Author

Akın Karataş

writer · EUReflect

Contributing writer at EUReflect.

LinkedIn ↗

7 stories

  • politics

    From Aid Paternalism to Productive Investment: Lessons from the EuropAfrica Investment Forum 2026

    On 2 October 2026, the EuropAfrica Investment Forum at the European Parliament marked a clear call to end the traditional aid model. Speakers including Louis Michel and DRC Minister Julien Paluku argued that decades of development assistance have failed to transform African economies, which still capture only 3% of the value of their resources. The real priority, they insisted, is industrialisation, local processing of critical minerals, and a shift from grants to investment-support instruments. Shared prosperity, not aid, is presented as the only sustainable answer to migration and the foundation for a genuine Europe-Africa partnership.

  • politics

    Celebration of Malaysia’s 69th National Day

    On 7 September 2026, the Embassy of Malaysia in Belgium hosted a diplomatic reception in the Grand Ballroom of The Hotel, Boulevard de Waterloo 38, 1000 Brussels, to mark the 69th anniversary of Malaysia’s independence. Far from being a mere ceremonial protocol, the event served as a strategic platform to present Kuala Lumpur’s political, economic, and diplomatic vision to its European partners. Before an audience of diplomats, Belgian authorities, and European institutional representatives, H.E. Dato’ Mohd Khalid Abbasi Abdul Razak delivered a speech that went well beyond commemoration to outline the contours of a confident and forward-looking Malaysian diplomacy.

  • conferences events festivals

    Soft Power on Horseback in Kronenberg

    The first European World Akhal-Teke Championship in Kronenberg (4–6 September 2026) combined sport, culture and high-level diplomacy, positioning Turkmenistan’s legendary “heavenly horses” as a bridge between Central Asia and Europe.

  • conferences events festivals

    When the War Stops Making the News: The Silent Battle of War Journalists

    In contemporary warfare, the battle for truth is fought not only on the front line, but also in the information space. At Truth Under Fire: War Journalism and Disinformation, journalists and media professionals reflected on the risks, ethical dilemmas, and political pressures surrounding the coverage of the war in Ukraine.

  • general

    When the Horse Becomes a Diplomatic Instrument

    What happens when a national symbol becomes a tool of diplomacy? In Turkmenistan, the Akhal-Teke horse is increasingly being used to project the country’s cultural identity and strengthen its international presence.

  • politics

    Kyrgyzstan Marks 35 Years of Independence at Brussels Embassy

    At the 35th anniversary of Kyrgyzstan’s independence, the official address in Brussels framed sovereignty as a strategic project linking domestic judicial reform, digital modernisation and the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway to deeper partnership with the European Union.