidents, ministers, ambassadors and breeders from four continents to the same field.

Global Sports Media Giants

The global sports broadcasting industry has evolved far beyond traditional television. Multi-billion-dollar media rights, digital subscriptions and streaming services have turned ESPN, Sky Sports, DAZN, beIN SPORTS and TNT Sports into some of the most influential brands in the global media economy.

Among them, ESPN stands out financially. Disney’s Sports segment generated $17.67 billion in revenue and $2.88 billion in operating income in fiscal 2025. Programming and production costs alone amounted to approximately $12.49 billion, illustrating the enormous financial scale of premium sports broadcasting.

In Europe, Sky Sports remains one of the strongest names, particularly in British football. Its extensive portfolio of premium sports rights has made it a central player in the European broadcasting market. However, Sky does not publicly disclose a standalone Sky Sports budget and workforce figure comparable to ESPN.

DAZN represents the industry's shift toward direct-to-consumer digital broadcasting. With a strong presence in football and combat sports, DAZN has developed into an international streaming-focused sports business. The company publishes corporate financial updates, although its reporting structure differs from that of publicly listed media conglomerates.

beIN's Global Reach

Doha-based beIN MEDIA GROUP has established a particularly significant international position. According to its corporate figures, the group employs 3,058 people, operates across 40 countries on five continents, has 130 channels, and produces more than 45,000 hours of live broadcasting annually.

The group also reports more than 55 million pay-TV subscribers worldwide. Its extensive portfolio of international sports rights has made beIN particularly influential in football broadcasting and across the Middle East, North Africa and other international markets.

Unlike Disney, beIN is privately held and does not regularly publish a detailed standalone annual budget comparable to ESPN's publicly reported financial figures. Therefore, unverified estimates of beIN's budget should not be presented as definitive numbers.

Another major player is TNT Sports, part of Warner Bros. Discovery's sports portfolio. Its U.S. operations cover major competitions across basketball, baseball, ice hockey, football and motorsports. Warner Bros. Discovery reported $37.3 billion in total revenue in 2025, although this represents the entire media group rather than TNT Sports alone.

Taken together, the five platforms demonstrate different models of global sports media power. ESPN leads in financial scale and the U.S. sports ecosystem; Sky Sports remains exceptionally strong in European and British sports; DAZN represents the digital-first model; TNT Sports controls a major multi-sport portfolio; and beIN combines more than 3,000 employees with extensive international reach and a particularly strong position in global football broadcasting.

According to Türkiye’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the country’s agricultural output reached $83.2 billion in 2025, placing Türkiye seventh globally and first in Europe in terms of agricultural output. The government is increasingly emphasizing technology, production planning and higher productivity per unit of land as central elements of its agricultural strategy. (Tarım ve Orman Bakanlığı)

Agricultural exports are also becoming an increasingly important component of Türkiye’s external trade. Türkiye exported 2,226 different agricultural and food products to 185 countries, generating approximately $32.6 billionaccording to figures announced by the Agriculture Ministry in September 2026. (Tarım ve Orman Bakanlığı)

Europe remains particularly important for Turkish producers. The scale of the wider economic relationship provides a strong foundation: bilateral goods trade between Türkiye and the European Union exceeded €217.6 billion in 2025, with Türkiye remaining the EU’s fifth-largest trading partner. The relationship continues to operate within the framework established by the EU–Türkiye Customs Union, although agricultural products are subject to a more specific trade regime than industrial goods. (Trade and Economic Security)

For Türkiye, the next stage may increasingly depend on agricultural technology. Precision irrigation, smart greenhouses, artificial intelligence, agricultural drones, sensors and automated production systems could help producers increase yields while responding to water scarcity, climate risks and European requirements concerning quality, traceability and sustainability.

The European market itself offers substantial opportunities. EU agri-food imports reached €188.6 billion in 2025, highlighting the enormous scale of European demand for agricultural and food products. (Agriculture and rural development) Türkiye’s geographical proximity gives its exporters an additional logistical advantage compared with suppliers located much farther from European markets.

In this context, Türkiye’s competitive advantage may increasingly be defined not simply by how much it produces, but by how efficiently, sustainably and technologically it produces. Combining Türkiye’s agricultural capacity with technologies already being developed across Europe could strengthen the country’s role as a strategic agricultural production and supply hub connecting European markets with the Mediterranean, Black Sea and wider Eurasian region.

One of the most significant developments is the AGROS II project led by Wageningen University & Research. The initiative aims to advance autonomous greenhouse production by integrating cameras, sensors, artificial intelligence, and Digital Twin technology. These systems can continuously monitor crops, growing conditions, and greenhouse climates while supporting more precise production decisions.

Robotics is another important component of the Dutch agricultural transformation. Wageningen researchers are developing simulated greenhouse environments to accelerate the development of harvesting robots. Such technologies could reduce dependence on manual labour while improving efficiency in high-value greenhouse production.

Artificial intelligence is also moving beyond individual farms. Through the AgriScienceFM initiative, researchers are developing advanced AI models capable of understanding complex agricultural systems. Potential applications include soil and water management, pest and disease control, autonomous harvesting, and agricultural decision-making.

The country's broader policy direction supports this technological shift. The Dutch 2026–2030 Coalition Agreementidentifies technologies such as artificial intelligence, drones, sensors, robotics and biotechnology as important elements in the future of food production.

The emerging model shows that the Netherlands is seeking to maintain its agricultural competitiveness not simply through production volumes, but through technology, efficiency and knowledge-intensive agriculture. As autonomous greenhouses, AI and agricultural robots become more widespread, Dutch agricultural technology could become an increasingly important component of the country's international economic position.

Playing in front of a home crowd at Istanbul’s Sinan Erdem Sports Hall, Türkiye delivered an impressive performance to defeat Serbia 3–0 in the semi-final and secure a place in the championship match.

The Turkish team had previously defeated Germany 3–1 in the quarter-final before producing an even more dominant display against Serbia.

Türkiye will now play for the European title on Sunday, 6 September at 19:00, facing the winner of the Italy–Polandsemi-final.

The final represents another major moment for Turkish women’s volleyball, which has established itself among the leading forces in the international game.

Now only one victory separates the Sultans of the Net from the European crown.

Türkiye is in the final. The next target is the trophy.

During talks in Cairo, Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi agreed to further deepen the countries’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with cooperation extending across trade, investment, manufacturing, infrastructure, technology, energy and security.

For Europe, the importance lies largely in geography.

Egypt sits at the gateway to the Suez Canal, one of the principal arteries connecting Asian production centres with European markets. China's expanding industrial presence around this corridor consequently places Chinese companies increasingly close to Europe's southern commercial frontier.

China Builds an Industrial Base Near Europe

China is already Egypt's largest trading partner in non-petroleum goods.

Bilateral trade reached approximately $20.7 billion in 2025, while trade during the first six months of 2026 reached around $11.3 billion. Egyptian exports to China almost tripled to approximately $841 million, while Chinese exports to Egypt reached about $10.4 billion.

But Beijing's strategy increasingly extends beyond selling Chinese products to Egypt.

Chinese companies are investing in local manufacturing, logistics and infrastructure.

The China-Egypt TEDA Cooperation Zone near Ain Sokhna and the Suez Canal has become one of the most visible examples. The zone now hosts hundreds of companies and represents billions of dollars in investment.

Its location is strategically significant.

Goods manufactured around the Suez economic corridor can potentially serve Egypt, African markets, the Middle East and markets across the Mediterranean.

China is therefore not simply exporting to the region. It is increasingly developing production capacity inside the region.

Technology Becomes the Next Stage

The relationship is also expanding beyond traditional infrastructure.

During Xi's visit, Cairo emphasised its desire for greater industrial localisation and technology transfer, while the two governments signed new agreements and memoranda covering investment and industrial development.

Artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, electric vehicles, electronics, renewable technologies and digital infrastructure are increasingly appearing within the wider China-Egypt economic agenda.

The shift is important for Europe's competitive environment.

China's economic relationship with Egypt is gradually evolving from infrastructure construction toward a combination of manufacturing + technology + logistics + investment.

The Chinese-built business district in Egypt's New Administrative Capital, transport infrastructure and industrial projects around Suez demonstrate the scale of this expanding footprint.

The Suez Canal Connects the Strategy to Europe

The geographical logic becomes particularly clear when viewed from Europe.

The Suez Canal is the shortest major maritime connection between Asian production networks and European markets.

China's Belt and Road strategy has long prioritised ports, railways, industrial zones and logistics corridors.

Egypt provides something especially valuable within that network: a location connecting the Mediterranean, Red Sea, Middle East and Africa.

As Chinese manufacturing investment expands around Suez, Beijing strengthens its position along a commercial corridor directly connected to Europe.

This does not necessarily mean China is replacing European economic influence in Egypt.

Instead, it demonstrates that Beijing is systematically increasing its presence in regions immediately connected to Europe's supply chains.

Energy Adds Another Dimension

Energy could become another important element.

China and Egypt have identified new energy as an area for deeper cooperation, while Chinese companies have already become active in Egyptian renewable-energy and green-industry projects.

For Beijing, this fits a much larger industrial strategy.

China already possesses enormous manufacturing capacity in solar panels, batteries, electric vehicles and other clean technologies. Egypt, meanwhile, offers renewable-energy potential, industrial land and proximity to both European and African markets.

The combination could eventually make Egypt an increasingly important manufacturing and energy bridge between China and markets surrounding the Mediterranean.

Beyond Economics

Xi's visit also demonstrated that relations are expanding into security.

China and Egypt agreed to strengthen military and security exchanges, while their armed forces have already conducted joint air exercises.

That development adds another dimension to China's presence in a country traditionally connected to Western defence structures.

Yet Beijing's approach remains primarily economic and diplomatic.

Infrastructure creates connectivity. Manufacturing creates long-term economic relationships. Technology creates dependency and integration. Trade provides scale.

Together, these instruments gradually translate economic presence into strategic influence.

China Is Moving Westward

Xi Jinping's Cairo visit therefore matters far beyond bilateral China-Egypt relations.

Egypt gives China access to three strategically important spaces simultaneously: Africa, the Middle East and the Mediterranean.

Beyond the Mediterranean lies Europe.

The emerging picture is not necessarily one of confrontation between China and Europe. Instead, it reflects a gradual geographical convergence.

China's economic networks are moving westward through Central Asia, the Gulf, Africa and now increasingly through industrial and logistics hubs surrounding the Mediterranean.

Egypt could become one of the most important nodes in that network.

For Europe, the development creates a new economic reality on its southern horizon: Chinese capital, manufacturing capacity, technology and infrastructure are moving progressively closer to European markets.

Xi's visit to Cairo illustrates the broader transformation.

China is not waiting for global economic geography to change. It is actively building the routes, factories and partnerships that could shape it.

In February 2026, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a new Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence at Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). The initiative focuses on integrating AI into real-time military decision-making, autonomous systems, cyber defence, threat prediction and precision operations.

Singh said advances in AI-supported threat prediction, early warning and response mechanisms were strengthening the operational capabilities of India's armed forces.

AI Kavach Targets Cyber Threats

The Indian Army has taken another step through Terrier Cyber Quest 2026, launched by the Territorial Army in August.

One of its principal programmes, AI Kavach, focuses on artificial intelligence and machine-learning solutions for predictive threat intelligence, automated defence mechanisms and anomaly detection.

The initiative brings together the Armed Forces, academia, industry and researchers to develop indigenous technologies for cyber and information-domain threats.

AI Enters Military Intelligence

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation is simultaneously developing AI capabilities for intelligence and surveillance.

Priority areas include AI-based satellite-data processing, image and video intelligence, target detection, deepfake detection and AI-supported tracking systems.

In June 2026, DRDO also launched a programme to develop an indigenous large language model for cybersecurity, targeting vulnerability discovery and threat intelligence.

A Growing Defence Industry

India's rapidly expanding defence industry provides the economic foundation for this technological transformation.

According to India's Ministry of Defence, defence production reached approximately $17 billion in FY 2025–26, while defence exports climbed to roughly $4.2 billion.

India is now directing more of this industrial capacity toward AI, machine learning, autonomous platforms, counter-drone technologies, quantum systems, hypersonic weapons and space capabilities.

The objective goes beyond purchasing advanced military technology from foreign suppliers.

New Delhi increasingly wants to develop, control, manufacture and eventually export its own AI-enabled defence systems.

As future warfare becomes more dependent on data, autonomous platforms and machine-speed decision-making, artificial intelligence is emerging as an important pillar of India's pursuit of technological and strategic autonomy.

According to the latest SIPRI 2026 data, India was the world’s second-largest arms importer in 2021–2025, accounting for 8.2% of global imports. Russia supplied 40% of India's arms imports, down from 51% in 2016–2020 and 70% in 2011–2015.

Yet India remains crucial for Moscow: 48% of all Russian arms exports in 2021–2025 went to India. Russia's overall share of global arms exports, meanwhile, fell to 6.8%.

New Deals Continue in 2026

The relationship remains active. On 27 March 2026, India's Ministry of Defence signed a ₹445 crore contract with Russia's Rosoboronexport for Tunguska air-defence missile systems.

The systems will strengthen India's defences against aircraft, drones and cruise missiles.

Read the official Indian Ministry of Defence announcement

India also continues to rely on major Russian-origin or jointly developed platforms including the S-400 air-defence system, Su-30MKI fighters, T-90 tanks and BrahMos cruise missiles.

Modi and Putin Keep Defence on the Agenda

The political relationship remains equally important.

On 31 August 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin met during the SCO Summit in Bishkek. Defence was specifically included among the strategic areas reviewed by the two leaders.

Read the official Modi–Putin meeting statement

Both sides reaffirmed their Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership, demonstrating that military cooperation remains part of the highest-level political dialogue.

Defence Diplomacy, Not Just Arms Trade

India's new strategy makes this relationship even more significant.

On 3 September 2026, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled RAKSHA, India's new ten-year defence-diplomacy roadmap. It prioritises strategic partnerships, joint military exercises, capacity building, defence exports and India's emergence as a security provider.

Read India's RAKSHA defence diplomacy strategy

India's defence production reached ₹1.78 lakh crore in 2025–26, while defence exports reached a record ₹38,424 crore. India is therefore moving from being primarily a weapons importer toward becoming a producer and exporter.

A Changing Partnership

The numbers reveal the transformation clearly: Russia's share of Indian arms imports has fallen, but defence relations have not disappeared.

Instead, the relationship is shifting from a traditional buyer–seller model toward co-production, technology cooperation, maintenance and defence diplomacy.

For India, this fits its broader doctrine of strategic autonomy: cooperate with Russia, expand defence relations with the West and simultaneously strengthen domestic production.

India is reducing dependence on Russian imports without abandoning its strategic defence relationship with Moscow.

From Central Asia to Russia and Europe, New Delhi’s recent diplomatic traffic reveals something larger than a collection of bilateral meetings. India appears to be reinforcing a foreign-policy model based on strategic autonomy: maintaining established partnerships while simultaneously developing relations with multiple centres of global power.

Modi Places Central Asia at the Centre

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Uzbekistan on 29–30 August was one of the most consequential stops in this diplomatic sequence.

According to the official joint statement issued by the Prime Minister of India, Modi and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev conducted a comprehensive review of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues.

The visit produced agreements covering higher education and research, economic cooperation, tourism, mining, environmental issues, culture, Ayurveda and regional partnerships.

Read the official details of Modi’s talks in Uzbekistan

The visit carried considerable symbolic weight as well. President Mirziyoyev awarded Modi the “Oliy Darajali Do’stlik” Order, Uzbekistan’s highest honour for foreign leaders.

Read the official announcement

The developments demonstrate that India increasingly views Central Asia not simply through the traditional lens of security and Afghanistan, but also through connectivity, minerals, technology, education, investment and long-term geopolitical engagement.

Central Asia and the SCO

Following Uzbekistan, Modi travelled to the Kyrgyz Republic for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

Ahead of the visit, the Indian Prime Minister described security, connectivity and opportunity as central elements of India's approach to the region. He also identified terrorism, separatism and extremism as continuing threats to regional peace and stability.

For New Delhi, participation in the SCO provides an important platform through which India can simultaneously engage Russia, China, Iran and the Central Asian republics.

India wants deeper Eurasian integration, but it also continues to emphasise sovereignty and its own strategic independence.

Russia Remains Essential

Russia continues to occupy a distinctive position in India's foreign-policy architecture.

Despite profound changes in the international system, New Delhi has resisted pressure to abandon its longstanding relationship with Moscow. Energy, defence, technology and wider strategic cooperation remain important components of the partnership.

At the same time, India has repeatedly advocated dialogue and diplomacy regarding the war in Ukraine.

This balancing act represents one of the clearest examples of India's strategic-autonomy doctrine: New Delhi wants to preserve its relationship with Moscow without closing diplomatic channels with Ukraine, Europe or the United States.

Jaishankar and India’s Multi-Directional Diplomacy

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar represents another important pillar of this strategy.

India's foreign minister has increasingly pursued diplomacy across competing geopolitical spaces, reinforcing relationships with traditional partners while simultaneously expanding India's engagement with Europe, the Gulf, the Indo-Pacific and the Global South.

This is not simply diplomatic flexibility.

It reflects India's attempt to avoid permanent dependency on any single international bloc.

Rather than choosing between Russia and the West, New Delhi increasingly seeks productive relationships with both.

President Murmu Defines the Economic Dimension

President Droupadi Murmu has also provided an important indication of how India sees the future of its diplomacy.

Speaking to Indian Foreign Service officer trainees on 27 August, Murmu said India's economic rise was creating new possibilities for its engagement with the world.

She specifically encouraged India's future diplomats to identify international opportunities in investment, technology, manufacturing, renewable energy and innovation.

Read President Murmu’s official remarks

Her message suggests that Indian diplomacy is increasingly expected to contribute directly to the country's economic transformation.

Diplomats are therefore no longer tasked solely with managing political relations. They are increasingly expected to attract investment, build technological partnerships and connect India with emerging economic opportunities.

What Is India Trying to Achieve?

The diplomatic activity of recent weeks suggests that New Delhi is pursuing neither traditional neutrality nor conventional non-alignment.

A more accurate description is multi-alignment combined with strategic autonomy.

India can cooperate with Russia while maintaining dialogue with Ukraine.

It can participate in the SCO alongside China while protecting its own sovereignty concerns.

It can develop strategic relations with the United States and Europe without automatically adopting every Western geopolitical position.

It can maintain relations with Iran while simultaneously developing extensive partnerships with the Gulf states.

And it can expand its presence in Central Asia without presenting itself as an ideological challenger to either Russia or China.

Central Asia Is Becoming Increasingly Important

One of the strongest signals emerging from recent Indian diplomacy concerns Central Asia.

Uzbekistan offers opportunities in minerals, education, technology, healthcare, environmental cooperation and investment. The SCO provides India with a broader Eurasian political platform, while Russia remains a major strategic partner.

Prime Minister Modi himself described a stronger India–Uzbekistan partnership as potentially becoming a significant force for “peace, progress and prosperity in Central Asia.”

Read Modi’s official statement in Uzbekistan

India Wants a Seat at Every Important Table

Taken together, the diplomatic movements of Modi, Jaishankar, Murmu and India's wider foreign-policy establishment reveal a country increasingly comfortable engaging competing powers simultaneously.

India does not appear interested in becoming merely the Asian pillar of a Western geopolitical strategy. Nor does it appear willing to position itself permanently inside a China-Russia-centred political bloc.

Instead, New Delhi is attempting something considerably more ambitious: maintaining sufficiently strong relationships with competing centres of power to preserve its freedom of action.

This is ultimately what distinguishes India's emerging diplomacy.

New Delhi does not simply want a seat at the world's most important tables. It increasingly wants India to become one of the tables around which global diplomacy is conducted.

Recent initiatives from the European Union point toward a model in which rehabilitation is not considered simply a medical treatment delivered in hospitals or specialised centres. Instead, health services, education, social protection, digital technologies and family participation are increasingly being brought together around the individual needs of the child.

EU Backs New Rehabilitation Technologies for Children

One of the clearest developments in 2026 has come through the EU4Health programme.

The European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) announced that EU-supported projects are helping develop specialised medical devices for children with rare diseases and complex conditions.

Among the technologies currently receiving support are a modular rehabilitation system for children's upper-limb motor and cognitive exercises, dynamic head-support technology for children with severe neuromotor impairments and devices designed to improve gait and mobility among children with rare neurological conditions.

Another EU-supported initiative has developed a prototype aimed at enabling home rehabilitation for children with spinal muscular atrophy Types 2 and 3.

These projects demonstrate an important change in European rehabilitation policy: treatment is gradually moving beyond the walls of traditional rehabilitation facilities and becoming increasingly connected to children's everyday environments.

Read more from the European Health and Digital Executive Agency

From Institutions to Community-Based Support

Technology, however, represents only one dimension of Europe's changing approach.

In May 2026, the European Commission presented new measures under its disability policy framework. According to the Commission, around 90 million Europeans live with disabilities, while approximately 1.4 million people with disabilities still live in institutional settings.

One of the significant initiatives announced by the Commission is an Alliance for Independent Living, intended to support the transition away from institutional models toward community-based services.

The Commission is also placing greater emphasis on assistive technologies, including artificial intelligence-based tools.

For children with disabilities, this direction is particularly important. UNICEF reports that children with disabilities in Europe and Central Asia are significantly more likely to be placed in residential care than children without disabilities. UNICEF's long-term objective for the region is to move toward zero children living in institutional care by 2030.

European Commission – Disability and Inclusion

UNICEF – Child Protection in Europe and Central Asia

Early Intervention Can Change a Child's Future

Evidence from European countries also demonstrates why early and continuous rehabilitation matters.

A UNICEF case documented in Bulgaria describes the experience of a six-year-old child with cerebral palsy who received examinations, rehabilitation and multidisciplinary support through a mobile community team. After substantial developmental difficulties during early childhood, sustained intervention contributed to major improvements in mobility and communication.

Such examples reinforce a principle increasingly recognised across rehabilitation systems: intervention should begin as early as possible and continue across the environments in which the child actually lives.

This means connecting physiotherapy and occupational therapy with speech and language support, psychological services, special education, family training and social participation.

UNICEF – Timely Support Transforms Childhood

The European Child Guarantee Gains New Importance

The EU is simultaneously strengthening the social framework surrounding vulnerable children.

In 2026, the European Child Guarantee was reinforced as part of the European Commission's wider anti-poverty agenda. Around 19.3 million children in the EU are currently at risk of poverty or social exclusion.

The initiative seeks to guarantee vulnerable children effective access to essential services including healthcare, early childhood education and care, education, healthy nutrition and adequate housing.

Children with disabilities remain particularly important within this framework because medical rehabilitation alone cannot guarantee inclusion. A child may receive excellent clinical treatment but still face barriers in education, transportation, social participation or access to appropriate assistive technologies.

European Commission – European Child Guarantee

A New Generation of Child Rehabilitation

Taken together, Europe's recent initiatives suggest that the future of child rehabilitation will increasingly be built around several interconnected principles: early intervention, personalised rehabilitation programmes, family participation, multidisciplinary professional teams, home and community-based services, assistive technologies and digital monitoring.

Artificial intelligence and digital health technologies could further accelerate this transformation by allowing professionals to monitor children's progress over longer periods and adapt rehabilitation programmes according to individual development.

The larger policy shift is equally significant.

Europe is gradually moving from a system centred primarily on treating disability toward one focused on enabling children to participate fully in family, education and community life.

For countries developing or reforming their own child rehabilitation systems, the European experience therefore offers an important lesson: successful rehabilitation does not end when a therapy session finishes.

It requires a continuous ecosystem connecting the child, family, specialists, healthcare institutions, schools, social services and digital technologies.

That integrated approach may ultimately define the next generation of child rehabilitation.

Recent developments indicate that energy policy in Europe is increasingly being shaped by two objectives that were once treated separately: achieving the green transition and protecting the continent’s energy security.

According to the European Commission’s latest assessment, European Union member states currently face no immediate threat to gas security despite storage levels being lower than in previous years. The Commission argues that Europe is considerably better prepared than during the 2021–2022 energy crisis, particularly because of greater diversification of suppliers, expanded LNG import capacity and lower overall gas demand.

Nevertheless, geopolitical developments continue to expose Europe to significant risks. Instability in the Middle East and disruptions affecting LNG supplies have contributed to uncertainty in international energy markets. Heatwaves have also increased European demand for gas-fired electricity generation, adding another dimension to the continent’s energy-security calculations.

Renewable Energy Gains New Strategic Importance

Against this background, renewable energy is becoming more than an environmental policy instrument. It is increasingly regarded as an essential component of European strategic autonomy.

Europe installed approximately 8.8 GW of new wind capacity during the first half of 2026, around 33% more than during the corresponding period in 2025, according to WindEurope figures reported by Reuters. Germany and new offshore connections were important contributors to this expansion.

The broader transformation is equally significant. Wind and solar together generated more electricity in the European Union than fossil fuels for the first time last year, illustrating how rapidly the structure of European power generation is changing.

Geopolitical pressure is providing further momentum. Governments in Europe and elsewhere are seeking to accelerate renewable-energy deployment as disruptions to international fossil-fuel markets demonstrate the economic and strategic risks associated with import dependence.

Energy Security Becomes an Investment Priority

Europe is simultaneously increasing investment in the infrastructure required to maintain electricity security.

On 2 September, the European Commission approved a German capacity mechanism worth up to €35 billion, designed to secure adequate electricity generation capacity from 2031.

Meanwhile, the European Investment Bank recently approved €9.2 billion in new financing aimed at strengthening European competitiveness, supporting the energy transition and increasing strategic autonomy.

These measures suggest that European energy policy is moving beyond a narrow focus on decarbonisation. Renewable generation, electricity grids, storage capacity, LNG infrastructure, energy efficiency and technological innovation are increasingly being viewed as interconnected elements of economic and national security.

From Energy Transition to Strategic Autonomy

The direction of European policy is therefore becoming clearer: reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels is simultaneously a climate objective, an economic strategy and a geopolitical necessity.

The EU’s new electrification agenda reflects this shift. The European Commission’s energy strategy and Electrification Action Plan seek to expand the role of clean electricity across transport, heating and industry while reducing fossil-fuel dependence.

Europe may still face considerable challenges, including high energy costs, infrastructure requirements, market volatility and geopolitical disruption. Yet the emerging model increasingly connects renewable energy with industrial competitiveness and strategic resilience.

The European energy transition is therefore no longer simply about replacing fossil fuels with cleaner alternatives. It is becoming part of a wider effort to determine how Europe protects its economy, strengthens its technological and industrial capacity, and secures greater control over its energy future.

Introduction

Business Diplomat is a platform dedicated to equipping young people with international experience and to instilling diplomatic rules and discipline in the world of business. As part of its monthly article series, the platform poses timely questions on the evolving interface between diplomacy and commerce to scholars and practitioners. This month's question addresses one of the most consequential shifts of our era: as negotiations, meetings, and professional relationships increasingly migrate to digital environments, are the long-established rules of diplomatic etiquette and protocol changing—and is a new form of etiquette emerging in online negotiations? The reflections below seek to answer this question.

Dr. İsmail POLAT: Are Diplomatic Etiquette and Protocol Changing in the Digital Age? Is a New Form of Etiquette Emerging in Online Negotiations?

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emin ERENDOR: In my view, diplomatic etiquette and protocol are indeed undergoing a significant transformation in the digital age. Yet what we are witnessing is not so much the birth of an entirely new diplomacy as the adaptation of long-standing diplomatic practices and conventions to digital environments. In face-to-face diplomacy, elements such as setting, body language, forms of address, seating arrangements, and timing have traditionally carried considerable weight. In online negotiations, many of these elements are increasingly complemented—and in some instances supplanted—by considerations relating to screens, cameras, microphones, messaging practices, and digital timing.

Consider punctuality. Arriving late to a meeting once meant physically entering the room after the appointed hour; in a virtual setting, failing to connect on time, or joining without adequate technical preparation, may be perceived as an equivalent breach of professional courtesy. Judgments about when cameras ought to be switched on, the muting of microphones to avoid interrupting speakers, refraining from unrelated activity during proceedings, and sustaining an appropriate tone in follow-up correspondence have all become integral components of contemporary professional and diplomatic etiquette.

The digital environment has likewise heightened the risk of misunderstanding. In face-to-face communication, tone of voice, facial expression, and body language supply contextual cues that help interlocutors interpret the intended meaning of a statement. In emails and short-form digital messages, such cues are largely absent. Consequently—above all in international negotiations—word choice, response time, and even punctuation can acquire genuine diplomatic significance.

From this perspective, it is reasonable to contend that a new form of "digital diplomatic etiquette" is emerging. Its foundations, however, remain anchored in long-established diplomatic principles: respect, restraint, confidentiality, the avoidance of unnecessary embarrassment or discomfort to the other party, and the preservation of constructive relationships. What is changing, in other words, is not the underlying principles of diplomatic conduct but the manner in which those principles are applied.

The digital environment has also produced a further consequence of diplomatic import: the boundary between accessibility and appropriate distance is becoming increasingly blurred. That one can reach an individual by email or instant message does not entail an entitlement to an immediate reply. Questions such as how quickly one should respond, whether it is appropriate to send messages outside working hours, and which matters warrant face-to-face discussion rather than written exchange are accordingly becoming central elements of an emerging digital protocol.

Viewed in this light, the norms now taking shape around online negotiations should not be dismissed as mere technical conventions. They are better understood as nascent diplomatic norms that facilitate trust-building, relationship management, and effective communication in digital environments. In the years ahead, it is likely that governments, diplomatic institutions, and international organizations will move to define—and to institutionalize—these norms with greater precision.

Conclusion

Digital diplomacy is reshaping the way traditional principles of etiquette and protocol are applied rather than replacing them. In this process of transformation, Business Diplomat aims to help young people develop a strong understanding of diplomatic culture, international communication, and appropriate representation in the business world. Academics also play an important role in highlighting and interpreting the visible dimensions of this transformation.

For more information about Business Diplomat:

http://businessdiplomat.org

Widely regarded as one of the oldest and most elegant horse breeds in the world, the Akhal-Teke is a symbol of Turkmenistan's rich cultural heritage and equestrian traditions. Renowned for its remarkable endurance, intelligence, and distinctive metallic sheen, the breed continues to fascinate horse lovers worldwide.

This year's championship is set to be one of the largest international gatherings dedicated to the Akhal-Teke horse, attracting participants from numerous countries and showcasing the breed's unique qualities through competitions, exhibitions, presentations, and cultural exchanges.

International Media Presence

Reflecting the growing global interest in the Akhal-Teke horse, the event will benefit from extensive media coverage. According to the organizers, 50 accredited journalists will cover the championship, representing a broad range of international and regional media outlets.

Among the media partners supporting the event are:

• Al Jazeera

• EU Reporter

• EUReflect

• Wanderlust Magazine

• The Gulf Observer

• The Europe Today

• Diplomat Magazine

• Global Tourism Forum

• Travel Tomorrow

• Eurasia Focus

• EminSight

• London Post

• EU Briefs

• Qazaqstan TV

• KEMA

The diverse media presence is expected to provide worldwide visibility for both the championship and the cultural significance of the Akhal-Teke horse.

Celebrating a Living Cultural Heritage

More than a sporting event, the Akhal-Teke International Championship serves as a platform for promoting cultural dialogue and preserving an important element of world equestrian history. The horse is deeply rooted in the heritage of Turkmenistan and has long been admired for its role in the history of the Silk Road and Central Asian civilization.

Through competitions and educational activities, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the breed's origins, breeding traditions, and continuing importance in contemporary equestrian culture.

Strengthening International Connections

The championship also demonstrates how cultural heritage can bring together people from different countries and backgrounds. By gathering breeders, experts, tourism stakeholders, journalists, and cultural institutions in one venue, the event creates new opportunities for international cooperation and mutual understanding.

As global attention turns toward Kronenberg this week, the Akhal-Teke 2026 International Championship promises to showcase not only the exceptional beauty and athleticism of the breed, but also the enduring value of cultural heritage in connecting communities across borders.

About EUReflect

EUReflect is an independent platform promoting dialogue between Europe and Eurasia through culture, history, diplomacy, tourism, and international cooperation. By covering events such as the Akhal-Teke 2026 International Championship, EUReflect aims to highlight the cultural traditions and shared heritage that foster greater understanding between nations.

Photo credit: Akhal-Teke 2026 International Championship Organizing Committee
Media Partner: EUReflect Media Network

Overview

On Wednesday, 2 September, the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Belgium hosted the opening of "Tazy: The Grace of the Steppe," a photo exhibition by Kazakh photographer Abzal Dosyman. The event took place in the Embassy in Brussels, where a traditional Kazakh yurt was set up to hold the exhibition. Photographs of the Tazy, the Kazakh sighthound, were displayed both outside on easels and inside the yurt, whose interior was decorated with patterned carpets, felt hangings and traditional ornaments.

The Tazy itself is one of the oldest dog breeds in the world, with a history on the steppe stretching back thousands of years. It is a sighthound, slender and long-legged, built for speed and endurance across open country, and it belongs to the same wider family as the Arabian Saluki, from which it is believed to descend. Over generations, the demands of nomadic life and the harsh climate of the steppe shaped it into a distinct breed, tougher and more resilient than its desert ancestor. Today the Tazy is recognised as one of Kazakhstan's national treasures and is protected by state programmes, though urbanisation and the loss of old pedigrees have left the breed facing real challenges.

The ceremony was held in two parts. It began with opening remarks, followed by time for guests to view the photographs, and ended with a reception where visitors could enjoy traditional Kazakh food. The exhibition drew members of the diplomatic community in Brussels along with other invited guests, who gathered in front of the yurt for the official opening.

The Photographer's Story

For Abzal Dosyman, every image in the exhibition carries its own history and grew out of a particular moment of inspiration, but the deeper source is the same throughout. "The overall inspiration is of course love for animals, and especially for the dogs, among which I grew up," he explained. Dosyman grew up in the steppe, where his family kept Tazy dogs. They were working animals, used to protect his grandfather's cattle from wolves.

He was open about the traditional methods once used to prepare the dogs for that task, while making clear they belonged to another era. "When these dogs were born, my grandfather placed the puppies under a wolf skin, and for about ten days he did not feed them. Then, when he hunted a wolf, he gave them wolf meat," Dosyman said. "I know that in our present reality this can sound frightening, but it was a different time, different from now." His account reflected a wider truth about the breed, whose history is tied closely to survival on the open steppe.

A Symbol of Kazakh Heritage

Representatives of the Embassy underlined what the Tazy means for the country. They described the breed as a great source of pride for Kazakh culture, and said that sharing these photographs through the exhibition helps present Kazakhstan in many different aspects, from its history and traditions to its way of life. The Tazy is one of the oldest dog breeds in the world and is recognised today as one of Kazakhstan's national treasures. It descends from the ancient Saluki and was long valued by nomads not only as a hunter but as a trusted companion, at times even given a place inside the yurt.

Among the images on display was a photograph of French President Emmanuel Macron with a Tazy dog. The picture refers to a well-known chapter in the breed's recent story. After Macron admired the Tazy during his visit to Kazakhstan in November 2023, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev gifted him two puppies, later named Jules and Jeanne, who now live at the Élysée Palace. The photograph placed the exhibition's theme in a contemporary diplomatic context, showing how the Tazy has become a quiet ambassador for Kazakhstan abroad.

By bringing these images to Brussels, and by framing them within a real yurt and a shared meal, the Embassy offered its guests more than a set of photographs. It presented a living piece of Kazakh heritage, elegant and deeply rooted in the steppe, to people in the heart of Europe.

CHINA

Tokayev links Kazakhstan-China partnership to wider vision for a more connected and cooperative Eurasia

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Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has used the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek and a wide-ranging interview with China’s Xinhua news agency to set out a closely connected vision of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy — combining deeper economic and technological cooperation with China with a broader commitment to multilateralism, Eurasian connectivity and reform of global institutions.

Speaking as leaders gathered in Bishkek for the 26th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and its SCO Plus format, Tokayev presented Kazakhstan as both a committed regional partner and an increasingly active “middle power” seeking to bridge geopolitical divisions.

His summit remarks were reinforced by an exclusive written interview with Xinhua, published on 1 September, in which the Kazakh leader described relations with China as being at an “unprecedentedly high level” and said Astana intended to continue strengthening what the two countries describe as an “eternal comprehensive strategic partnership”.

Taken together, the two interventions offer a clear picture of Kazakhstan’s current diplomatic strategy: maintain close relations with its major neighbours, promote trade routes linking Asia with Europe, embrace technological cooperation and at the same time argue for international relations based on dialogue rather than confrontation.

China partnership moves beyond traditional trade

In his Xinhua interview, Tokayev stressed that Kazakhstan-China relations now extend well beyond traditional energy and commodity ties.

Cooperation encompasses trade, investment, transport, industrial production, agriculture, digitalisation, healthcare, science, education and culture, he said. China is now Kazakhstan’s largest foreign trading partner, while transport and logistics have assumed an increasingly strategic role.

That emphasis is particularly significant for Europe.

Kazakhstan occupies a central geographical position between China and European markets, and Tokayev argued that the country was working with China to transform that location into a modern Eurasian transport and logistics network.

He specifically highlighted the Belt and Road Initiative, new railway construction, dry ports, logistics terminals and modernisation of border infrastructure.

Central to this strategy is the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, commonly known as the Middle Corridor, which links China with Europe through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus and onward towards European markets.

Tokayev described making the route more competitive as a shared priority, pointing to “smart customs”, digital documentation, interconnected information systems and automated border procedures as necessary elements in reducing transit times.

That message closely reflected his position at the SCO summit, where Kazakhstan again offered to help develop transport initiatives throughout the organisation and called attention to the potential integration of the Belt and Road Initiative, Middle Corridor, North-South Corridor and routes connecting Central and South Asia.

For the European Union, which has increasingly sought alternative and resilient connections with Central Asia and China, the development of the Middle Corridor gives Kazakhstan an importance that extends considerably beyond the size of its domestic economy.

Artificial intelligence becomes a new pillar

Tokayev also placed technology and artificial intelligence near the centre of the emerging Kazakhstan-China relationship.

China's position in AI, robotics, digital technology, new energy and advanced manufacturing complements Kazakhstan's own ambition to accelerate its digital transformation, he argued.

Kazakhstan has declared 2026 its Year of Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, and Tokayev referred to meetings with leading Chinese technology companies during his recent participation in the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai.

He said there was mutual interest in projects involving the digital economy, intelligent manufacturing, e-commerce, research and skills development.

The subject moved seamlessly from the bilateral interview into Tokayev's multilateral message in Bishkek.

Addressing the SCO Plus meeting, he warned that global stability increasingly depends upon the responsible development of artificial intelligence and called for universal rules capable of encouraging innovation while preventing uncontrolled use and narrowing the digital divide.

Kazakhstan is also establishing an Asia-Pacific digital solutions centre in Almaty under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, which Tokayev said should help developing countries gain access to technological expertise.

In his Xinhua interview he went further, arguing that AI should ultimately serve humanity as a whole and that countries should have equitable access to technology, knowledge and computing resources. Kazakhstan was among the founding participants this year in a new international AI cooperation initiative launched in Shanghai.

The ‘Shanghai spirit’ as an alternative to bloc politics

Underlying both the interview and Tokayev's summit speech was a wider political argument.

The Kazakh president portrayed the SCO not simply as an economic or security grouping but as a potential model for cooperation between states with different political systems and interests.

In Bishkek, he said the organisation's principles of equality and consensus had become a “gold standard” for multilateral cooperation. He proposed that core SCO principles should ultimately be reflected in a UN General Assembly resolution linked to the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace.

The formulation is consistent with Kazakhstan's long-standing attempt to avoid being drawn exclusively into competing geopolitical camps.

Tokayev reiterated that Kazakhstan would maintain what he described as a balanced, constructive and peaceful foreign policy, while arguing that the international order should move away from the “cult of force and confrontation” towards collective responsibility and long-term cooperation.

In his interview with Xinhua, he similarly said Kazakhstan and China shared support for the central role of the United Nations, international law, mediation, multilateralism and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

A stronger voice for middle powers

One of the more significant elements of Tokayev's Bishkek intervention was his argument that responsible middle powers should have greater influence within global governance.

With tensions between major powers putting pressure on existing international institutions, Tokayev suggested countries such as Kazakhstan could facilitate dialogue between competing centres of power and help develop collective solutions.

“Kazakhstan is ready to actively contribute to this process,” he told the summit.

At the same time, he resisted suggestions that shortcomings within the United Nations justified weakening the organisation.

Despite criticism of the UN, Tokayev said there was no viable alternative to it. Kazakhstan's position, he argued, was that the UN should remain at the centre of the international system and that its Charter should continue to provide the universal foundation of international law.

The President called for closer interaction between the UN and regional organisations such as the SCO, stronger preventive diplomacy and greater emphasis on peaceful settlement of disputes.

Water security joins the global agenda

Tokayev also used the summit to promote another issue of growing importance to Central Asia: water.

Climate pressures, population growth and competing demands on shared water resources make the issue increasingly important to Kazakhstan and neighbouring states.

Tokayev proposed creating an International Water Organisation under UN auspices, arguing that although numerous UN bodies deal with water, no universal intergovernmental organisation currently has a comprehensive mandate.

He also proposed an SCO Water Problems Analysis Centre as a regional complement to such a global organisation.

The proposal fits into Kazakhstan's broader effort to move environmental and resource-security questions higher up the international agenda.

A Eurasian crossroads

Perhaps the strongest thread connecting Tokayev's interview with his SCO appearance is Kazakhstan's determination to turn geography into diplomatic and economic influence.

Astana is simultaneously strengthening its relationship with Beijing, maintaining important relationships with Russia and other neighbours, developing transport corridors towards Europe, expanding cooperation with Western partners and presenting itself as an advocate of multilateral diplomacy.

Tokayev's description of relations with China therefore carries a wider meaning.

He quoted a Kazakh proverb in the Xinhua interview: “Those travelling the same road share a common destiny.”

Yet the message emerging from Bishkek suggests Kazakhstan sees that road not as one running exclusively eastwards towards China, but as part of a much larger network connecting East and West.

As competition between the world's major powers becomes more pronounced, Kazakhstan is attempting to position itself at the centre of those connections — geographically through trade and transport corridors, technologically through digital cooperation, and diplomatically through its advocacy of multilateralism.

For Europe, that makes developments in Kazakhstan-China relations increasingly relevant. The more successfully Kazakhstan develops the Middle Corridor and other east-west transport links, the more the country becomes not simply a Central Asian partner but a strategic gateway connecting European and Asian economies.

And that, ultimately, appears to be the common theme running through Tokayev's words both to Xinhua and to the leaders assembled at the SCO summit: Kazakhstan believes its future influence will come not from choosing between competing blocs, but from connecting them.

Beyond Cancer Treatment

Recovery from childhood cancer does not necessarily end when medical treatment finishes. Children and adolescents may need continued support as they return to school, social activities and everyday life.

This broader perspective is increasingly important in pediatric healthcare because young patients are still developing physically, psychologically and socially while undergoing treatment.

In Lyon, the Institut d’Hématologie et d’Oncologie Pédiatrique (IHOPe) is participating in September en Or 2026, a national awareness campaign dedicated to childhood, adolescent and young-adult cancers. The campaign runs throughout September and includes activities involving healthcare teams and parent organisations.

Supporting Young Patients

Pediatric rehabilitation can form part of a wider recovery pathway for children who have experienced serious illness.

Depending on individual needs, rehabilitation and supportive care may address physical abilities, mobility, daily activities, communication and the child's return to normal routines.

For young patients, these objectives can be particularly important because illness may interrupt education, social development and participation in activities with other children.

A Multidisciplinary Perspective

The care of a child with cancer involves more than medical treatment alone.

Healthcare professionals, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, educators and families can all contribute to supporting a child's recovery. The objective is to consider the young patient's needs as a whole rather than focusing exclusively on the disease.

The September en Or programme in Lyon brings together healthcare teams and parent associations and places emphasis on research, treatment and support for families and young patients.

This type of cooperation is particularly relevant to pediatric rehabilitation, where long-term recovery may require coordination between different areas of care.

Returning to Everyday Life

For children and adolescents, successful recovery also means being able to participate in everyday activities.

Returning to school, interacting with friends and rebuilding physical confidence can all become important parts of the period following intensive treatment.

Rehabilitation professionals can help identify practical challenges and work with families and other professionals to support the child's gradual return to daily activities.

The approach is therefore not simply about recovering physical function. It can also involve helping young people regain independence and participate in their communities.

The Family’s Role

Families remain central throughout the recovery process.

Parents often coordinate medical appointments, therapies, education and everyday support. A coordinated healthcare pathway can therefore help families understand the different stages of recovery and identify the services available to their child.

The involvement of parent organisations in Lyon's September en Or programme also illustrates the importance of giving families a role in the wider pediatric cancer care environment.

Looking Beyond Treatment

France's September 2026 campaign places childhood cancer in a wider context of treatment, research, support and awareness.

For pediatric rehabilitation, the broader lesson is that recovery should be considered as a continuing process. Children who have experienced serious illness may require support not only during treatment but also while returning to education, social life and age-appropriate independence.

Lyon's participation in September en Or 2026 highlights this wider approach and keeps the long-term needs of children, adolescents and their families within the conversation around pediatric healthcare.

Rehabilitation Through Play

A pediatric rehabilitation service in Lyon is combining intensive therapy with playful activities to support children living with motor disabilities.

The programme is based at L’Escale, the pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation service of the Hospices Civils de Lyon. The service welcomes children from across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and provides specialised rehabilitation care for children between birth and 15 years of age.

The approach reflects an important principle in pediatric rehabilitation: treatment can be structured around the child's development while remaining engaging and motivating.

Supporting Motor Development

Children with cerebral palsy can experience difficulties affecting movement and physical independence. Rehabilitation therefore plays an important role in helping children develop and maintain functional abilities.

According to the Hospices Civils de Lyon, intensive and playful rehabilitation approaches have been tested by L’Escale since 2019. The hospital reports that international randomised controlled trials have demonstrated improvements in children's motor abilities and autonomy with these types of therapies.

Rather than treating rehabilitation as a purely clinical activity, the programme incorporates activities designed to encourage children to participate actively in therapy.

A Specialist Pediatric Team

L’Escale is dedicated specifically to pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation.

The service receives children from throughout the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and works with children who have motor disabilities as well as children experiencing specific learning difficulties.

Its model also includes an innovative mobile team made up of a physician and an occupational therapist. The team can visit hospitalised children at their bedside, extending rehabilitation expertise beyond the dedicated rehabilitation service.

Beyond the Hospital

One of the distinctive features of the L’Escale model is its focus on children living with their families.

The service was initially designed for children with motor disabilities who were living at home but could not access appropriate medico-social services because of factors such as limited availability or geographical distance. Its role has since expanded to include children with specific learning difficulties.

This creates a rehabilitation model that considers the child's everyday environment rather than focusing exclusively on hospital-based treatment.

Building Independence

Pediatric rehabilitation is not only about physical movement. Independence, participation and the ability to engage with everyday activities are also important goals.

The Lyon programme places these objectives at the centre of its approach. By combining structured therapy with activities designed to be enjoyable for children, rehabilitation can become a more active part of a child's daily development.

The hospital's work also illustrates how specialised pediatric rehabilitation services can combine clinical expertise with innovative approaches to support children and their families.

Lyon’s Growing Role

The work of L’Escale highlights Lyon's contribution to specialised pediatric rehabilitation in France.

Its combination of physical medicine, occupational therapy, intensive rehabilitation and child-centred activities demonstrates how rehabilitation services can evolve around the specific needs of young patients.

For children with cerebral palsy and other motor disabilities, such programmes offer a structured pathway focused on functional abilities, participation and greater independence.

Early Support Matters

Early identification has become an important element of pediatric healthcare in France. When developmental or neurological difficulties are identified at an early stage, children can be assessed and directed toward appropriate medical and rehabilitation services.

The approach is particularly relevant for children whose difficulties may affect movement, communication, learning or everyday activities.

Rather than waiting for problems to become more pronounced, healthcare professionals are encouraged to pay attention to developmental signs and consider appropriate referral when concerns arise.

A Multidisciplinary Approach

Pediatric rehabilitation rarely depends on a single healthcare professional.

Depending on the child's needs, rehabilitation may involve physicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language professionals, psychologists and other specialists.

This multidisciplinary model allows different aspects of a child's development to be considered together rather than treating each difficulty separately.

For families, coordination between professionals can also make the rehabilitation pathway easier to understand and follow.

Supporting Development

Rehabilitation for children has a different character from rehabilitation for adults. Children are still developing physically, cognitively and socially, meaning that treatment and support may need to evolve as they grow.

Rehabilitation programmes can therefore focus not only on physical abilities but also on participation in school, communication, independence and everyday activities.

This broader perspective places the child's development and quality of life at the centre of rehabilitation planning.

The Role of Families

Families are an important part of pediatric rehabilitation.

Parents and caregivers often provide information about changes in a child's development and daily abilities. They can also play an important role in continuing recommended activities and supporting the child outside clinical settings.

A coordinated relationship between families and healthcare professionals can therefore help create a more continuous rehabilitation pathway.

Building Earlier Pathways

France's focus on early identification reflects a wider shift toward preventing delays in access to specialised support.

For children who need rehabilitation, the objective is to connect assessment, medical care and therapeutic support as efficiently as possible.

Early and coordinated intervention can provide families with clearer pathways while allowing healthcare professionals to adapt support to the child's individual development.

Specialised Care for Children

France has developed specialised rehabilitation services for children who require long-term support following neurological, motor or developmental conditions.

At Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades in Paris, the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation provides medical consultations and rehabilitation support for patients under the age of 18. The service brings together specialists from physical and rehabilitation medicine and paediatric neurology.

The hospital is part of the Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), one of France's major public hospital networks.

A Multidisciplinary Approach

Pediatric rehabilitation often requires more than a single form of therapy. At Necker, rehabilitation professionals work across several disciplines, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and psychomotor therapy.

The hospital also provides specialised medical assessments and follow-up for children with complex rehabilitation needs. This multidisciplinary structure allows treatment to be adapted to the individual needs and development of each young patient.

Supporting Children With Disabilities

One of the hospital's specialised programmes focuses on children with cerebral palsy and multiple disabilities.

The rehabilitation team works to support functional abilities and development while providing medical follow-up. The hospital also has multidisciplinary day-hospital programmes, allowing children to receive coordinated rehabilitation services without necessarily requiring prolonged inpatient care.

This model is particularly relevant to children whose rehabilitation needs change as they grow. Treatment can be adjusted according to physical development, functional goals and the child's wider healthcare needs.

Beyond Physical Therapy

Modern pediatric rehabilitation is increasingly based on a broader concept of care. Physiotherapy may be combined with occupational therapy, psychomotor support, medical assessment and specialised equipment when appropriate.

At Necker, physicians are also trained in areas such as orthotic equipment and targeted treatments, forming part of a wider rehabilitation pathway for children with complex motor conditions.

A Child-Centred Model

The French approach highlighted by Necker places the child at the centre of a coordinated medical and rehabilitation pathway.

By bringing medical specialists and rehabilitation professionals together, specialised centres can provide continuity of care as children progress through different stages of development.

For families, this type of coordinated service can provide a single specialised environment in which medical assessment, rehabilitation and long-term follow-up are connected.

A New Treatment Option

Germany has become the first country in the European Union to receive Novo Nordisk’s oral version of Wegovy, marking an important development in the country’s pharmaceutical market.

The Danish pharmaceutical company confirmed the launch on September 1, 2026. The tablet contains semaglutide, the same active ingredient used in Wegovy’s injectable form, and provides an oral alternative for eligible patients seeking medical treatment for obesity.

The launch comes as pharmaceutical companies increasingly invest in new approaches to weight management and metabolic health.

Germany First in the EU

The German market has been selected as the first European launch market for the Wegovy pill. According to Reuters, the treatment had previously been introduced in countries including the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

Germany’s position is significant because it has the largest pharmaceutical market in the European Union. This makes the country an important testing ground for innovative medicines before wider European expansion.

The arrival of an oral treatment could also broaden the range of options available to patients and healthcare professionals when discussing medical approaches to weight management.

From Injection to Tablet

Wegovy became widely known through its injectable formulation. The new tablet represents a different method of administration while using the same active ingredient, semaglutide.

For pharmaceutical companies, developing oral versions of established medicines is part of a wider effort to make treatments more convenient and adaptable to different patient needs.

The German launch therefore has significance beyond a single product. It reflects the broader transformation taking place in the obesity-treatment market, where pharmaceutical innovation has become increasingly prominent.

A Competitive Market

The launch also takes place against growing competition in the global market for weight-loss medicines.

Novo Nordisk has faced increasing pressure from US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, whose Zepbound treatment has become a major competitor in the same rapidly expanding market. Analysts expect the global market for obesity medicines to become one of the most valuable areas of the pharmaceutical industry over the coming years.

Germany’s early availability of the Wegovy pill therefore places the country at the centre of an important pharmaceutical competition.

What It Means for German Healthcare

The introduction of the tablet adds another option to Germany’s healthcare and pharmaceutical landscape. It also demonstrates the importance of Germany as a European market for innovative medicines.

The development comes as Germany continues to pursue broader changes across its healthcare system, including hospital modernisation, digitalisation and efforts to strengthen access to modern medical treatments.

For patients and healthcare professionals, the arrival of an oral Wegovy formulation represents another development in the rapidly changing field of obesity medicine.

A Digital Healthcare Strategy

Germany is moving further toward a digitally connected healthcare system. In July 2026, the Federal Cabinet approved a draft Health Data and Digital Innovation Act, known as GeDIG.

The initiative is designed to make digital tools more useful for both patients and healthcare professionals.

Using Health Data

A central element of the proposed legislation is the improved use of health data.

According to Germany’s Federal Ministry of Health, better access to health data can support research, innovation and the delivery of healthcare. The government also aims to make digital healthcare applications a more natural part of everyday medical services.

Connected Care

Germany’s wider digitalisation strategy focuses on creating a more connected healthcare environment.

Electronic patient records, digital applications and secure data infrastructure are among the elements being developed to improve information exchange across the healthcare system.

Looking Ahead

The GeDIG initiative represents another step in Germany’s broader healthcare modernisation programme.

By combining digital applications with greater use of health data, Germany aims to create a healthcare system that is more connected and better prepared for future medical and technological developments.

A Changing Health Landscape

Germany is increasing its focus on innovation and resilience as healthcare systems across Europe adapt to technological, demographic and organisational changes.

The country is also positioning itself as an important international platform for discussions on the future of healthcare.

International Cooperation

Health cooperation with international partners is becoming increasingly important for Germany. The German Health Alliance, for example, is preparing several international healthcare and life-sciences activities during September 2026.

These initiatives bring together healthcare organisations, companies and international partners to exchange knowledge and explore new opportunities.

Innovation in Focus

Digital health, medical technology and new approaches to healthcare delivery are among the areas receiving increasing attention in Germany.

The upcoming World Health Summit in Berlin will also focus on how innovation can contribute to resilient and future-ready health systems.

Germany’s Global Role

Germany’s growing involvement in international health initiatives reflects its broader effort to connect healthcare innovation with global cooperation.

With Berlin hosting major international health events, the country continues to provide a platform for policymakers, scientists and healthcare professionals to discuss the future of medicine and health systems.

Germany Modernises Hospitals

Germany has begun a major programme to modernise its hospital infrastructure as part of a broader effort to prepare the healthcare system for the future.

The Hospital Transformation Fund became operational in January 2026 and is designed to finance structural changes in Germany’s hospital system. Up to €50 billion is planned to be made available through 2035, with the federal government providing €29 billion of the total funding.

A Major Investment

The transformation fund represents one of the largest planned investments in Germany’s hospital infrastructure.

Funding is intended to support structural modernisation and help hospitals adapt to changing healthcare needs. The programme forms part of the federal government’s broader healthcare reform agenda, which also includes changes to digital healthcare, long-term care and pharmaceutical policy.

The government describes the initiative as an important mechanism for creating modern and sustainable healthcare structures across the country.

Strengthening Hospital Care

One of the objectives of the hospital reform is to improve the organisation of healthcare services while maintaining access to medical care.

The German government has also highlighted the importance of ensuring hospital care in rural areas. The transformation programme is therefore connected not only to infrastructure investment but also to the future organisation of healthcare delivery across different regions of Germany.

Modern hospital structures can support more efficient healthcare delivery and enable medical institutions to adapt to technological and demographic changes.

Digitalisation and Healthcare

The hospital transformation programme is taking place alongside Germany’s wider digitalisation agenda.

Electronic patient records are being expanded across the healthcare system, while digital infrastructure is becoming increasingly important for communication between healthcare professionals and patients. The Federal Ministry of Health identifies digitalisation as a central element of Germany’s ongoing structural reforms.

The combination of infrastructure investment and digital development is intended to create a more modern healthcare environment.

Looking Toward 2035

Germany’s hospital transformation programme extends well beyond the current year, with funding planned through 2035.

By combining large-scale investment with structural and digital reforms, the government is seeking to modernise hospital infrastructure and strengthen the long-term foundations of Germany’s healthcare system.

The initiative places hospital modernisation at the centre of Germany’s broader effort to build a healthcare system capable of responding to future medical, technological and demographic developments.

Alongside Kazakhstan’s progress in science and innovation, the country’s growing strategic relevance is attracting increasing attention from international media. A recent DW News feature offers a compelling perspective on Kazakhstan’s evolving position in the global landscape.

The report examines Kazakhstan’s multi-vector foreign policy under President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, its increasingly important role along the Middle Corridor linking Asia with Europe, and the country’s substantial reserves and potential in critical minerals.

Together, these factors are strengthening Kazakhstan’s position as an emerging bridge between major markets, economies, and geopolitical regions. This momentum also creates new opportunities for international cooperation in higher education, research, technology, and scientific innovation, supporting the country’s ambition to become a leading knowledge and technology hub in Central Asia.

Watch the DW News Feature:
Why This Central Asian Country Should Be on Your Radar
https://www.google.com/search?q=https://youtube.com/shorts/tK4S4rQIdLc

These developments reflect the combined efforts of Kazakhstan’s researchers, scientists, academic institutions, and national organizations. Continued investment in knowledge, innovation, and international collaboration will be essential to strengthening the country’s scientific capabilities and expanding its contribution to the global academic and technological landscape.

This breakthrough represents a monumental achievement for Kazakhstan’s scientific community. Transforming Kazakhstan into a leading academic and scientific hub requires moving beyond theoretical research toward tangible, high-impact solutions that save lives while strengthening the country’s sovereign biotechnology capabilities.

Recent international and English-language coverage highlighting this achievement is presented below:

* https://tiek.kz/en/archives/10633

* https://qazinform.com/news/kazakhstan-to-register-its-first-homegrown-cancer-drug-by-year-end-861ab9

* https://kz.kursiv.media/en/2026-08-19/engk-nknk-kazakhstans-cancer-drug-could-be-registered-in-2027/

* https://en.tengrinews.kz/health/cancer-drug-being-prepared-for-registration-in-kazakhstan-272964/

The Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), proposed by the European Commission on 4 March 2026, is not merely the EU's internal industrial policy; for Türkiye — which sends roughly half of its exports to the EU and has been integrated into Europe's production network through the Customs Union for 30 years — it amounts to a framework that will shape the future of its foreign trade (EY). The draft does not mention Türkiye explicitly; yet its provisions on origin, public procurement and investment concern the Turkish economy directly. The picture resembles two faces of the same coin: significant opportunities and serious risks side by side.

The positive effects

Turkish goods can count as "Made in EU". Under Articles 8 and 9 of the proposal, components originating from countries that have a customs union or free trade agreement with the EU can be counted as Union origin under the rules of origin; this opens the way for Turkish goods and companies to be recognised with "Made in EU" status for certain public support schemes (Mondaq). According to AVİM's assessment, this positions Türkiye as part of Europe's production networks (AVİM).

Investment pull may grow. The prospect that production in Türkiye could receive "Made in EU" treatment in the European market via the Customs Union makes the country an attractive manufacturing base, particularly for Chinese automotive and battery producers struggling to enter the European market; the intensive shuttle diplomacy conducted in May is judged to have preserved the supplier status of Turkish export products (OtomobilHaber).

A share of a growing market. If the act reaches its target and manufacturing's share of EU GDP rises to 20 per cent by 2035, European industry's demand for inputs will grow with it. Türkiye — the EU's investment base and strategic trading partner for three decades, and an inseparable part of its supply chain — is positioned to take a share of that growth (EY).

A diplomatic window to get to the table. That the regulation is still in the legislative process is seen as an opportunity for Türkiye. The Foreign Trade Leaders' Association (Dışyönder) proposes a "Made with Europe" approach focused on producing together with trusted partners instead of "Made in Europe"; its president, Hakan Çınar, sums it up as "We are not Europe's alternative; we are Europe's production partner" (FuarDergisi). Securing "trusted partner" or equivalent-country status in the final text is Türkiye's central diplomatic goal (EY).

The negative effects

No direct access to public tenders. According to a Commission spokesperson, Turkish companies will not, as things stand, be able to participate directly in EU public tenders as contracting parties; the origin advantage remains limited to support schemes (Mondaq). The absence of a reciprocal public procurement agreement between Türkiye and the EU is the main reason this door stays closed (OtomobilHaber).

The investment-base advantage is at risk. Türkiye features only partially in the regulation and is not treated like an EU member state for investment purposes; this could lead EU companies to shift new investments into the Union rather than Türkiye, eroding a 30-year investment-base advantage (EY). Vehicles produced in Türkiye, for instance, will count as "Made in Türkiye" and will not be treated as EU origin under the regulation for public procurement and production incentives in sectors such as automotive (EY).

The Customs Union's limits are now visible. Although the 1995 Customs Union covers trade, it does not provide equality in industrial incentives; it grants Türkiye no automatic rights in areas such as green industry incentives, public procurement, local content conditions, and battery and critical technology policies (EY). The agreement's outdated scope — excluding services and agriculture — is the structural obstacle keeping the relationship below its full potential (AVİM).

The low-carbon condition adds a burden. The requirement to produce in the EU and the low-carbon product condition could strain Türkiye's industrial and investment strategies; for energy-intensive export sectors such as steel, aluminium and cement, these requirements mean an additional layer of compliance on top of the carbon border adjustment (EY).

Conclusion: A battle for status

For Türkiye, the IAA is neither pure threat nor pure opportunity; the outcome depends largely on the position secured during the legislative process. The origin provisions keep Türkiye inside the European production family, while the procurement and investment provisions leave it at the threshold. The priority, therefore, is to revisit the Customs Union approach as part of integration into the EU's industrial transformation and to secure trusted-partner status for Türkiye in the final regulation (EY). While the Parliament and Council negotiations continue, Ankara's window is still open — it needs to be used before it closes.

The European Union has taken its most ambitious step in industrial policy in years. The Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), proposed by the European Commission on 4 March 2026, aims to boost manufacturing, grow businesses and create jobs in the EU, while supporting industry's adoption of cleaner, future-ready technologies (Commission). Announced in the Clean Industrial Deal and in the Joint Communication on strengthening EU economic security, the proposal delivers on the Draghi report by creating EU demand for clean and EU-made products and key technologies through public procurement and support schemes (DG-EMPL).

The target: Manufacturing at 20 per cent of the EU economy by 2035

At the core of the act lies a measurable goal. According to the Commission, manufacturing represented 14.3 per cent of EU gross domestic product in 2024 and plays a vital role in Europe's economic resilience, innovation lifecycle and social fabric; the act sets the goal of raising this share to 20 per cent by 2035 (Commission). According to the European Parliament's research service, the key sectors covered are energy-intensive industries, net-zero technologies and the automotive industry (Parliament).

Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy Stéphane Séjourné presented the proposal in these terms: the act will create jobs by directing taxpayers' money to European production, decreasing dependencies and enhancing the EU's economic security and sovereignty (Commission).

"Made in EU": Lead markets backed by public money

The proposal's most talked-about innovation is the creation of "lead markets" for clean and European-made products wherever public money is involved. The act leverages the strengths of the Single Market by supporting lead markets for "Made in EU" and low-carbon products, ensuring that foreign direct investments bring value to the EU, and simplifying permitting procedures for industrial projects (DG-EMPL). The Commission stresses that the EU remains one of the world's most open markets and, in line with the Draghi report, encourages greater reciprocity in public procurement: equal treatment is envisaged for countries that offer EU companies access to their own markets (Commission).

Acceleration areas and "one project – one procedure"

The act regulates not only the demand side but also the conditions of production. Industrial manufacturing projects will benefit from a streamlined and digital "one project – one procedure" approach through a single access point; for projects in energy-intensive industries and clean technologies, permitting procedures should not exceed 18 months. Member states will also designate industrial acceleration areas, where site-level permitting is already completed and enabling conditions are in place, allowing project promoters to focus only on activity-specific permits (Commission).

A value condition on foreign investment

The proposal's third pillar concerns foreign direct investment in strategic sectors. According to the Commission, such investments must create high-quality jobs, drive innovation and growth, and generate real value in the EU through technology and knowledge transfer as well as compliance with local content requirements. Investors must also guarantee a 50 per cent minimum level of European employment, ensuring that businesses and citizens benefit alongside investors from access to the Single Market (DG-EMPL).

The legislative process

The proposal was published as draft Regulation COM(2026)100, accompanied by its impact assessment (DG-GROW). The regulation will be negotiated by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union before its adoption and entry into force (DG-EMPL). In Parliament, the file has been allocated jointly to the Industry (ITRE), Internal Market (IMCO) and International Trade (INTA) committees; the next step is the appointment of rapporteurs and preparation of the joint report (Parliament).

Why it matters

The Industrial Accelerator Act is the EU's most comprehensive answer to global industrial competition: steering public money toward European-made, low-carbon products, capping permits at 18 months and tying investment to a value condition, all in a single package. If enacted, "Made in EU" will cease to be a marketing slogan and become a legal standard — changing the rules of the game for every company manufacturing in Europe, exporting to the EU market or planning to invest in the EU. The negotiations in Parliament and the Council will determine how broad the label's scope and how strict its conditions will be.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) marked its 25th anniversary with the 26th summit of its Council of Heads of State, held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, from 30 August to 1 September. The summit, chaired by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov under the theme "25 Years of the SCO: Together for Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity", closed Kyrgyzstan's rotating chairmanship (Wikipedia). Leaders from 21 countries gathered in Bishkek; alongside China's Xi Jinping, Russia's Vladimir Putin and India's Narendra Modi, participants included Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, attending as a dialogue partner, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (Euronews). At its close, the leaders of the ten member states signed the Bishkek Declaration and adopted decisions expanding cooperation on security, trade and technology (Tribune).

The European Union was absent from the summit; yet in the fifth year of the war in Ukraine, this structure taking shape on the continent's eastern flank directly concerns European security. The picture emerging from Bishkek has two faces for Europe — one of opportunity, one of risk.

What was decided?

Alongside the Bishkek Declaration, the leaders adopted a package of decisions covering responses to emerging security threats, the fight against drug trafficking, the development of ports and logistics hubs, nuclear safety, energy and emergency response (Tribune). The declaration addressed the situation surrounding Iran and nuclear disarmament while making no mention of the conflict in Ukraine (TASS). The organisation retained terrorism, separatism, extremism, drug trafficking and transnational organised crime as its security priorities while announcing a period of institutional reform; work continues on establishing the SCO Development Bank, on which political consensus was reached last year (analysis).

The timing was also notable: the meeting came as the United States stepped up tariff pressure on Chinese and Indian goods and tightened sanctions on Iran, strengthening the incentive to project unity despite unresolved bilateral tensions among members (IBTimes).

The pluses for European security

Channels of dialogue stayed open. The summit's most tangible gain for Europe was indirect diplomacy. Turkish President Erdoğan, whose country is a NATO member, discussed Ukraine with Putin on the sidelines (AlJazeera). At a time when EU–Russia channels are largely frozen, the presence at this table of a country embedded in Europe's security architecture amounts to a functional bridge for conveying messages. The UN Secretary-General's attendance and the expanded session's emphasis on strengthening the UN's central coordinating role and international law also work against the organisation locking itself into a purely anti-Western axis (analysis).

Stability in Central Asia serves Europe's interest. The SCO's agenda on drug trafficking, terrorism and border security connects directly to threat lines reaching Europe: drug routes originating in Afghanistan and the risk of radicalisation travel to Europe through Central Asia. Greater security coordination in the region carries the potential to reduce these spillover effects at their source.

The organisation's diversity limits hardening. The SCO is neither a military alliance like NATO nor an economic union like the EU; it is a consensus-based forum bringing together countries whose interests do not necessarily align (Tribune). India's presence and the testing of the China–India thaw at the summit make it difficult for the organisation to speak with one voice (IBTimes). For Europe, this is a structural brake keeping the probability low that the SCO's anti-Western rhetoric turns into an operational military threat.

The minuses for European security

The strategy of isolating Russia is eroding. The summit's imagery showed once again that the EU's effort to isolate Moscow internationally over the war in Ukraine finds no echo in Eurasia. Putin being hosted at a summit of 21 leaders, and the declaration passing over the war in Ukraine in complete silence, signal that the war has been normalised in this geography (TASS). This narrows the reach of the EU's tools of diplomatic pressure.

Institutionalisation against the sanctions architecture. The rejection of unilateral sanctions and the call to expand intra-SCO trade in the July foreign ministers' statement took concrete form in Bishkek through the development bank and logistics decisions (analysis). As this institutionalisation advances, the economic effect of EU and US sanctions on Russia and Iran may weaken, eroding Europe's strongest non-military instrument of pressure.

Competition for influence in Central Asia is intensifying. While the EU seeks openings in Central Asia through connectivity and investment under its Global Gateway strategy, the SCO's decisions on ports, logistics and energy bind the region more tightly to the infrastructure of the China–Russia axis. For a Europe with critical raw material and Middle Corridor ambitions, this means a shrinking geoeconomic space.

The narrative of an alternative security order is gaining strength. The organisation increasingly presents itself as an alternative to the Western-led order and is expanding through dialogue partners such as Türkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia (Euronews). The deepening relationship of Türkiye — a NATO member and EU candidate — with this structure indicates growing multi-alignment at the edges of Europe's security architecture, and that Brussels's gravitational pull is not absolute.

Conclusion: Read it, don't ignore it

The Bishkek summit is neither a monolithic threat to Europe nor folklore that can be ignored. What is emerging is a network to Europe's east weaving together security, the economy and infrastructure, building its own bank and institutions. The rational posture for Europe is to read the diversity within this network rather than confront it wholesale: actors such as India, the Central Asian republics and Türkiye are positioned to serve as bridges between the EU and the SCO world. In the shadow of the war in Ukraine, the real question is this: will Europe remain a spectator to an order taking shape in Eurasia without it, or enter the equation with its own instruments of connectivity and diplomacy?

Truth Under Fire: War Journalism Facing Disinformation

At the Press Club Brussels Europe, the conference Truth Under Fire: War Journalism and Disinformation brought together several journalists and media professionals directly confronted with the realities of the conflict in Ukraine: Arnaud De Decker (photojournalist and international reporter), Agata Grzybowska (photojournalist / RATS Agency), Magdalena Rigamonti (journalist, Onet / Press Club Polska), Ernest Sagaga (journalist, Secretary-General of the ACP Press Clubs Federation), and Jarosław Włodarczyk (journalist, Press Club Polska / Secretary General of the International Association of Press Clubs). The discussion was moderated by Alex Cadier (journalist and television correspondent).

Since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, Polish journalists and photographers have been among the largest groups of foreign media present on the ground. Their geographical proximity to Ukraine has allowed them to work closest to the front lines, in destroyed villages and cities, and alongside civilian populations living daily with the consequences of the conflict.

Through their testimonies, the speakers returned to the difficulties, risks, and ethical dilemmas they face in the exercise of their profession. Covering a war is not merely a matter of reporting what is seen. It also requires determining what can be published, what must be verified, and, at times, what should not be disclosed.

Between the Duty to Inform and the Imperative of Security

Arnaud De Decker explains that the work of a war journalist is constantly caught in a tension between the duty to inform and the imperatives of security. His account of the incident at a restaurant (Ria Lounge in Kramatorsk, Ukraine), struck by a Russian missile on 27 June 2023, illustrates the difficulty of deciding how far an information can be published when it may carry a military dimension.

“I knew it, because I was there just minutes before, a lot of soldiers. And until this date, it is not known how many people unofficially died there. So we have the official number of 13 civilians dead, and so many wounded. But we do not know how many soldiers died there. […] if I was the journalist saying, oh, I saw military people dead, of course, it’s not something you want to do as a freelance journalist. So you think one time, two times, three times. […] And then for me, in the particular case, I decided not to disclose whatsoever, and stick to the official line.”

Arnaud therefore knew that any military losses had not been made public. He ultimately chose not to disclose this information and to adhere to the officially released figures.

This decision can be viewed in light of the principles of international humanitarian law. Article 79 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions provides that journalists engaged in dangerous professional missions in areas of armed conflict are to be considered civilians and protected as such, provided that they take no action adversely affecting their status as civilians.

However, this provision does not, in itself, create an obligation for the journalist to remain silent about information relating to military losses. Arnaud’s choice is primarily a professional and ethical decision, based on an assessment of the potential consequences of publication.

Revealing the presence of military personnel, their location, or the existence of losses that have not yet been officially communicated can, under certain circumstances, provide the adversary with information that may be exploited for military purposes. The journalist must therefore navigate a fundamental contradiction: the duty is to report the reality of the conflict, yet the work must not, even unintentionally, contribute to putting lives at risk.

When a New Crisis Erases the Previous One from the Media Agenda

Arnaud also highlights another major difficulty of war journalism: the capacity of international news to rapidly shift media attention from one conflict to another.

When a new major event occurs, media organisations may redirect their teams, resources, and coverage towards the new crisis. The previous event, however grave it remains, risks gradually disappearing from the media space.

This is what Arnaud describes in relation to the attack on Hroza, in the Kharkiv region, where 59 civilians were killed. Despite the scale of the tragedy, international media attention quickly shifted to the Middle East after the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.

Arnaud recounts:

“59 bodies of civilians over the grass, the playground […] a tiny village of 350 inhabitants. […] I pitched this story again […] and the answer was, oh, thank you, Arnaud, for your proposal, but something else happened today. Hamas attacked Israel. So we will pass for this story, and in general, for the coming weeks. We will not need your reporting at all. […] the next three months after this, I saw all my colleagues from all TV stations, everyone leaving Donbass […] And so it was an ethical choice to stay there.”

His testimony underscores a paradox in the media treatment of conflicts: the reality of war continues on the ground while media attention can shift within a matter of hours.

For the populations still living under bombardment, a change in editorial priorities does not of course mean the end of the war. Yet when television crews and correspondents gradually leave an area, certain realities become mechanically less visible to the international public.

Arnaud’s decision to remain in the Donbas then takes on a particular dimension. It was no longer solely a matter of responding to an editorial request. According to his own account, it was also an ethical choice: to continue documenting a war that risked losing its place on the international media agenda.

From Disinformation to the Invisibilisation of Information

The question of disinformation is therefore not limited to the dissemination of false information. In contemporary conflicts, it must also be analysed through the competition of narratives, the saturation of the media space, and the capacity of events to temporarily erase other crises from public attention.

The war in Ukraine is particularly revealing in this respect. Since 2022, the conflict has become a space of military, political, and also informational confrontation. The states involved seek to impose their own narratives, while journalists strive to verify facts and document what is actually happening on the ground.

In this environment, the presence of the journalist remains essential. Images and testimonies gathered directly on site make it possible to confront official narratives with observable realities.

Yet this mission is becoming increasingly complex. The journalist must contend with propaganda, manipulated information, images taken out of context, and the rapid circulation of digital content. At the same time, consideration must be given to the potential consequences of what is published.

Arnaud De Decker’s testimony thus helps us understand that war journalism today stands at the intersection of several requirements: telling the truth, verifying facts, protecting sources and interlocutors, preserving one’s own security, and measuring the consequences of disseminating information.

It is precisely this tension that gives full meaning to the title of the conference, Truth Under Fire.

When truth is sought at the very heart of war, the journalist is not only confronted with the physical dangers of the field. They must also operate in an environment where information has become an integral component of the balance of power between the actors in the conflict.

In these circumstances, informing is never a neutral act. But it is precisely because information can be instrumentalised that the role of the independent journalist remains essential: to verify, contextualise, bear witness, and preserve a record of events when international attention has already moved elsewhere.

The Battle of Narratives: When Words Become Geopolitical Weapons

In war, words are never merely words. They can designate a responsible party, erase responsibility, highlight a victim, or, conversely, make a conflict more abstract. Speaking of “the war in Ukraine” and speaking of “Russia’s war against Ukraine” do not construct exactly the same narrative. In the first case, the conflict is presented as an event unfolding somewhere; in the second, the formulation explicitly identifies the aggressor and the state that is suffering the aggression.

For journalists on the ground, this lexical choice is therefore far from trivial. It participates directly in what international relations specialists call the battle of narratives: the competition between states, media, and political actors to impose their own interpretation of a conflict.

Narrative Battle and Lexical Choice — Magdalena

Journalist Magdalena Rigamonti returns precisely to this question and explains why her newsroom prefers a formulation that explicitly identifies Russia as the party at the origin of the war:

“We try to use sentence, not war in Ukraine, but Russian war against Ukraine. […] someone from one of diplomatic missions […] called us and said, why don’t you use an expression? […] War against Ukraine, not war in Ukraine. […] In Israel, there is a tradition that when they’ve got some bomb attacks, they name it not by oppressors, but by the victims. That’s opposite to what we do in Europe. So the words […] are also very important for these narratives.”

This remark reveals an essential mechanism of political communication in wartime: naming a conflict is already contributing to giving it meaning.

The vocabulary used by the media may appear purely descriptive, yet it influences the way the public perceives responsibilities. One formulation may place the emphasis on the territory, another on the aggressor, a third on the victims. The choice of words thus participates in the construction of a frame of interpretation — what one might call a framing of the war.

In this context, language itself becomes a terrain of geopolitical confrontation. States do not seek only to act on the military or diplomatic field; they also seek to define the reality in which their actions are interpreted.

This is particularly visible in the war in Ukraine, where Moscow, Kyiv, and their respective supporters seek to impose competing readings of the conflict. Official Russian terminology, notably the expression “special military operation,” perfectly illustrates this logic: the choice of term does not simply describe the event; it participates in the way it is to be understood by the population.

A War of Narratives That Is Also Being Fought in Africa

The narrative battle extends far beyond European borders.

Russia is also seeking to develop its political and informational influence among foreign public opinions, particularly on the African continent. This dimension is especially significant in a context where several European states have seen their influence diminish in certain regions of the Sahel, while Moscow has sought to strengthen its own.

Political and geopolitical narratives circulating in these spaces can then find an echo in Europe, particularly when they are taken up or adapted by Western political actors.

Arnaud De Decker’s testimony illustrates this transnational circulation of narratives. He reports a conversation with foreign prisoners of war and notes the evolution of their origins since 2023.

Arnaud — Non-Russian Prisoners of War

“2023, it was only Russian people, 100 %. And now […] Half of it is from Latin America, from a lot of Africans, a lot of Asians. […] one of the Togo guys said to me, next year, French people are going to vote for the president. If I was French, I would vote for Marine Le Pen because Marine Le Pen is a strong man, a strong woman, just like Putin. […] it’s a global struggle for the narrative. And I think that Western Europe, in this regard, is losing the battle in Africa, at least.”

This testimony gives a particularly concrete dimension to the notion of information warfare. Representations of Russia, the West, and their leaders are not produced in a single political space: they circulate from one continent to another, are transformed, and can be reinvested in very different national contexts.

In the Sahel and more broadly in Africa, Russian influence has notably relied on various political, media, and military relays. The establishment of structures linked to the Wagner Group in several African countries has contributed to this presence, but the informational dimension is equally important: the rejection of colonialism, the denunciation of former Western powers, and the presentation of Russia as an alternative to the West constitute recurring elements of certain pro-Russian narratives.

It would, however, be reductive to view African opinions as mere receptacles of Russian propaganda. African societies have their own historical trajectories, their own political frustrations, and their own strategic interests. Foreign influence works precisely when it meets already existing perceptions and resentments.

This is what makes the narrative battle particularly complex: a power cannot simply “impose” a narrative. It must find a political, historical, or emotional terrain on which that narrative can take root.

Arnaud’s statement — “it’s a global struggle for the narrative” — thus summarises one of the major stakes of contemporary geopolitics: power is no longer measured solely by the capacity to constrain, but also by the capacity to persuade, to seduce, and to influence.

When the State Controls the Words, It Also Controls the Framework of Debate

The narrative battle takes on an even more radical dimension when governments reduce the space available for independent media.

Controlling information does not only mean preventing certain information from circulating. It can also consist in controlling the words with which events may be described.

When a government prohibits certain terms, imposes official terminology, or reduces journalists’ capacity to contest the dominant discourse, it no longer merely controls what the population can know. It also contributes to determining how the population must interpret what it knows.

The Russian example is particularly revealing. Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian authorities have officially used the expression “special military operation” to designate the conflict. This terminology forms part of a political framing strategy: the term “war” is avoided in official communication, even though the conflict constitutes, in fact, a large-scale international war. Russia has committed the most serious violation of international law, namely that of Article 2, paragraph 4 of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity of a state.

In short, vocabulary is an instrument of power.

Shrinking Media Space and Control of the Narrative — Ernest

Ernest Sagaga describes this progressive contraction of the media space and the consequences it can have on societies’ capacity to produce alternative narratives:

“governments will always try to protect uncontrolled narratives. […] the space is shrinking, the media space is shrinking […] If there is nothing somewhere, there will be someone trying to fill it. […] when the war in Ukraine started, there was this law saying, you can’t talk about war. You have to say […] special military operation. […] I think we lose the argument when they force upon us a kind of narrative, and prevent us from challenging the narrative they want to impose on us.”

The phrase “If there is nothing somewhere, there will be someone trying to fill it” summarises a fundamental principle of information warfare: where independent information disappears, another narrative ends up occupying the space.

This phenomenon is particularly concerning in wartime contexts, because control of the narrative can become an instrument of domestic mobilisation. By imposing certain terms and marginalising competing narratives, a political power can contribute to constructing a collective perception of the conflict that legitimises its action and reduces the capacity for contestation.

War then becomes not only a military confrontation, but also a confrontation between several narrative realities.

The control of information is therefore not a secondary issue. It directly affects a society’s capacity to debate, to verify the claims of power, and to develop a contradictory understanding of events.

When the War Ceases to Interest: The Danger of Media Fatigue

But the battle for information is not fought solely against propaganda or censorship. It is also fought against a far more difficult adversary: public fatigue.

When a conflict lasts for several years, its exceptional character tends gradually to disappear from the media space. Audiences shift, newsrooms redirect their resources, and new international crises compete for public attention.

The journalist can then find themselves confronted with a paradoxical situation: the war continues, but interest in the war diminishes.

The testimony given during the conference directly illustrates this difficulty. Reports from Ukraine become harder to sell, not necessarily because the events have lost their importance, but because newsrooms consider that their audience is now less interested.

This situation raises an essential question for journalism: does the role of the media consist solely in covering what the public wants to watch, or also what it is necessary for the public to continue seeing?

For war journalists, the answer is clear: media attention should not alone determine the importance of an event.

A Realistic Final Note — Agata

Agata Grzybowska formulates this difficulty with great simplicity:

“I didn’t sell the story from the Ukraine, my last story from the Ukraine from the last year because I always heard this sentence. I’m sorry, the audience is not interested anymore about Ukraine. […] But what I believe, I believe that we have to do our work like ongoing, nonstop, nonstop, nonstop because maybe somewhere will be a little bit light that people just want to see and listen to the story.”

This statement is perhaps one of the strongest conclusions of the conference.

For media warfare has its own paradox: the longer a conflict lasts, the more difficult it becomes to maintain attention on it — even as its human and geopolitical consequences may continue to worsen.

The progressive disappearance of a war from the screens therefore never means its disappearance from the ground.

For the journalist, remaining, continuing to investigate, and continuing to tell the story then becomes a form of responsibility. It is no longer merely a matter of responding to media urgency, but of preserving an immediate memory of the conflict and of keeping open the possibility for the public to understand what is happening when the dominant news cycle has already turned the page.

The Real Battlefield: What Societies Believe They Know

The various testimonies heard at Truth Under Fire ultimately sketch the same reality: contemporary war is also won in minds.

The choice of a word, the control of a medium, the dissemination of a narrative, the circulation of an image, or the disappearance of a subject from the media agenda can alter the perception of a conflict as surely as a diplomatic or military operation can alter a balance of power.

In this battle, the journalist occupies a singular position. They must resist the pressure of official narratives without becoming an instrument of propaganda themselves; maintain public attention without yielding to spectacularisation; inform rapidly without sacrificing verification; and, above all, continue to document a reality when that reality ceases to be media-profitable.

The war of narratives is therefore not a secondary war. It participates directly in the way societies understand the world, designate their enemies, choose their alliances, and interpret power relations.

And it is perhaps here that one of the most important stakes of contemporary journalism lies: when weapons impose their reality on the ground, words still determine the way that reality will be understood by those who do not live it.

Mr. Pasha was accompanied by Ms. Fatima Tuz Zehra, Editor-in-Chief of “The Gulf Observer,” and Mr. Malik M. Shafiq, Chief Executive Officer of “The Europe Today.”

Ms. Fatima Tuz Zehra, Editor-in-Chief of “The Gulf Observer,” and Mr. Malik M. Shafiq, Chief Executive Officer of “The Europe Today” with H.E. Munsoo Kurrimbaccus, High Commissioner of Mauritius to Pakistan

The meeting focused on exploring avenues of mutual collaboration between Mauritius and the representatives of the two international publications. The discussions covered a range of areas, including media cooperation, historical and educational exchanges, and the promotion of literary and cultural ties.

The participants emphasized the importance of strengthening people-to-people contacts and expanding platforms for greater understanding and cooperation between the two countries. They also discussed opportunities to enhance exchanges in the fields of journalism, education, history and literature.

His Excellency Munsoo Kurrimbaccus appreciated the contributions of “The Gulf Observer” and “The Europe Today” in promoting dialogue, cultural understanding and international cooperation. He acknowledged the role of media organizations in bringing nations and communities closer through the exchange of ideas, knowledge and cultural perspectives.

During the meeting, Mr. Muhammad Ali Pasha also presented a copy of his poetry collection, “Romantic Whispers of the Archipelago,” to the High Commissioner of Mauritius.

The poetry collection, which explores Indonesia and its cultural and geographical richness, was unveiled in Jakarta, Indonesia, in October 2024.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to exploring further opportunities for cooperation and strengthening media, educational, historical and literary exchanges between Mauritius and Pakistan.

The meeting gave a rare and personal look at a team carrying the hopes of a country that is still building its reputation in European competition. Kairat, the reigning Kazakh champions, knew the odds of progressing were slim, but the players spoke with pride, ambition and a clear sense of what the occasion meant. Derya Soysal interviewed three Kazakh players, goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov, Adilet Sadybekov and Damir Kasabulat, alongside two Finnish players of Kairat, Oiva Jukkola and Jaakko Oksanen. The conversations covered their emotions ahead of the match, their preparation, and their determination to put on a strong performance for the supporters who had come to watch them in Belgium.

Speaking before the game, the players were honest about the challenge in front of them. They acknowledged that the chances of qualifying for the league phase were small, given the strength of Anderlecht and the demands of European football at this level. Yet the message from the squad was consistent. They wanted to compete, to represent Kairat and Kazakhstan with dignity, and above all to give something back to the fans who had travelled and who followed the club from home. For the Finnish players, the tie was also a chance to test themselves in a high-pressure European environment and to contribute to a project that continues to grow season after season.

What Comes Next

The tie itself proved difficult for the visitors. Kairat lost both legs by an identical 3-0 scoreline, going down at home at the Central Stadium in Almaty on 20 August and again at Lotto Park in Brussels on 27 August, for a 6-0 aggregate defeat. Rafael Urazbakhtin's side were unable to break through a well-organised Anderlecht, who progressed to the next stage. The result, while disappointing, does not close the door on European football for the Kazakh champions this season.

Kairat will now continue their journey in the UEFA Conference League, where the league phase draw held in Monaco on 28 August handed them a demanding set of opponents. Rafael Urazbakhtin's side will face Atalanta from Italy, Panathinaikos from Greece, Twente from the Netherlands, Universitatea Craiova from Romania, Mjällby from Sweden and Riga from Latvia. Panathinaikos, Universitatea Craiova and Mjällby will travel to Kazakhstan, while Kairat will play Atalanta, Twente and Riga away. For a side still establishing itself in continental competition, the chance to measure themselves against opponents of this calibre, and against a name as significant as Atalanta, is valuable in itself.

KUALA LUMPUR, 1 September 2026 – Fresh from its National Day celebrations, Malaysia is showing how a Southeast Asian middle power tries to keep Washington, Beijing, Moscow and Europe all at arm's length and all on side at once. Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin summed up the doctrine on 20 August: increased military activity in the region amid intensifying great-power competition has created a more complex environment, but Malaysia does not see any particular country as a threat. He announced a gradual rise in defence spending towards 1.5% of GDP by 2030, insisting the build-up is not directed at the Philippines, the United States, China or anyone else (The Star).

Washington: reassurance under scrutiny

The US relationship is being tested from both sides. On 3 August, US Ambassador to ASEAN Kevin Kim used a courtesy call at the 37th Military Law and Operations Conference in Kuala Lumpur to say Washington will keep strengthening close ties with Malaysia, including in defence, though the talks stayed away from policy matters (Malay Mail). The reassurance came a month after eight US lawmakers urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to review security and economic ties with Malaysia following remarks by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (FMT). Structurally, however, the two sides still describe defence cooperation as a fundamental pillar of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, as reaffirmed by Khaled and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the ADMM-Plus last October (US Embassy Malaysia). Kuala Lumpur has also had to defend the participation of its Defence Intelligence Organisation in Five Eyes exercises, with Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari stressing that this does not compromise Malaysia's neutral policy toward China (Malay Mail).

Beijing: trade partner, not arms partner

China remains the elephant in the room. In March, Anwar and Chinese Minister of State Security Chen Yixin agreed to strengthen security cooperation and diplomatic ties in the face of rising global uncertainty (Business Today). Yet on procurement the line is clear. Analysts noted that Chinese firms dominated the DSA exhibition in April, but that dealing with China on defence remained a no-go because of conflicting interests in the South China Sea, with military and foreign affairs officials still preferring the West, especially the US (FMT). Khaled has said Malaysia is strengthening capabilities at Pulau Layang-Layang in the Spratlys, framing it as a matter of national interest, while urging all parties to show restraint and pushing for progress on the Code of Conduct (The Star).

Moscow: the legacy supplier returns

Russia is quietly regaining ground. The King's visit to Russia in August 2025, the first by a Malaysian head of state since 1967, saw him shown modernised Russian helicopters; Khaled affirmed a government-to-government procurement approach hours later, and the planned purchase of US Black Hawks has since been scrapped (FULCRUM / ISEAS). At DSA in April, Rosoboronexport displayed the Su-57 and pitched it as an option for the air force, citing compatibility with the existing Su-30MKM fleet (Military Watch). Those Su-30MKMs have just completed a locally run service life extension that will keep them flying for at least another decade (FlightGlobal). Russia is thus positioned as an alternative whenever Western deals falter – which brings us to Europe.

Europe: a broken deal and a hedge

The most damaging blow to trust came from Oslo. Norway revoked the export licence for Naval Strike Missiles ordered in 2018 for the Royal Malaysian Navy's Littoral Combat Ships, collapsing the deal; Malaysia agreed to meet manufacturer Kongsberg but made clear its compensation claim cannot be delayed. The US denied any role in the decision (ScandAsia). Kuala Lumpur's answer has been to diversify within Europe rather than abandon it. A new defence agreement with France aims to plug Malaysia into global supply chains for defence components and technology, building on cooperation that began in 1993 (The Sun). Germany has signalled a Letter of Intent to expedite all forms of defence cooperation and already supports Malaysia through its 'Enable and Enhance' programme (Bernama). And on Europe's edge, the inaugural Malaysia–Türkiye Policy Talk in Ankara on 24 August produced an agreement on terms of reference for a standing mechanism, with a second round scheduled for Kuala Lumpur next year (The Star).

Assessment

The pattern is consistent: Malaysia operates a mix of American, European and Russian-made aircraft, the result of a deliberate desire to avoid over-reliance on any single supplier, at the cost of logistical complexity (GlobalMilitary.net). The Norway episode has reinforced that instinct, and the beneficiaries are the partners least likely to attach political conditions – Türkiye, France, and increasingly Russia. For Washington and Brussels, the lesson from Kuala Lumpur is that in Southeast Asia, reliability as a supplier now counts as much as capability.

SCO Signals a Shifting World Order

The meeting of China, Russia and India at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek has placed Eurasia at the centre of international attention.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are among the most prominent leaders attending the summit in Kyrgyzstan. Their presence highlights the growing geopolitical importance of an organisation increasingly presented as an alternative platform to Western-led international institutions.

China and Russia

Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the summit, with both sides emphasizing the continuing strength of their strategic relationship.

Xi said the foundations of China-Russia relations would continue to strengthen and expressed support for greater cooperation on international governance and the development of a more equitable and orderly multipolar system.

The message is significant because Beijing and Moscow increasingly coordinate their positions on international issues while challenging aspects of the existing US-led global order.

India’s Position

India’s presence adds another important dimension to the summit.

Although New Delhi maintains strategic relations with Washington, India has also preserved strong ties with Moscow while managing a complex relationship with Beijing. Modi’s participation therefore demonstrates that the emerging international system cannot easily be divided into two opposing blocs.

Recent reporting has emphasized that the meeting between Modi, Xi and Putin should not automatically be interpreted as the creation of a new three-country alliance. Their cooperation exists alongside significant differences in national interests and foreign-policy priorities.

A Multipolar System

The SCO summit illustrates a broader transformation in international politics.

The organisation now brings together countries including China, Russia, India, Iran and Pakistan, alongside Central Asian states. The presence of these major regional powers gives the SCO increasing importance as a forum for security, economic cooperation and diplomatic coordination across Eurasia.

For China, the organisation provides a platform for expanding its regional influence. For Russia, it offers an important diplomatic space at a time when relations with Western countries remain deeply strained. For India and other members, the SCO provides an opportunity to pursue national interests without fully aligning with any single major power.

The Bishkek summit therefore represents more than a meeting of regional leaders. It reflects the increasingly complex distribution of global power, where major states are seeking greater strategic autonomy and international influence.

The gathering of Xi, Putin and Modi is consequently an important symbol of a world in which multiple centres of power are becoming increasingly influential.

Indonesia Expands Wellness Tourism

Indonesia is strengthening its wellness tourism sector as part of its strategy to develop higher-quality and more competitive tourism.

The Ministry of Tourism is developing a sustainable wellness tourism business ecosystem covering destinations, service standards, product innovation, investment, promotion and human resources. The initiative aims to strengthen Indonesia’s position in the growing international wellness tourism market.

A Wider Tourism Strategy

Indonesia sees wellness tourism as an important part of its wider quality tourism strategy.

Rather than focusing only on destination visits, wellness tourism offers travellers opportunities to combine travel with health, relaxation, sports and personal wellbeing. This creates opportunities for destinations to develop more experience-based tourism products.

The Ministry of Tourism considers wellness tourism particularly valuable because travellers seeking wellness experiences can spend more time at destinations and contribute to higher visitor expenditure.

Targeting Younger Travellers

The Indonesian government is also focusing on Millennial and Gen Z travellers.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, younger travellers increasingly seek experiences beyond traditional sightseeing. Events, sports, wellness activities and authentic experiences are becoming important elements of their travel choices.

Indonesia therefore aims to develop wellness products that respond to these changing preferences while connecting wellness with the country’s cultural and natural tourism assets.

Building Global Competitiveness

The strategy includes improvements across the entire wellness tourism ecosystem.

These efforts cover destination development, service standards, investment opportunities, promotion and workforce capacity. By strengthening these areas simultaneously, Indonesia aims to create a more consistent and internationally competitive wellness tourism offering.

According to 2024 data cited by the Ministry, wellness tourism activities accounted for 13.35% of foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia. The Global Wellness Institute also estimated the global wellness economy at US$6.8 trillion in 2024, with further growth projected toward 2029.

Indonesia is therefore positioning wellness tourism as a strategic growth area within its broader tourism agenda. By combining destination development, innovation and international promotion, the country aims to attract visitors seeking meaningful and high-quality travel experiences.

Bali Promotes Health Tourism

Bali is strengthening its position as an emerging health tourism destination by promoting the Sanur Health Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to international representatives and potential investors.

During the Bali Jagadhita 2026 event, Bank Indonesia’s Bali Representative Office presented investment opportunities in Bali to six foreign ambassadors. The Sanur Health SEZ was among the projects highlighted as part of the province’s wider tourism, trade and investment strategy.

Sanur in Focus

The Sanur Health SEZ was introduced to the diplomatic representatives as an integrated healthcare and tourism development.

Bank Indonesia invited the ambassadors to learn more about the facilities and services already available in the zone, as well as healthcare services planned for the future. The initiative provides an opportunity to increase international awareness of Sanur’s developing health tourism infrastructure.

Sanur is designed to bring healthcare services together with accommodation, tourism and supporting facilities. This integrated model is intended to create a destination where international visitors can access healthcare while also benefiting from Bali’s established tourism ecosystem.

Linking Tourism and Investment

The promotion of Sanur was part of a broader effort to connect tourism, trade and investment in Bali.

During Bali Jagadhita 2026, Bank Indonesia also connected operators of 21 investment projects across Bali and Nusa Tenggara with foreign ambassadors and potential investors. This created additional opportunities to introduce Bali’s development projects to international partners.

Health tourism therefore forms part of a wider investment strategy rather than operating separately from Bali’s tourism sector.

A Growing Health Tourism Hub

The development of Sanur is strengthening Indonesia’s ambition to establish Bali as an international health tourism destination.

The Sanur Health SEZ is designed around an integrated model combining medical services, hospitality and tourism. This approach gives international visitors access to healthcare while placing their experience within one of Indonesia’s best-known tourism destinations.

By presenting Sanur to foreign diplomatic representatives and investors, Indonesia is expanding international awareness of its health tourism infrastructure and creating new opportunities for future investment.

Indonesia Boosts Wellness Tourism

Indonesia is strengthening its health tourism strategy through closer cooperation between the country’s tourism and health authorities.

The Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) and the Ministry of Tourism agreed to expand cooperation supporting the development of wellness tourism and medical tourism during a meeting in Jakarta on 23 June 2026.

The initiative reflects Indonesia’s growing focus on health-based tourism as a potential driver of economic growth and a complementary part of the country’s tourism offering.

Connecting Health and Tourism

The cooperation aims to bring together Indonesia’s healthcare capabilities and tourism resources.

The two institutions are exploring ways to support health-oriented tourism products, improve coordination and encourage collaboration across the healthcare, tourism and local business sectors.

Indonesia also sees an opportunity to combine modern medical facilities with its traditional wellness heritage, including jamu, the country’s long-established herbal tradition.

Supporting Wellness Growth

Wellness tourism is becoming an increasingly important part of Indonesia’s tourism development agenda.

The partnership includes plans to support Wellfest 2026, an annual wellness-focused event designed to promote healthy lifestyles, health products and local businesses operating in wellness, cosmetics and processed food.

The initiative also includes support for herbal micro, small and medium-sized enterprises located in tourism villages, creating links between local economic development and wellness tourism.

Building a Health Tourism Ecosystem

Indonesia’s approach goes beyond medical treatment alone. The country is developing a broader ecosystem that brings together healthcare, wellness, traditional knowledge, tourism destinations and local businesses.

This strategy is particularly relevant to destinations such as Bali, where health tourism infrastructure is developing alongside the island’s established international tourism profile.

Indonesia’s health tourism strategy therefore combines modern healthcare services with wellness experiences and local cultural traditions, strengthening the country’s ambition to develop a distinctive position in the international health tourism market.

Indonesia Builds Health Tourism

Indonesia is taking steps to strengthen its health tourism sector through closer cooperation between the tourism and healthcare industries.

The Ministry of Tourism is currently developing and strengthening a cross-sector strategy for health tourism, bringing together government institutions, healthcare organisations and tourism stakeholders. The initiative reflects Indonesia’s ambition to build a more integrated health tourism ecosystem.

A Cross-Sector Approach

The strategy is being developed through discussions between the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Health, Jakarta health authorities, tourism and creative economy officials, hospital associations and representatives of healthcare institutions.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, closer coordination between tourism and healthcare is essential for creating an ecosystem in which the two sectors can support each other.

This approach brings medical services together with tourism infrastructure, destination management and visitor services.

Strengthening Indonesia’s Position

Health tourism offers Indonesia an opportunity to combine its healthcare capabilities with its established tourism destinations.

The government is particularly interested in developing an ecosystem that connects medical services with tourism experiences, allowing international visitors to access healthcare while also benefiting from Indonesia’s hospitality, culture and destinations.

Bali and Jakarta are among the locations with significant potential for this development, while the Sanur Special Economic Zone is emerging as an important centre for Indonesia’s health tourism ambitions.

Building a Long-Term Strategy

The new strategy reflects Indonesia’s effort to move beyond individual healthcare facilities and develop a more coordinated national approach.

Government institutions and industry representatives are working together to identify opportunities for cooperation, improve connections between sectors and strengthen Indonesia’s attractiveness as a health tourism destination.

The development of the strategy comes as Indonesia continues to expand healthcare infrastructure and investment in destinations such as Bali. In the Sanur Special Economic Zone, the government is developing an integrated health tourism ecosystem, including international-standard healthcare facilities.

Indonesia’s latest initiative therefore places collaboration, healthcare services and tourism development at the centre of its emerging health tourism strategy.

Malaysia Boosts Medical Tourism

Malaysia is strengthening its international medical tourism strategy through closer cooperation between Tourism Malaysia and the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC).

The two government-linked bodies are working together to promote Malaysia as a preferred destination for healthcare travel while supporting the country’s wider tourism objectives under Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) and Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026 (MYMT2026).

A Coordinated Strategy

The cooperation focuses on coordinating promotional activities in selected international markets. These include ASEAN, South Asia, East Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

By combining Tourism Malaysia’s international tourism promotion network with MHTC’s healthcare expertise, the initiative creates a coordinated platform for presenting Malaysia’s medical and wellness services to potential healthcare travellers.

The strategy also reflects Malaysia’s broader effort to attract high-value international visitors and increase tourism receipts through specialised tourism segments.

Global Market Expansion

Malaysia is targeting markets where demand for international healthcare services and travel is developing. Joint promotional campaigns are expected to strengthen awareness of Malaysian healthcare providers while connecting medical tourism with the country's wider tourism offering.

The approach allows Malaysia to present healthcare travel alongside its established strengths in hospitality, culture, food and tourism experiences.

Supporting VM2026

The partnership is closely connected with the objectives of Visit Malaysia 2026. Tourism Malaysia describes medical tourism as an important segment for attracting quality visitors and supporting tourism receipts.

At the same time, MYMT2026 gives Malaysia an additional international platform to highlight its healthcare capabilities and wellness experiences.

Through coordinated promotion and targeted international engagement, Malaysia is positioning medical tourism as an increasingly important part of its long-term tourism strategy.

Malaysia Targets India

Malaysia is strengthening its tourism presence in India as part of its broader strategy to attract international visitors and expand high-value tourism segments.

Tourism Malaysia conducted its Sales Mission Series 2 across Chennai, Mumbai and New Delhi from 12 to 20 August 2026, reinforcing its engagement with one of the country’s important international tourism markets.

The initiative forms part of Malaysia’s ongoing Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 campaign and provides a platform for Malaysian tourism industry representatives to connect with Indian travel partners and showcase the country’s diverse tourism products.

Medical Tourism in Focus

Medical tourism was among the key tourism segments promoted during the initiative. Malaysia is increasingly presenting healthcare travel as part of a wider visitor experience that combines specialised healthcare with hospitality, cultural attractions, gastronomy and leisure.

The strategy is also connected to Malaysia’s Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026, which places healthcare travel at the centre of the country’s international tourism promotion efforts.

By engaging directly with travel industry professionals in India, Tourism Malaysia is seeking to strengthen awareness of Malaysia’s healthcare and tourism offerings and create new opportunities for international visitor growth.

Expanding Tourism Partnerships

The India initiative reflects Malaysia’s wider approach of working with international tourism partners to increase connectivity and strengthen destination awareness.

Tourism Malaysia has been expanding its promotional activities across key international markets throughout 2026. India is particularly important within this strategy because of its large travel market and established connections with Malaysia.

The sales mission therefore provides an opportunity to introduce Malaysian tourism products while strengthening relationships between tourism businesses in both countries.

Supporting Visit Malaysia 2026–2027

Malaysia’s international tourism strategy is centred on Visit Malaysia 2026, which has been extended through 2027. The campaign aims to increase international visitor arrivals while promoting Malaysia’s cultural heritage, natural attractions, hospitality and specialised tourism segments.

Medical tourism is positioned within this wider framework as a high-value segment capable of contributing to Malaysia’s tourism ecosystem.

Through continued engagement with India, Malaysia is seeking to strengthen its international tourism network and present the country as a destination offering both quality healthcare and diverse travel experiences.

Malaysia Expands Heart Tourism

Malaysia is strengthening its position in regional medical tourism through a new strategic partnership connecting air connectivity, specialised cardiac care and national tourism promotion.

Batik Air Malaysia and the Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) have launched a collaboration supported by Tourism Malaysia to improve access to cardiovascular healthcare and strengthen Malaysia’s healthcare travel ecosystem.

The partnership focuses on making healthcare travel more accessible for international patients, particularly those travelling to Malaysia for specialised cardiovascular and thoracic treatment. By bringing together an airline, a specialised national cardiac institution and the country’s tourism authority, the initiative connects transportation and healthcare within a broader medical tourism strategy.

Connecting Travel and Healthcare

IJN is Malaysia’s national heart centre and provides specialised cardiovascular and thoracic services to patients from Malaysia and overseas. Under the new cooperation, international patients and their families can benefit from stronger coordination between air travel and access to specialised medical services.

The initiative also highlights the importance of preventive healthcare. Alongside treatment, the partners are promoting early screening, preventive care and greater awareness of cardiovascular health.

For international visitors, easier connectivity can play an important role in the healthcare travel experience. Patients travelling across borders often require reliable transportation, medical coordination and convenient access to healthcare facilities.

Supporting Malaysia’s Medical Tourism Strategy

The collaboration forms part of Malaysia’s wider strategy to expand medical and wellness tourism. Tourism Malaysia has identified healthcare travel as one of its key niche tourism segments under Visit Malaysia 2026, which has been extended through 2027.

The initiative also supports the Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026 (MYMT 2026) campaign, which seeks to promote Malaysia’s healthcare capabilities to international markets.

According to figures cited by Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia recorded approximately 1.85 million healthcare travellers in 2025, generating around RM3.35 billion in revenue and exceeding the country’s RM3 billion target.

Strengthening Regional Healthcare Travel

The partnership also reinforces Malaysia’s role as a destination for patients from ASEAN, South Asia and other international markets.

By combining specialised medical expertise with air connectivity and tourism promotion, Malaysia is developing a more integrated healthcare travel model. The approach allows medical tourism to become part of the country’s wider tourism ecosystem while supporting international access to specialised healthcare.

With the partnership scheduled to continue until 30 April 2027, the initiative provides another platform for Malaysia to strengthen its healthcare tourism strategy during the Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 period.

Malaysia is strengthening its position in the international medical tourism sector by expanding cooperation with healthcare professionals from Central Asia.

Tourism Malaysia, in collaboration with the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), hosted its first Medical Tourism Familiarisation Trip for senior healthcare professionals from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan from 3 to 10 August 2026. The initiative is designed to deepen professional cooperation, create new referral opportunities and introduce Malaysia’s healthcare travel ecosystem to an expanding Central Asian market.

The programme brought together 16 healthcare professionals, including physicians, professors and senior medical specialists from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. During their visit, the delegation gained first-hand insight into Malaysia’s healthcare system and its approach to international healthcare travel.

As part of the programme, the participants visited several leading private healthcare institutions, including Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Prince Court Medical Centre and Sunway Medical Centre. Discussions focused on clinical expertise, healthcare quality standards, international patient management and the coordination of services for overseas patients.

Building Stronger Connections with Central Asia

The initiative reflects Malaysia’s growing interest in Central Asia as a market for healthcare travel. By bringing healthcare professionals directly to Malaysia, the programme provides an opportunity to develop institutional relationships and increase awareness of Malaysian healthcare services among potential referral networks.

The initiative also reflects a broader approach to medical tourism in which healthcare is connected with tourism, hospitality and cultural experiences. During the visit, the delegation explored Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Putrajaya, allowing participants to experience Malaysia beyond its healthcare facilities.

This combination supports Malaysia’s strategy of presenting healthcare travel as an integrated experience. International visitors can access medical services while also experiencing the country’s cultural heritage, gastronomy, hospitality and tourism infrastructure.

Medical Tourism as Part of Malaysia’s Tourism Strategy

Medical tourism has become an important component of Malaysia’s wider tourism agenda. Tourism Malaysia identifies medical tourism as a high-value segment, while the Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026 (MYMT 2026) campaign seeks to strengthen the country’s international healthcare profile.

The programme also contributes to the objectives of Visit Malaysia 2026, which has been extended into 2027. Under this wider framework, Malaysia is seeking sustainable and high-value growth by combining its healthcare capabilities with its established tourism offering.

Malaysia’s healthcare travel ecosystem is supported by more than 80 partner hospitals and healthcare providers, covering specialties including cardiology, oncology, orthopaedics, fertility treatment and dentistry. The country reported more than 1.84 million international patients annually, generating more than US$770 million in healthcare travel revenue, according to the figures cited by MHTC in the Tourism Malaysia announcement.

Healthcare, Culture and Tourism in One Experience

The Central Asian familiarisation programme demonstrates how Malaysia is connecting healthcare travel with its broader tourism identity.

For Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the initiative provides healthcare professionals with an opportunity to understand Malaysia’s medical infrastructure and patient services directly. For Malaysia, it creates a platform to strengthen professional relationships while introducing potential international visitors to the country's cultural and tourism attractions.

This approach is consistent with the “Healing Meets Hospitality” concept associated with Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026, which seeks to combine healthcare expertise with hospitality and the wider Malaysian visitor experience.

With Central Asia emerging as an increasingly important market, Malaysia is using professional exchanges, hospital visits and tourism promotion to deepen its presence in the region and reinforce its ambition to become a leading destination for international healthcare travel.

The event brought together Türkiye’s three ambassadors in the Belgian capital: Görkem Barış Tantekin, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the Kingdom of Belgium; Basat Öztürk, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Türkiye to NATO; and Yaprak Balkan, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Türkiye to the European Union.

The ceremony gathered numerous Turkish diplomatic and military representatives as well as many foreign guests, predominantly colonels. Among those present were representatives from China, Serbia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and other countries.

The ceremony opened with a minute of silence in memory of those who lost their lives in a maritime accident on 30 August 2026 in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and of all soldiers who died for their country. The Turkish and Belgian national anthems were then performed.

In his address, Ambassador Barış Tantekin recalled the historic significance of the 30 August victory led by Marshal and Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. He described the event as the embodiment of the struggle for independence, sovereignty and dignity, and a continuing source of inspiration. He also linked it to the Battle of Manzikert (Malazgirt) of 26 August 1071, which marked the arrival of the Turks in Anatolia — two milestones that are frequently associated in the national narrative.

The Ambassador underlined Türkiye’s role in regional and international security, highlighting its strategic geographical position and its relations with multiple regions of the world. In a period marked by the erosion of multilateralism, a discourse centred on security and defence appeared both natural and pertinent. He further reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to further developing its relations with Belgium.

Colonel Ramazan Türkmen, for his part, emphasised that the victory of 30 August had played a decisive role in the foundation of the Republic of Türkiye. He also highlighted the strength and importance of the Turkish Armed Forces and the progress achieved by Türkiye in the fields of defence and security. It is worth noting that Türkiye fields the second-largest army within NATO — the world’s foremost military alliance — in terms of manpower, after the United States.

The ceremony concluded with the screening of a video dedicated to 30 August. Guests were then able to continue their exchanges in a more informal setting.

The 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit opened as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Bishkek. The two-day summit, held on 31 August–1 September, marks the organisation's 25th anniversary. Russian President Vladimir Putin also arrived in Kyrgyzstan on Monday; a heavy police presence and traffic jams were observed in the capital ahead of his arrival. The summit is being held at the Yrys-Ordo Congress Centre, built on a 14,000-hectare site next to the Yntymak Ordo presidential palace and officially opened on 24 August.

Regional security at the centre of the table

The main agenda items are regional security, terrorism, transnational threats, trade, energy and transport connectivity; the conflicts in West Asia and the war in Ukraine are also expected to be discussed. The summit convenes at an unusually sensitive moment: Russia remains at war in Ukraine, Iran is locked in an intense confrontation with the United States, and global energy markets are watching the Strait of Hormuz. This year the organisation has taken a more visible joint stance on Iran and the Middle East, calling for restraint, dialogue and political-diplomatic solutions; at the July foreign ministers' meeting it reiterated that international disputes should be resolved within the framework of the UN Charter.

Afghanistan: On the agenda, absent from the hall

Afghanistan, an observer state, is not represented at the summit; yet its security situation, cross-border militancy and connectivity remain important to member states given its position between Central and South Asia. Counter-terrorism is expected to remain the core area of cooperation through the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure in Tashkent, with leaders likely to approve annual plans that may include joint exercises.

Türkiye's position

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's plane landed at Manas Airport at 13:03 Türkiye time. He is accompanied by National Intelligence Organisation (MİT) chief İbrahim Kalın; Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defence Minister Yaşar Güler are expected to travel to Bishkek after a meeting in Istanbul. Erdoğan will address the expanded SCO+ session on 1 September and hold a bilateral meeting with Putin. UN Secretary-General António Guterres is also in Bishkek for the summit.

Three security messages

First, although the SCO does not define itself as a military alliance, the Iran-US tension and the pressure on Hormuz are effectively pushing the organisation into the role of a "diplomatic shield" in the Middle East; whether that role becomes a concrete mechanism will be revealed by the language of the Bishkek Declaration. Second, Afghanistan's exclusion shows that institutional contact with Central Asia's most immediate source of threat has still not been established. Third, Ankara's arrival together with its intelligence and defence bureaucracy signals that Türkiye is at the table with a security weight exceeding its dialogue-partner status.

The impact on Europe: Energy, Ukraine and the Central Asia contest

Even if the decisions taken in Bishkek do not target Europe directly, they reach Europe through three channels.

1. Energy: Russian gas shifts east

According to the Kremlin, Xi and Putin will discuss the Power of Siberia 2 project in Bishkek. Putin proposed the project in 2022 to compensate for the European market share lost after the invasion of Ukraine; Beijing, however, insists that the pipeline gas be priced at Russia's heavily subsidised domestic rate. Europe is preparing to abandon Russian gas entirely in 2027, which is pushing Gazprom to increase sales to China. The paradox for Europe is this: a Moscow-Beijing deal would permanently close the door on Russian gas returning to Europe, while a failure to agree would tighten Russia's economic lifeline and strengthen Europe's hand in Ukraine negotiations. Putin's May visit to Beijing having ended without a publicly announced breakthrough on the pipeline lowers expectations of a major deal in Bishkek.

Added to this is the pressure on Hormuz: with Iran in an intense confrontation with the United States, global energy markets are watching the Strait. Europe's LNG dependence, having abandoned Russian gas, translates every escalation in the Gulf directly into Europe's energy bill.

2. Ukraine and the Black Sea: The table connects to Europe via Ankara

Putin will discuss the situation in the Black Sea and the latest developments in Ukraine with Erdoğan in Bishkek. Although Ukraine is expected to come up within the organisation, there is no indication that the war will be a separate focus of the summit. What matters for Europe is that Türkiye, a NATO member, is discussing Black Sea security with Putin on the SCO+ platform: Ankara is the only actor carrying Europe's security agenda at a table where Brussels has no direct access.

3. The contest for influence in Central Asia

At its first summit with Central Asia in Samarkand in 2025, the EU committed to scaling up cooperation in transport and digital connectivity, critical raw materials and security; Russia's war against Ukraine and developments in Afghanistan had made EU-Central Asia relations strategically more important. The Bishkek summit, by contrast, shows that the security architecture of those same five countries is being built along the Moscow-Beijing axis. Europe's Middle Corridor and raw-material investments must advance in a region that operates under the SCO's counter-terrorism and border-security umbrella; this means Europe's economic influence has to learn to coexist with Russian-Chinese security influence in the same geography.

Conclusion

Bishkek is not a summit of threat for Europe but a summit of exclusion. In energy, Russia's turn to the East makes Europe's decision to part ways irreversible; on Ukraine, Europe's voice is heard only through Türkiye; in Central Asia, the EU's economic offer must pass through the SCO's security offer rather than compete with it. The "multipolarity" language of the Bishkek Declaration expected to be adopted at the close of the summit will test not Europe's position within the Western bloc, but its isolation in Eurasia.

Two Mega-Events, One Week

Nothing captured Kyrgyzstan's moment more vividly than the final week of August, when two major international events converged in the same window — August 31 to September 6 — placing Bishkek and Issyk-Kul firmly under the global spotlight.

The first was the 25th-anniversary Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), held in Bishkek on August 31–September 1 under Kyrgyzstan's rotating chairmanship. For a country of roughly seven million people, hosting the quarter-century milestone of one of Eurasia's most consequential blocs was a diplomatic coup in itself. The summit was themed"25 Years of the SCO: A Common Journey Toward Lasting Peace, Development, and Prosperity."

The scale was striking. The ten SCO member states together represent a combined population of about 3.4 billion people — nearly a quarter of humanity — and account for close to one-quarter of global GDP. Around the table sat the leaders of the major Eurasian powers: China's Xi Jinping, Russia's Vladimir Putin, India's Narendra Modi, Kazakhstan's Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan's Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif, Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian, Belarus's Alexander Lukashenko and Tajikistan's Emomali Rahmon — alongside host President Sadyr Japarov. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended as a dialogue partner, underscoring the growing weight of the Turkic dimension within the organisation, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres and a wide array of regional leaders joined the expanded "SCO Plus" format.

The summit concluded with the adoption of the Bishkek Declaration, marking the SCO's 25th anniversary, together with a series of decisions aimed at deepening cooperation in trade, transport, energy, digital connectivity and humanitarian affairs. It was the first summit held under the new Strategy for the Development of the Organisation until 2035, signalling a shift from the bloc's traditional security focus toward a more concrete economic agenda.

At the very same moment, Kyrgyzstan hosted the 6th World Nomad Games, welcoming athletes and delegations from 89 nations across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Africa. Across 37 disciplines — from kok-boru (the ancient horseback contest played with a goat carcass) and horseback wrestling to salburun eagle hunting and traditional archery — the Games showcased how Kyrgyzstan is transforming its nomadic heritage from a museum-piece identity into a living platform for cultural diplomacy.

The symbolism ran deep. The Games were founded in Kyrgyzstan in 2014, and after editions in Turkiye (2022) and Kazakhstan (2024), the 2026 edition marked a homecoming to the country where it all began. On the shores of Issyk-Kul, Cholpon-Ata hosted the largest ethnographic village ever assembled — 100 traditional yurts representing 89 nations — while manaschy bards recited verses from the 500,000-line Manas epic. In 2021, the World Nomad Games were even inscribed by UNESCO on its Register of Good Safeguarding Practices for intangible cultural heritage.

And the calendar delivered one final flourish: August 31 is Kyrgyzstan's Independence Day. The opening of the World Nomad Games therefore doubled as a celebration of national sovereignty — a single date binding together statehood, heritage and global visibility in one carefully choreographed moment.

Issyk-Kul: From Tourism Destination to Diplomatic Platform

If Bishkek supplied the political theatre, Issyk-Kul supplied the stage for regional diplomacy. The alpine lake — long marketed as Central Asia's premier holiday destination — is being quietly reinvented as a venue for high-level statecraft.

In July, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev travelled to Kyrgyzstan for an informal Central Asia–Azerbaijan summit in Cholpon-Ata, which concluded with the signing of the Cholpon-Ata Declaration — a document reflecting the deepening alignment among the Turkic states of the region.

The lake also hosted the 40th Issyk-Kul International Forum in June, co-chaired by President Japarov and Albanian President Bajram Begaj, drawing representatives from more than 15 countries. The 35th Meeting of the Heads of CIS News Agencies convened there in late August to coordinate on media, culture and tourism cooperation. And in a sign of Issyk-Kul's expanding brand, even F1H2O, the international Formula 1 powerboat championship, brought its high-speed circuit to the lake in early August.

Taken together, these events reveal a coherent strategy. Issyk-Kul is no longer only a tourism destination — it has become a deliberate instrument of soft power, where tourism, culture, diplomacy and international visibility are woven into a single national brand.

A New Diplomatic Profile

Perhaps the most consequential development of the year arrived quietly, in June, when Kyrgyzstan was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2027–2028 — the first time in the country's history that it will hold a seat on the world's most powerful body.

The victory was hard-won. Kyrgyzstan faced a uniquely competitive path, requiring four rounds of secret balloting in the 193-member General Assembly before finally defeating the Philippines — a nation that had previously served four times on the Council — by a decisive 142 votes to 49. Bishkek becomes only the second Central Asian country ever to sit on the 15-member Council, after Kazakhstan (2017–2018), and its campaign was propelled by a wave of support from its Central Asian neighbours, Türkiye and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. In December 2025, the presidents of all five Central Asian states had publicly endorsed the bid.

The significance is hard to overstate. A nation once defined by its landlocked geography and modest economic footing will soon sit at the table where questions of war, peace and global security are decided. President Japarov framed the win as"a sign of great trust from the international community," pledging that Kyrgyzstan would advance preventive diplomacy, the peaceful resolution of disputes, and the integration of climate, water and mountain challenges into the global security agenda — priorities that speak directly to the concerns of small and developing states.

At the same time, President Xi Jinping's state visit (August 30–September 3) further underlined Bishkek's rising strategic importance. During talks at the Harmony Palace, Xi and Japarov signed a landmark Treaty of Permanent Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation, alongside a joint declaration on the high-quality development of a comprehensive strategic partnership. In total, the two sides signed 32 documents, spanning the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway corridor, the Bedel border crossing, science, education, culture, media and sister-region ties — with Xi hailing a"golden period" in bilateral relations. China has been Kyrgyzstan's largest trading partner and top source of foreign investment for several consecutive years.

A Country in Transformation

Individually, each of these events might be read as a headline. Together, they trace the outline of a broader transformation.

Kyrgyzstan is moving beyond the familiar image of the"Switzerland of Central Asia" — a label that captured its beauty but understated its ambition. Increasingly, the country is positioning itself as a meeting point between Central Asia, China, Russia, the wider Turkic world and the international community. Its diplomacy blends hard geopolitics — an SCO summit, a UN Security Council seat, a treaty with China — with soft power rooted in heritage, sport and hospitality.

From Bishkek to Issyk-Kul, from summit diplomacy to nomadic heritage, 2026 has placed Kyrgyzstan at the centre of an extraordinary number of international conversations.

Perhaps, then, 2026 really is the Year of Kyrgyzstan.

And perhaps the more important question is the one now facing the wider region: what role will Kyrgyzstan play in the emerging Eurasian order?

Malaysia stands at the threshold of a new growth phase in the European market during its Visit Malaysia 2026 year. In the first quarter, arrivals from Europe exceeded half a million for the first time in history, markets such as Türkiye and Poland grew by more than 20 per cent, and the launch of a direct Frankfurt–Kuala Lumpur route in October will structurally strengthen the connection between Europe and Malaysia. Sustaining growth even as tensions in West Asia strained flight networks, Malaysia is gaining weight among long-haul tropical destinations for European travellers.

The direct-flight era: A new door for Europe

The most concrete development is in aviation. Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing announced that Lufthansa will launch direct Frankfurt–Kuala Lumpur flights from 25 October, strengthening Malaysia's access to the European market. Until now, most Europe–Malaysia traffic has routed through Gulf hubs; Germany's largest airline flying directly to Kuala Lumpur will free Central European demand from its dependence on transit capacity. The ministry also reported that it intensified engagement with European tourism and aviation players at ITB Berlin in March.

The wider network is expanding too: between January and July, 23 new routes, 12 new flight services to Malaysia and 9 charter services were introduced; first-half seat capacity rose 6 per cent year on year, adding roughly one million seats.

A record from Europe: The 500,000 mark crossed in the first quarter

The figures confirm the potential. Malaysia set an all-time record for the first quarter with 10,647,200 international visitors, up 5.4 per cent. In February, monthly arrivals exceeded three million for the first time. Europe was the standout part of this picture: arrivals from Europe rose by more than 9 per cent to 500,284, the first time the region has crossed the half-million threshold in a first quarter. By country, Türkiye grew 77.3 per cent, Ukraine 35.3 per cent and Poland 23.7 per cent.

First-half data also show diversification within Europe. According to the report Minister Tiong presented on 24 August, France continued to grow, while arrivals from Türkiye, Russia, Spain and Poland increased. This indicates that Malaysia's European demand no longer rests solely on traditional markets such as the United Kingdom and Germany, with Southern and Eastern Europe becoming increasingly decisive.

Growth despite global turbulence

Malaysia welcomed 21,118,039 international visitors between January and June, a 2.5 per cent increase over the same period last year. Achieving this result in a period when the conflict in West Asia led to the cancellation of 4,111 scheduled flights and narrowed Gulf transit capacity demonstrates the resilience of Malaysian tourism. Sustained growth from Singapore, the Philippines, China, Central Asia, Oceania and North America carried the overall increase, and the half-year figure runs 17.7 per cent ahead of the same period in 2019.

The country is maintaining its 2026 target of 47 million international visitors and RM147.1 billion in tourism receipts. The campaign features more than 300 cultural events, festivals and lifestyle programmes throughout the year, the best known being the Citrawarna Malaysia colour festival and the Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak.

The road ahead for Europe

Three factors will lift Malaysia's potential in the European market in the coming months. First, the direct-flight era beginning with the Frankfurt route; freeing German demand from transit disruptions offers a fresh starting point for Central Europe. Second, strong growth in Türkiye, Poland and Spain, which is broadening Malaysia's base in Europe. Third, the year-end season coinciding with the Northern Hemisphere winter, when Malaysia's multicultural heritage, cuisine and English-speaking environment are clear advantages for European travellers choosing a long-haul tropical destination.

With the recovery of Gulf transit capacity as conditions in West Asia normalise, the second half of 2026 offers a foundation for the Europe–Malaysia tourism relationship to surpass the records of the first half.

Sources: The Edge Malaysia, 24 August 2026 · The Edge Malaysia, 13 May 2026 · Malay Mail, 13 May 2026 · Xinhua, 24 August 2026 · TravelMole, July 2026 · Tourism Malaysia – Visit Malaysia 2026

The QS World University Rankings released on 18 June 2026 mark a threshold for Malaysian higher education. According to Bernama, Universiti Malaya (UM) rose from 58th to 56th place, its highest position ever, entering the top 3.7 per cent of universities worldwide. The Star reports that this is the highest rank ever achieved by any Malaysian institution; UM has climbed 136 places over the past two decades, and with five universities in the top 200 the country now has the strongest representation in Southeast Asia. According to QS's official figures, 8,808 institutions were evaluated this year, 1,504 were published in the final rankings, and 32 Malaysian institutions made the list. Twenty-five of them sit within the world's top 1,000.

The new higher education plan announced in January 2026, which targets 500,000 international students by 2035, raises the question from a European angle: how attractive are these universities to European students?

Malaysian universities in numbers

According to the QS World University Rankings list for Malaysia, 32 Malaysian universities are ranked; 25 of them sit in the world's top 1,000, 17 in the top 700, 12 in the top 550 and 5 in the top 200. Of the 25 institutions in the top 1,000, 11 are public and 14 are private. The highest-ranked institution is Universiti Malaya at 56th; the highest-ranked private university is Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS at 261st.

UM's indicator-level performance is also notable: the university ranks 56th in the world for Academic Reputation, 61st for Employer Reputation, 125th for International Research Network and 153rd for International Students. The Star's analysis of the QS data paints a more mixed picture for the system as a whole: the number of ranked Malaysian universities grew from 7 in 2014 to 32 this year, yet 58 per cent of institutions declined in Employer Reputation.

International students: The 2026 figures

According to an official statement by Malaysia's Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) on 5 July 2026, there were 159,138 international students in the country as of 31 December 2025, representing 12.6 per cent of total higher education enrolment of 1,264,541. In public universities the share is 8.9 per cent (56,565 students). The ministry named China as the largest source country with 32,549 students; no separate figure was released for European countries.

According to a June 2026 analysis by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, the Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2026–2035, launched in January 2026, sets the goal of turning the country into a global education hub attracting 500,000 international students by 2035. The same analysis shows that between 2013 and 2024 the United Kingdom and Australia each hosted an average of 14,000–15,000 Malaysian students per year, while European Union countries were not a destination on that scale. Student traffic still runs largely along an Asia-Pacific and Anglosphere axis.

Three doors for Europe

Although Europe's share is small, Malaysia has concrete instruments aimed at European students:

1. The Graduate Pass. According to EMGS's official page, the Graduate Pass is a Social Visit Pass that allows international students to remain in Malaysia for one year after graduation and work in permitted sectors; it is open to nationals of designated countries including Germany, Finland and Switzerland. The extension to Chinese and Indian nationals is valid until 31 December 2026. The scheme was designed on a logic of "two-way internationalisation" with the countries that host the most Malaysian students.

2. EU–ASEAN higher education programmes. The European Union's SCOPE-HE programme, funded under the Global Gateway strategy with a budget of EUR 9.3 million (February 2024–January 2028), is implemented by Nuffic and DAAD and builds on Erasmus+ and SHARE. Under the programme, the "Closing the Gap" workshop held in Penang on 12–14 May 2026, co-organised with Malaysia's Ministry of Higher Education, brought EU and ASEAN institutions together around industry-linked education models. The 3rd EU–ASEAN Policy Dialogue on Higher Education, held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2025, tied the mobility framework to the ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2026–2030.

3. Erasmus+. The Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2026 covers international credit mobility, Erasmus Mundus joint master's degrees and capacity-building projects with countries outside Europe; Malaysia is a partner country eligible for all of these instruments. Information days organised by the EU Delegation and Malaysia's Erasmus+ National Focal Point match Malaysian universities with European partners through the Erasmus+ Hub at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur campus.

The structural limit: The gap between rankings and employment

As noted in The Star's analysis, Malaysia's results show a system whose global appeal is strengthening, but that momentum has yet to translate into employer confidence and stronger graduate outcomes. ISEAS researcher Koh Sin Yee likewise argues in her assessment of the new plan that attention must go beyond global reputation metrics to domestic needs and regional strengths. For a European student, the real question is how a Malaysian degree will be received in the European labour market.

Conclusion

Malaysia has proven its academic infrastructure by placing 25 universities in the world's top 1,000; the 2035 target signals its intention to open that infrastructure to a global market. For European students the issue is not supply but awareness and reciprocity: the Malaysia–EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement ratified on 11 May 2026 and SCOPE-HE's budget running through 2028 provide a concrete basis for opening this door in both directions.

Sources: Bernama, 18 June 2026 · The Star, 18 June 2026 · Universiti Malaya official statement · QS World University Rankings (June 2026) · MOHE statement / Malay Mail, 5 July 2026 · ISEAS Perspective 2026/42 · EEAS, May 2026 · EMGS Graduate Pass · Erasmus+ Programme Guide 2026 · Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia, MEUPCA ratification

A summer in Kuala Lumpur dominated by European productions

Held from 18 to 25 July, the 9th MIFFest brought 65 films from 35 countries in 27 languages under the theme "Resonance" to Kuala Lumpur audiences. The festival's closing film was Turkish-German director İlker Çatak's "Yellow Letters", winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlinale. Several of the ten films competing in the Malaysia Golden Global Awards (MGGA), the festival's international competition section, were European productions or co-productions: Czech director Ondřej Provazník's "Broken Voices", Franco-Swiss filmmaker Marie-Elsa Sgualdo's "Silent Rebellion", and Egyptian director Morad Mostafa's "Aisha Can't Fly Away", made in partnership with France and Germany.

The results confirmed the weight of European cinema among Malaysian juries and audiences. Mostafa won Best Director, while French actress Lila Gueneau shared the Best Actress award with Singapore's Ong Xuan Jing for her performance in "Silent Rebellion". The Audience Choice Award went to Spanish director Oliver Laxe's "Sirât". According to Variety, this year's awards, with winners spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, reflected the festival's growing international reach.

Two festivals converging

For a long time, the relationship between EUFF and MIFFest ran in parallel but separately. EUFF, organised by the EU Delegation, screened European films each autumn in Kuala Lumpur and Penang in partnership with Golden Screen Cinemas, while MIFFest ran its own international programme in July. The turning point came in 2024, when the EU Delegation, together with member state embassies, hosted a European Cinema Night within MIFFest under the title "European Cinema as a Bridge Between Cultures". In 2025 the relationship was institutionalised: the 25th European Film Festival ran as a parallel section of MIFFest from 20 to 27 July, with the festival's most extensive lineup to date. Timo Goosmann, deputy head of mission at the EU Delegation, emphasised at the time that EUFF had become a cultural institution in Malaysia since 1999.

How this partnership continues in 2026 remains unclear. The EU Delegation issued a call for tenders in March 2026 for the organisation of EUFF; at the time of writing, the dates of the 26th EUFF and its relationship with MIFFest had not been announced publicly.

Malaysia's ambition: A regional film hub

MIFFest's rapprochement with Europe is part of a larger ambition for Kuala Lumpur. Festival founder Joanne Goh this year openly articulated the goal of making Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asia's film hub. The "ASEAN On Screen" programme, launched in 2025 with the National Film Development Corporation (FINAS) during Malaysia's ASEAN chairmanship, became a permanent section of the festival this year and was recognised by ASEAN Records. The presence of Philippe Bober, one of Europe's leading independent producers, on the festival's advisory board also shows that the link with the European industry extends beyond screenings alone.

Bridge or one-way showcase?

The picture has its gaps. While European films have been screened regularly in Malaysia for twenty-six years, the visibility of Malaysian cinema in Europe remains largely dependent on individual selections at festivals such as Berlin, Cannes and Locarno. For cinema to become a genuine "bridge", the flow needs to run in both directions: Malaysia-focused sections at European festivals, co-production agreements and script development funds would be the natural continuation of the ground now being laid along the EUFF–MIFFest axis.

A roadmap for late 2026 and 2027

The convergence of the two festivals in Kuala Lumpur shows that cinema can play not merely a symbolic but a structural role in the Malaysia–EU cultural dialogue. Turning that potential into practice requires a sequence of concrete steps.

By the end of 2026

• Clarify the EUFF–MIFFest partnership. The EU Delegation should announce the format of the 26th EUFF as soon as the tender is concluded and confirm whether the parallel-section model of 2025 will continue. Uncertainty at this stage weakens the momentum built over two years.

• Use the autumn EUFF as a pilot for reciprocity. Even a small "Malaysian Focus" strand within EUFF's Kuala Lumpur and Penang programme, with Malaysian filmmakers in dialogue with European guests, would signal that the flow is meant to run both ways.

• Bring FINAS and the EU Delegation to the same table. A joint working group, anchored in the MEUPCA Joint Committee once it convenes, should map existing instruments (Erasmus+, Creative Europe's international strands, FINAS incentives) and identify where they can be combined.

• Secure a European festival partner for 2027. Negotiations with at least one European festival willing to host a Malaysian or ASEAN showcase in 2027 need to begin now, as programming decisions are typically locked in six to nine months ahead.

In 2027, the 50th anniversary of ASEAN–EU relations

• Present a Malaysian showcase in Europe. A dedicated section at a European festival, ideally paired with a touring programme in two or three EU capitals, would be the first structural counterpart to 26 years of EUFF in Malaysia.

• Launch a Malaysia–EU co-production and script development fund. Modest in scale but jointly governed, such a fund would move the relationship from screening to production and give European producers already engaged with MIFFest a concrete reason to invest.

• Integrate "ASEAN On Screen" into the anniversary agenda. MIFFest's permanent ASEAN programme offers the EU a ready-made platform to engage the whole region through a single festival, in line with the Brussels goal of concluding the free trade agreement by October 2027.

• Build the talent pipeline. Sponsored places for Malaysian film students and young professionals at European film schools and festival labs, and reciprocal residencies for European filmmakers in Malaysia, would ensure the bridge outlasts individual festival editions.

Whether cinema becomes a genuine bridge will depend less on the number of films screened than on whether the two sides commit to reciprocity before the anniversary year arrives. The answer to the question, in other words, now rests as much with Brussels as with Kuala Lumpur.

Sources: Malay Mail, Screen Daily, Variety, United Daily News, EU Delegation to Malaysia (EEAS), MIFFest, EUFF Malaysia.

It is in this context that the Akhal-Teke Championship will take place from 4 to 6 September 2026 at the Peelbergen Equestrian Centre in the Netherlands. The event is held in partnership with Turkmen Atlary, celebrating the rich cultural heritage and national importance of the Akhal-Teke horse in Turkmenistan. The occasion takes on an even greater significance as it falls during the Year of the Horse, creating a particularly symbolic opportunity to honour and celebrate this exceptional breed.

The upcoming event is set to make an important contribution to showcasing and promoting Turkmen culture across Europe. B. Matiyev, Head of the Diplomatic Protocol Training Centre at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, highlighted the exceptional nature and cultural significance of the occasion.

From National Heritage to Cultural Diplomacy

Turkmen horses are considered a national treasure and a source of pride. In December 2023, the art of Akhal-Teke horse breeding and the traditions of horse decoration were inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Berdyniyaz Matiyev explained that the event is not only intended to showcase the qualities of the Akhal-Teke breed, but also to strengthen ties between Turkmenistan and EU countries. The choice of the Netherlands is particularly significant given the country’s strong equestrian culture.

Why the Netherlands?

According to the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), the Netherlands has approximately 450,000 horses and 500,000 riders, supported by around 3,000 equestrian centres and riding clubs. The Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation (KNHS) counts 200,000 members, with approximately 765,000 competition entries recorded annually across eight disciplines.

The Netherlands therefore provides a particularly relevant European setting for the international promotion of Turkmenistan’s equestrian heritage.

The Akhal-Teke Within Turkmenistan’s Foreign Policy

The Akhal-Teke championship therefore needs to be understood within the broader architecture of Turkmenistan's foreign policy. Ashgabat officially presents its diplomacy as one based on neutrality, international cooperation, dialogue and the development of cultural and humanitarian relations.

Among its stated objectives is the strengthening of Turkmenistan’s position on the global political stage and the promotion of its Permanent Neutrality internationally.

Against this backdrop, the international projection of the Akhal-Teke offers an unconventional but potentially significant instrument of cultural diplomacy. Rather than replacing traditional diplomacy, it can complement it by projecting an element of Turkmenistan’s national identity through culture and heritage.

Conclusion: When Culture Becomes Power

The Akhal-Teke championship illustrates Turkmenistan’s growing use of cultural diplomacy as a tool of international influence. By promoting its national horse in Europe, Ashgabat seeks not only to preserve its heritage but also to project its identity and strengthen its international image.

This strategy reflects a broader trend in international relations. China uses scientific and technological cooperation in Africa, France relies on cultural institutions and education, South Korea on popular culture, while Qatar and Saudi Arabia increasingly use sport and cultural institutions to enhance their global visibility.

In today’s geopolitics, influence is therefore no longer built only through military or economic power. It can also be projected through culture, science, sport and heritage. For Turkmenistan, the Akhal-Teke may well be becoming a diplomatic instrument in its own right.