Category: Banking

  • MIL-OSI: Global AI Spotlight: DataGlobal Hub Assembles Hundreds of Industry Leaders for GDAI 2025, The Largest Global Virtual AI & Data Conference

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PHOENIX, June 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DataGlobal Hub, a fast-growing global media platform at the forefront of Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) news and insights, is proud to officially unveil the top speakers for Global Data & AI Virtual Tech Conference (GDAI 2025), a highly anticipated global summit convening the brightest minds in technology, innovation, and data leadership.

    GDAI 2025 is scheduled for August 22nd to 24th, 2025, with the theme, “AI, Data, and the Future of Innovation,” bringing together thought leaders, professionals, and trailblazing creators from around the world to spotlight emerging technologies, transformative enterprise strategies, and the societal shifts shaping tomorrow’s workplace.

    One Global Conversation: Three Tracks

    GDAI 2025 will deliver practical value through three tailored conference tracks that reflect the evolving realities of data, business, and human potential:

    • AI and Data Innovation: Uncover the latest breakthroughs in tech—from advanced large language models and automation to the exciting frontier of generative AI.
    • Enterprise Data Strategy & Leadership: Delve into essential topics such as data governance, ROI, ethics, and data monetization, empowering you to lead with confidence in the digital age.
    • The Future of Work & AI in Society: Engage with thought leaders on the evolving landscape of work, the impact of AI regulation, and the creative shifts driving today’s job market.

    What to Expect at GDAI 2025

    • Visionary Keynotes: Hear from AI pioneers, business executives, and future-thinkers on the possibilities ahead
    • Breakout Panels & Fireside Chats: Candid conversations and debates on real-world challenges and emerging trends
    • Live Demos & Product Showcases: Get front-row access to the tools, platforms, and AI systems shaping the next decade
    • Hands-On Masterclasses: Expert-led workshops with real applications and live feedback
    • Global Networking & VIP Sessions: Curated virtual spaces to connect, collaborate, and grow

    Introducing conference speakers

    GDAI 2025 is a global platform for possibility.

    With over 100 top speakers expected, GDAI 2025 will feature dynamic keynotes, powerful panel discussions, and interactive tools designed to transform your thinking. Some of our speakers include industry leaders from top organizations like OpenAI, MetaAI, Nvidia, CNN, NBC and more

    • Vijaykumar Jangamashetti: Senior Google Cloud Consulting Architect, Trusted Advisor, Keynote Speaker & Research Scholar. 38k+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Sheena Yap Chan: Wall Street Journal & Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author, Keynote Speaker, featured on FOX, NBC News, MindValley, Manila Times, delivered speeches for NASA, Live Nation, UKG. 31k+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Brenton House: 519k+ Youtube Subscribers, Principal Cybersecurity & AI Advisor, IBM WebMethods, Keynote Speaker, LinkedIn TopVoice, 22k+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Shikhar Kwatra: Youngest Indian Master Inventor, Partner Solutions Architect at OpenAI, 500+ Patents. Former Senior AI/ML Partner Solutions Architect AWS, Former Data & AI Architect IBM, Author, Einstein Visa Green Card Recipient, 27k+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Chris McGraw: National Director for Permanent Placement Practice, Lorien, Cybersecurity & Cloud Infrastructure Expert, Speaker.
    • Pamela Paterson: Two Times International Best-Selling Author, Keynote Speaker, Business Systems Analyst, Project Manager. Pamela has worked with over 100 organizations globally and authored 10 books
    • Erich Archer: Emmy-Award Winning Producer, Founder, CGA Creative, AI Media Strategist & Storytelling Consultant. 15k+ LinkedIn Followers.
    • Khuyen Tran: Founder of CodeCut, Senior Developer Advocate at Nixtla, Ex-Senior Data Engineer at Accenture, Ex Technical Writer at NVIDIA. 109K+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Joe Perez: Amazon Best-Selling Author, Keynote Speaker, Executive Board Member, Digital Directors Network. 19K+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Queen Smith: Vice President & Enterprise Coach, Citibank, Founder & CEO AgileCentric, Former Senior Consultant, Deloitte
    • Jarrett Albritton: VP of Strategy at WriteSea, Ex Senior Enterprise Account Executive at IBM, Featured on Nasdaq, Conference Speaker, Soken at DIVERSITECH, AfroTech. 16K+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Sneha Singla: Director of Software Engineering at Salesforce. 4K+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Vishal Ganagarapu: Executive Director, Finance Data & Analytics at Mizhuo Financial Group, Fmr VP, Finance Data Architecture & Transformation at Goldman Sachs, Fmr Pricing Transformation Consultant at Dell Technologies
    • Mary Grygleski: Director of Emerging Technologies at Callibrity, TEDx Speaker, President of Chicago Java Users Group, Chicago Chapter Organizer- Gen AI Collective, Chicago Chapter Co-Lead-AICamp, Fmr Senior Developer Advocate at DataStax
    • Einat Orr: CEO & Co-Founder of LakeFS, Forbes Business Council Member. 19K+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Ritesh Modi: Principal AI Engineer at Microsoft, Best-Selling Author of 10 books, Public Speaker. 12K+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Arthur Kaza: Head of Tech Academy & Data Science at AKIENI, Google Developer Expert-AI, AI Research Scientist at Woxsen University 21K+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Isaac Agya Koomson: Founder & CEO of KIA-START UP CONSULT
    • Shankar Narayanan SGS: Principal Architect at Microsoft, Author, Top 10% of programmers on HackerEarth, ONCON ICON TOP 10 DATA & ANALYTICS PROFESSIONAL 2024, Snowflake Data Superhero, 8K+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Kamal Gupta: CNN’s Ex-Senior Staff Software Engineer, Software Development Engineer at Amazon.
    • Jayita Bhattacharyya: Data Scientist at Deloitte, Ex-Application Developer at IBM, Software Engineer, Hackathon Wizard, Spoken at NVIDIA AI Inference Day by Collabnix, Codebasics AI & Data Fest 2025, FOSS United Hyderabad 2025, GDG Durgapur Developer Summit 2024. 13K+ LinikedIn Followers
    • Siddharth Parakh: Director of Engineering at Medable, Ex-Software Development Manager III at Amazon, IEEE Sr Member and member of IEEE Computer Society, Author of 5+ books on Technology by Manning Publication, Judged Multiple Awards such as Globee, Business Intelligence etc…
    • Enudeme Jonathan: CEO & Founder of Zummit Africa, Co-Founder of Data Rango, Board Member International Law Association of Nigeria (ILA)- Committee on AI and Technology Law. Featured on Business Insider, Yahoo Finance and Arise News.
    • Vivekanandan Srinivasan: Senior Manager-GenAI Enablement at Verizon, Ex-BI Solutions Architect at Lumel, Top 1 percentile globally in Kaggle Kernels.
    • Ayoade Adegbite; Specialized Data Analytics Mentor at CareerFouny, Analytics Engineer, Ex-Data Analyst Engineer at WirePick.
    • Felipe Cabrini: Senior Software Architect & Specialist, Cloud Architect at Pagseguro Pagbank, JAVA Instructor at FIAP, Sao Paulo
    • Roisin Benett: Chief AI Officer, Founder & CEO MarketingMentors, Perplexity AI Business Fellow. Empowering Small Businesses to Grow Smarter with AI. 11K+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Etibar Aliyev: Team Lead – AI at Google, AI Expert & Leader Advisor at Packt, Member of Leaders Excellence at Harvard Square, AI Frontier Network, International Association of Algorithmic Auditors (IAAA), AI Consultant at AI IXX, AI Advisor at AlphaSense. 12K+ LinkedIn Followers.
    • Fatima-Bint Ibrahim: Bayobab Core Network Engineer, Organizer of Ghana Data Science Summit(IndabaX Ghana), Ex-Huawei Associate Core Network Engineer, Python Ghana Co-Lead User Groups, AI & ML Researcher.
    • Partha Pritam Deka: Senior Staff Engineer & Data Science Leader at Intel, Fmr Staff Data Scientist at General Electrics, Ex-Data Engineer at Cisco, Best-Selling Machine Learning Book Author, NeurIPS/ICML Reviewer, Keynote Speaker, CSCMP Innovation Award – AI Solution.
    • Mikhail Lvovskii: Founder & Principal Consultant at BonaMente, Chief Transformational Officer at Guidi Consulting, 12K+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Rahul PrasadFounder of RSTech Softwares, Public Speaker, Strategist.
    • Ferry Haris: CEO of FEHA & CyberSecurity Advocate.
    • Pooja RayChaudhuri: Software Engineer at C3 AI, Ex-Software Engineer at TikTok.
    • Samantha St-Louis(Allegrini): CEO & Technical Trainer at CloudFirst AI, CEO & Founder, AI Strategist at BeBaby, AI Engineer & Cloud Solutions Architect at Smarter Consulting, Public Speaker & Technical Writer
    • Knut Relbe-Moe: Chief Technology Officer at Dapt AS, Product Manager & Founder of DocsNode, Partner Relationship Manager at Lightning Tools, Microsoft MVP, Public Speaker.
    • Edward Morgan: “Founder & CTO at Gordian Knot, Ex-Associate Director of Engineering at Chewy, C100 Award Recipient, Recognized by the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.”
    • “Madhuri Koripalli: Software Engineer II at Microsoft, Ex-Senior Software Engineer Specialist at DELL EMC, Ex-Software Engineer at Verizon, Ex-Web Application Developer at TESLA
    • Alison Cossette: Data Science Strategist, Founder of Partrun Inc, Developer Advocate at Neo4j specializing in Graph Data Science. 6K+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Aquayemi-Claude Akinsanya: CEO & Founder of Garnetts Clothing Brand & Range, Public Relations Volunteer at United Nations, Inclusion Thematic Lead at The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, Regional & Country Representative of Global Network of Persons with Disabilities, Author, Environment Advocate, Ex-Jury Judge Panel Member of the Telly Awards. 5K+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Chinazor Vivian Kalu: UK Black Tech Resident Technologist, Senior Programme Manager at Niyo Group, Nominee 2023 50 Most Influential Women in UK Tech Award, Women in Data Science Ambassador at Stanford UniversityWorld’s Top 100 Chief Data Officers (2023, 2024), Top 100 Data Influencers (2024), and Top 40 Chief AI/Analytics Officers, Chief Hat at Data Hat AI, Ex-Chief Data Officer at OneFootball. 9K+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Rishi Nareshbhai Lad:
    • Kshitij Kumar: Principal Integration Engineer at ModernaTx, Inc, Recipient of Titan Business Technology Award for excellence in integration engineering, and the Globee Award for technological innovation in healthcare,
    • Barkha Herman: Founder of WiTVoices, South Florida Women in Technology, Ex-Developer Advocate at StarTree, Speaker, Technologist, Podcaster
    • Bhaskar Goyal: Software Engineer III at Google, Ex-Software Engineer II at Goldman Sachs, Expedia Group, AI & ML Specialist. Recipient of the IEEE Richard E. Merwin Award
    • Alfred Ojukwu: Senior Virtualization Specialist at Microsoft, Ex-chair of Blacks at Microsoft(BAM) worldwide 9K+ Followers on LinkedIn
    • Olubayo Adekanmbi: Founder & CEO Data Science Nigeria, CEO & CO-Founder EqualyzAI
    • Paula García Esteban: Top Voice LinkedIn Data Visualization, Data Visualization & AI Specialist, ML Instructor at LinkedIn Learning, 14K+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Lianne Potter: Award-Winning Digital and Cyber Anthropologist, Cybersecurity Operations and Technology Leader, Podcast Host, Author, Keynote Speaker. 15K+ LinkedIn Followers
    • Sharanya Vasudev Prasad: Cybersecurity, Networking and AI Product Manager at Cisco
    • Tarun Parmar: Principal Software Engineer at Skyworks Solutions, Ex-Senior Data Engineer at Tesla, Ex-Senior Engineer- Data Scientist at Samsung
    • Matthew Livesey: Principal, Lead Engineering & Analytics DK at ADC Consulting, Ex-Data Solutions Cloud Lead at Danske Bank
    • Aldan Creo: Technology Research Specialist at Accenture Lab, Grand Prize Winner, HackUPC(Biggest Hackathon in Europe) May 2024, Recipient of the Fulbright Foreign Student Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education- July 2024.
    • Angus Allan: “Senior Product Leader at CreateFuture, Governance Group Member of the Scottish AI Alliance, Keynote Speaker Featured on Forbes, WIRED, ITPro, LeadDev, Digital Leaders’ 2024 “”AI Experts of the Year”
    • Andrew Park: Founder of Edensoft Labs, VP- Software Engineering at G3 Technologies Inc
    • David Melamed: CTO & Co-Founder of Jit, Ex-Snr Tech Lead, CloudSecurity CTO Office at Cisco
    • Naveen Reddy Dendi: META’s Software Engineering Manager, Ex-Netflix Engineering Leader, Ex-Coinbase Engineering Manager, Ex-Facebook Software Engineer, Ex-Amazon Software Engineer.
    • Victor Agboli: PhD Researcher at the University of Florida, Public Health Data Scientist, Ex-Research Analyst at Bamboo. 5K+ LinkedIn Followers.
    • Vaishnavi Gudur: Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft, Ambassador of AI Frontier, Peer Reviewer.
    • Samuel Iheagwam: Senior Data Developer & DataBase Administrator at Qore Technologies
    • Er. Ms. Kritika: Gold & Silver Medallist, International Olympiad of Mathematics, Young Engineer Award 2024, Best researcher Award (2024) and the Young Researcher Award 2023, Cybersecurity Researcher, Author
    • Hridesh Sharma: Software Engineer at Brudite Private Limited, Principal Solution Architect, AWS & Python Specialist
    • Emmanuel Boniface: Machine Learning Mentor at Aifinite Learning, Machine Learning Researcher at University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Founder & President of Algorithmic Explorers
    • Simon Müller: Managing Director & CTO at watxx, Co-Founder of triebwerk, Lecturer at IU University of Applied Sciences
    • Mary Njoki Waweru; AI Trainer, Specialist & Strategist
    • Taeyang Kim: Machine Learning Engineer, Pattern Inc
    • Savi Grover: NBC’s Software Quality Assurance Engineer, Ex-Ford Senior Software Quality Engineer.
    • Shari Oswald: Microsoft 365 Solutions Architect & Consultant, LinkedIn Author & Instructor
    • Kayode Makinde: AI Researcher, Data Scientist
    • Shahzeb Akhtar: Director of IP Strategy & Technology at UnitedLex

    Be Part of the Future; Join the Movement

    GDAI 2025 invites organizations, researchers, students, AI practitioners, and data enthusiasts to contribute to this global dialogue by registering for the conference.

    Scholarship Award

    Jori Glover is one of our outstanding scholarship recipients, she’s the nation’s top-ranked track and field hurdler and a D1. Jori is also a celebrated Hackathon champion, blending athletic excellence with emerging tech leadership. She was awarded our prestigious tech scholarships at the University of Southern California (USC), where she plans to pursue a major in Robotics and Gaming starting in 2026 as part of the Class of 2030.

    About DataGlobal Hub

    DataGlobal Hub is a global media organization dedicated to advancing data literacy and AI awareness through compelling content, thought leadership, and world-class events. Our mission is to empower individuals and organizations to thrive in an AI-driven world by connecting them with the right tools, stories, and communities.

    Call to Action

    We invite speakers, organizations, students, enthusiasts, and professionals to be part of this global conversation.

    • Want to partner with us? Apply here: https://dataglobalhub.org/events/gdai/partnership
    • Registration: Secure your spot now: https://dataglobalhub.org/events/gdai/register

    Learn More About DataGlobal Hub:

    Website: https://dataglobalhub.org

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dataglobalhub?igsh=YzljYTk1ODg3Zg==

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dataglobal-hub/

    X (Twitter) : https://x.com/DataGlobalHub

    Media Contact

    Company Name: DataGlobal Hub

    Website: https://www.dataglobalhub.org/

    Contact Person: Mojeed Abisiga, CEO

    Email: abisigadamilola@gmail.com

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5e28b935-621c-4851-ab49-5e358cd6edca

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cf8c05a0-628c-4563-8296-8874c14a1ea6

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Togo: African Development Bank strengthens partnership with civil society

    Source: African Development Bank Group
    The African Development Bank held its first-ever Civil Society Open Day in Lomé, Togo, on 3 June. The event brought together representatives from the Togolese government, around 30 national and international civil society organisations (CSOs), and Bank staff — all committed to strengthening development partnerships…

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: The field officer and the farmer: how African Fertilizer Financing Mechanism-backed investments foster enduring partnerships

    Source: African Development Bank Group
    That smile — the one that starts deep within and lights up when something good is happening — is instantly recognizable. That distinctive smile graced Mama Naumi Kamau’s face as she stood in her maize field in Nakuru, Kenya on a November morning. The ears of maize were plump white grains, glowing.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: IDEV Highlights Role of Evaluation in Unlocking Africa’s Financial Capital at AfDB 2025 Annual Meetings

    Source: African Development Bank Group

    (L-R) Rufus N. Darkortey, Executive Director at the African Development Bank representing The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Sudan, alongside Neil Cole, Financing Manager for South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Project Management Unit, Office of the President, Guillaume Le Bris, Head of Infrastructure and Energy, ILX Fund Management, Karen Rot-Münstermann, Evaluator General at African Development Bank Group, Adesoji Adelaja, John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in Land Policy, Michigan State University and Global Fellow, Woodrow Wilson Center, David Kevin (DKL) Lumbila, Division Manager at the African Development Bank, Dr. Eric Kehinde Ogunleye as Director of African Development Institute, African Development Bank, during AM2025: Harnessing Africa’s Financial Capital.

    Independent evaluations are essential to unlocking Africa’s domestic financial capital and driving reforms that deliver real development impact. This was the central message from a side event organized by the Independent Development Evaluation (IDEV) function of the African Development Bank Group, held during the Bank’s 2025 Annual Meetings in Abidjan.

    The event, titled “Harnessing Africa’s Financial Capital for Development: Evidence from Independent Evaluations,” brought together evaluators, policymakers, economists, finance professionals, and private sector actors to explore how evaluation findings can strengthen resource mobilization, public financial management, and the efficient use of capital.

    Opening the session, Karen Rot-Münstermann, Evaluator General of the Bank, emphasized the urgency of tapping Africa’s vast domestic capital in light of declining foreign aid and investment flows. Drawing from the Bank’s 2025 African Economic Outlook, she cited an annual loss of around $600 billion due to illicit financial flows and inefficiencies, while underscoring Africa’s potential to mobilize and retain up to about $1.43 trillion annually through better policies. “There is money in Africa,” she said, quoting AfDB Vice President and Chief Economist, Professor Kevin Urama. “It’s about mobilizing and valorizing it.”

    Madhusoodhanan Mampuzhasseril, Division Manager at IDEV, presented key findings from three recent evaluations: a synthesis on public financial management, an impact evaluation of a public finance modernization project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and an evaluation of the Bank’s use of its public-private partnership mechanism. These findings emphasized the need for robust legal frameworks, effective IT systems, strong coordination mechanisms, and adaptation to local contexts.

    A panel discussion moderated by Dr. Eric Ogunleye, Director of the Bank’s African Development Institute, featured diverse perspectives.

    Rufus N. Darkortey, Executive Director at the Bank, illustrated how evaluation has driven impactful reforms in his constituency including The Gambia and Liberia, where it supported reforms that doubled the tax-to-GDP ratio and improved fiscal management. “All of that would not have been possible if evaluation had not been playing a driving role,” he emphasized.

    Neil Cole, representing South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Unit, emphasized that resource mobilization must be matched with effective absorption and alignment with national priorities. “Evaluation helps us detect capacity gaps before we act,” he noted, calling for reforms grounded in evidence and institutional realities.

    Representing the private sector, Guillaume Le Bris of the ILX Fund emphasized that pension-backed investments rely on credible data and institutional trust. “Evaluation is essential to de-risking investment and aligning capital with development outcomes,” he said. ILX, which has mobilized over $1.7 billion from Dutch and Danish pension funds, co-invests exclusively with multilateral development banks in emerging markets. Le Bris noted that robust evaluation systems are essential to attracting and retaining large-scale private capital.

    Kevin Lumbila, Division Manager in the Bank’s Governance and Economic Reforms Department, shared results from a public finance modernization project in the DRC where integrated financial systems, new tax offices, and improved working conditions for staff led to better service delivery and a 10 percent average annual increase in revenue in participating provinces. “When citizens saw improvements like roads and waste collection, their willingness to pay taxes grew,” he explained. These outcomes, later captured in IDEV’s evaluation, demonstrate the power of adaptive, context-aware design in driving reform.

    Prof. Soji Adelaja of Michigan State University, emphasized that evaluation must be embedded from the design stage, enabling meaningful adaptation. “You can’t evaluate what you didn’t set up to learn from,” he said, describing evaluation as not only a tool for accountability but also a strategic instrument for storytelling that builds public trust and boosts both public and private financing.

    Panelists discussed the role of civil society and high-net-worth individuals in financing development. Prof Adelaja pointed to Nigeria’s successful raising of $340 million in a single day from private citizens, citing trust and transparency as key enablers.

    Closing the session, Dr. Ogunleye urged stronger domestic resource mobilization and institutional capacity, noting that no country has developed solely on external aid. “Evaluation is not a luxury—it is a necessity. Smarter policies, better implementation, and fairer outcomes all begin with evidence,” he stressed.

    The session made a compelling case for elevating evaluation as a central pillar in Africa’s financial reform agenda. It reaffirmed IDEV’s commitment to connecting evaluation with action that enhances Africa’s financial resilience and development effectiveness.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Senegal and Kenya Top African Development Bank’s Electricity Regulatory Index, as Regulators Drive Tangible Reforms

    Source: African Development Bank Group

    Kenya and Senegal have claimed the top spots in the African Development Bank’s 2024 Electricity Regulatory Index (ERI), demonstrating exceptional progress in power sector governance and regulatory outcomes. The comprehensive assessment, officially unveiled today at the Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town, evaluates regulatory frameworks across 43 African countries.

    Uganda, Liberia and Niger round out the top five performers, with Niger registering one of the biggest gains, underlining the strong impact of sustained reforms and political commitment to power sector development.

    The ERI evaluates three dimensions—Regulatory Governance, Regulatory Substance, and Regulatory Outcomes (ROI). Notably, the ROI, which tracks service delivery and utility performance, recorded the most substantial improvement across the continent.

    Key findings from the 2024 ERI:

    • Kenya and Senegal led with a score of 0.892, reflecting standout progress in tariff reform, regulatory outcomes, and utility performance.
    • A remarkable 41 out of 43 participating countries achieved RGI scores above 0.5, representing a significant increase from 24 countries in 2022.
    • Countries scoring below 0.500 reduced significantly from 19 in 2022 to just 6 in 2024.
    • Even the lowest-performing country tripled its score—from about 0.10 to 0.33.
    • The ROI surged from roughly 0.40 in 2022 to 0.62 in 2024, showing that reforms are delivering tangible service improvements on the ground.

    Now in its seventh edition, the ERI shows strong momentum toward more effective, transparent, and impactful regulation, with real-world results beginning to emerge.

    “The 2024 ERI shows that Africa’s regulators are stepping up. We are now seeing stronger institutions delivering real results for utilities and consumers. This shift is critical if we are to achieve Mission 300 and connect 300 million people to electricity by 2030,” says Dr. Kevin Kariuki, AfDB Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth.

    For the first time, the 2024 ERI also assessed regional regulatory bodies, recognizing their growing role in harmonizing technical standards and enabling cross-border electricity trade.

    As the backbone of Mission 300, ERI continues to inform the design and implementation of national energy compacts—currently active in 12 countries, with another 20 in development.

    Bridging the Gap – Addressing Ongoing Challenges

    While celebrating regulatory progress, the report calls for greater focus on regulatory independence, the financial viability of utilities, and the integration of off-grid and mini-grid systems into national frameworks. The ERI underscores that regulation must translate into better access, affordability, and reliability, especially for underserved rural populations.

    The report outlines priority areas for enhancing regulatory effectiveness:

    • Strengthening regulatory independence
    • Enhancing accountability mechanisms
    • Promoting transparency and predictability
    • Improving stakeholder participation
    • Deepening economic regulation and advancing cost-reflective tariff methodologies.

    “The ERI 2024 tells a hopeful story. African countries are not just passing laws—they are implementing them. Regulators are transforming from administrative bodies into strategic institutions with measurable influence. However, challenges related to independence, financing, and enforcement persist,” said Wale Shonibare, Director for Energy Financial Solutions, Policy and Regulation at the Bank Group.

    Launched in 2018, the ERI is a diagnostic and policy tool used by governments, regulators, and development partners to identify gaps, track progress, and prioritize reform efforts. The 2024 edition incorporates extensive feedback from utilities, regulators, and regional energy bodies.

    The full ERI 2024 report will be available here.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Security: Five Defendants Including Postal Worker, Await Sentencing for Possessing Stolen Mail Keys, Theft of Stolen Mail Matter, Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, in Separate Cases

    Source: US FBI

    UPDATE: Davion Chelsea Easterling is scheduled to appear before U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall for sentencing on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 3 p.m. at the U.S. District Court, Augusta Division, located at 600 James Brown Boulevard, Augusta, Georgia 30901. Victims and the public are welcome to attend.  

    AUGUSTA, GA:  Five Richmond County residents face various terms of years in prison after pleading guilty to illegally possessing a master key for postal service mailboxes and other felony counts occurring in 2023.  This investigation is on-going.

    Davion Chelsea Easterling, 26, and Corey Jamario Gunter, 24, both of Augusta, await sentencing after pleading guilty to Aiding and Abetting Possession of a Stolen Mail Key. The plea agreements subject each defendant to a statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and up to three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

    Cameron Martinas Curry, 22, and Quavaun Enreco Rhodes, 22, both of Augusta, await sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Mail Key, Possessing Stolen Mail Matter, Bank Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft. The plea agreements subject each defendant to a statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and up to five years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

    Earl Demetrius Overton, 32, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, Bank Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft related to stolen mail. The plea agreement subjects the defendant to a statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and up to five years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

    As described in court documents and testimony, Easterling was employed by the U.S. Postal Service and shared a residence with Gunter. An investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office in 2023, led to a search of their residence pursuant to a state search warrant, where investigators found large quantities of stolen mail and multiple postal bins, along with a master key used to access postal service boxes.  The investigation revealed that mail was stolen from a USPS Blue Box, located at the U.S. Post Office, 3108 Peach Orchard Road, Augusta, Georgia.

    The plea agreements concede that the number of mail-theft victims in the case is greater than 10, and the defendants abandoned any claim to the mail so it could be returned to individual senders. Gunter also agreed to forfeit a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol seized during the search.

    U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall will schedule sentencing hearings for Easterling and Gunter upon completion of pre-sentence investigations by U.S. Probation Services. 

    Pertaining to Curry and Rhodes, as described in court documents and testimony, the defendants were detained by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office for a traffic stop after suspecting that the defendants had stolen mail from a USPS Blue Box, located at the U.S. Post Office, 125 Commercial Boulevard, Martinez, Georgia. Upon contact with the defendants, the deputies observed what appeared to be stolen U.S. Mail inside the vehicle.  An investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service determined that there was no forced entry on the USPS Blue Box.  The vehicle was searched but no key was found.  After canvassing the area, a pair of U.S. Postal Master Keys were found less than thirty yards from the vehicle. 

    As the investigation continued, a federal search warrant was obtained for both defendant’s phones and agents found several check images with a face value totaling $485,000.   Additionally, numerous text messages and screenshots revealed that they were in the business of stealing checks from the mail and depositing, altering, or selling them for the purpose of Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft. 

    U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen will schedule sentencing hearings for Curry and Rhodes upon completion of pre-sentence investigations by U.S. Probation Services.

    Pertaining to Overton, as described in court documents and testimony, the defendant was arrested by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, pursuant to an arrest warrant, while driving a vehicle.  The defendant was found to be in possession of a firearm and is a prohibited person because of a previous felony conviction. 

    A follow up search warrant of the defendant’s home revealed numerous stolen checks, stolen mail, and various debit cards belonging to other people. Additional investigation revealed that Overton was stealing checks from the mail and depositing, altering, or selling them for the purpose of Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft. 

    U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall will schedule a sentencing hearing for Overton upon completion of pre-sentence investigations by U.S. Probation Services.     

    “Mail theft has become an epidemic, and it is exceptionally costly to individuals and businesses victimized by these illegal activities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons. “These prosecutions hold accountable these defendants – including one who betrayed the trust granted by her U.S. Postal Service employment.”

    “These cases are examples of individuals who made a decision to engage in criminal misconduct involving the U.S. mail that will not go unpunished,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting our customers and preserving the integrity of the mail.”

    “The vast majority of U.S. Postal Service employees are honest, hardworking individuals who would never violate the public trust in this manner,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “But for those who do, our special agents, along with our law enforcement partners, will aggressively investigate these federal crimes to protect the sanctity of the U.S. Mail. These guilty pleas are a testament to the dedication of the investigative and legal teams and should send a strong message to any employee who thinks of conspiring with others to steal arrow keys and betray the public’s trust.”

    “Possessing stolen mail keys and engaging in the theft of personal and private correspondence is not only a breach of trust but a crime against the public,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “These convictions send a clear message: law enforcement will not tolerate the theft of our nation’s mail, and those who abuse their position of trust will be held accountable.”

    These cases were investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Kyle Davis and David Estes.

    The United States Attorney’s Office urges the public that if you believe you are a victim of mail theft from the Martinez Post Office, or the  Peach Orchard Road Post Office between the dates of March 1, 2023 and November 30, 2023, and you have not been contacted by the United States Attorney’s Office, please file a report by June 30, 2025, with the United States Postal Inspection Service at USPIS.gov/report, referencing USPIS Case Numbers 4183320-MT and 4207963-MT  Mail theft victims who have been contacted by the United States Attorney’s Office are encouraged to submit victim impact statements as outlined in their notice and/or appear at future sentencings.  As these defendants are not currently scheduled for sentencing, the United States Attorney’s Office intends to post hearings dates and times on its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdga/pr.  

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA News: The President signed into law S.J. Res. 13 and S.J. Res 31

    Source: US Whitehouse

    On Friday, June 20, 2025, the President signed into law:

    S.J. Res. 13, which provides congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency of the Department of the Treasury relating to the review of applications under the Bank Merger Act.

    S.J. Res. 31, which provides congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to “Review of Final Rule Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act”.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Commissioner Kristin N. Johnson’s Keynote Remarks at the CCP AGM 2025

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    It is a pleasure to join CCP Global for your Annual General Meeting. Joining you today marks the third time that I have had the opportunity to address this important group at the center of the global derivatives markets. Addressing this body in Madrid, Spain in June of 2022 marked one of the earliest keynote addresses that I delivered during my time in service as a Commissioner only months after I joined the Commission.[1] 
    During my speech in Madrid, I reflected on then-recent market stress resulting from geopolitical events and a global pandemic. In February and March of 2020, our markets faced concerning shocks from the rise of a global pandemic[2] and regulatory responses to contain it.[3] Markets witnessed unprecedented volatility coupled with extreme volumes of trading and at times tight liquidity, placing extraordinary pressure on market infrastructures. Responding to these events, central counterparties CCPs carefully assessed initial and variation margin requirements and ultimately increased initial margin requirements (particularly for equity products) as an integral part of their market risk mitigating solutions.
    Facing these challenges, CCPs navigated the risks presented, deploying the carefully developed tools at hand with deep and continuous engagement with global regulators. As a result of effective reforms adopted almost a decade before the pressures of recent geopolitical events and a global pandemic at the start of this decade, our financial system demonstrated remarkable resilience.  As noted by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) – “Banks and FMIs, particularly CCPs, held up well and were largely able to absorb rather than amplify the shock.”[4]
    In many ways, market conditions during these events stress tested CCP resilience reforms implemented pursuant to the 2009 G20 Pittsburg Summit and the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructure (PFMI) codified under local laws such as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and European Market Infrastructure Regulation.[5]
    Turning back to the present, it is fitting that we gather here today in a building that has served as a gathering place for government and industry for hundreds of years. My understanding is that the building began as a convent in 1411, but later, in the 17th Century became the meeting place for the administrative board for the Admiralty of Amsterdam. And, in the mid-1600s, became known as a City Hall and served as the seat of Amsterdam’s government. 
    In the spirit of reflecting on the significant contributions of the CCP Global community and the issues that you will discuss and explore during your general meeting, I hope to highlight the work of the advisory committees of the CFTC. Over the last few years, your members have supported and served on a number of the CFTC advisory committees. Having a full complement of five Commissioners for the last three and a half-years means that we put lots of you to work. As the current remaining Commissioners, Acting Chair Pham and I are continuing our commitment to advance important multi-stakeholder dialogues through our role as advisory committee sponsors. I am hopeful that we may even find a path to collaborate with joint sessions hosted by the two advisory committees that we sponsor.   
    Today, please allow me to focus my remarks on the importance of our Commission’s advisory committees and highlight some of the suggestions put forth by the Market Risk Advisory Committee (MRAC) following deep engagement on these issues, especially those focused on operational resiliency and derivatives clearing organizations (DCOs) system safeguards, and DCO wind down and recovery plans.
    I know that many of you are familiar with the MRAC and other CFTC advisory committees from your service and support as members of their Committees and Subcommittees. The MRAC was established on May 6, 2014 in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) after the Commission determined that MRAC was necessary and in the public’s interest.[6] MRAC’s purpose is to support the Commission in “promoting [] integrity, resilience, and vibrancy of the U.S. derivatives markets through sound regulation, as well as the monitoring and management of systemic risk.”[7] Since MRAC’s inception, each sponsoring Commissioner has recognized the vital role this advisory committee plays in the development of Commission rules and regulations and utilized MRAC to put forth important reports and recommendations.[8] 
    The MRAC has a diverse membership with deep experience across all corners of the derivatives space, including representatives of clearinghouses, exchanges, intermediaries, market makers, end-users, academia, public interest advocates, and regulators. Diversity of membership in our advisory committees is critically important to their success and will be vital as we address jurisdiction over emerging markets and novel asset classes as well as the continuous evolution of complex liquidity and market risk issues. Without perspectives from every side of the integral issues that these committees address, we run the risk of limiting our supervision and oversight and missing out on the opportunity to effectively address emerging risks to market stability and integrity.
    The benefits of multi-stakeholder gatherings to address emerging market risks cannot be overstated. Sharing a wide variety of perspectives across our markets to engage in deep, thoughtful, and actionable solutions enables regulators and market participants to be prepared to navigate risks with minimal disruptions and maximum resiliency for strong and vibrant derivatives markets in the U.S. and across the world. 
    This, in essence, is why I believe you all meet here on an annual basis as well – because you recognize the value of deliberative engagement. Allow me to share briefly on two issues that are top of mind for me and that the MRAC has made significant progress addressing– operational resilience of our derivatives markets and orderly wind down and recovery for DCOs.
    Navigating the Cyber Landscape for CCPs
    Cybersecurity risks are growing in our markets and must be proactively managed and addressed. In its 2024 Systemic Risk Barometer Survey, the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC) noted that cyber risk was a top five systemic risk to the global economy.[9] Similarly, in May 2024, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated that in the past 20 years, the financial sector has suffered over 20,000 cyber-attacks resulting in $12 billion in losses, and noted that there is a growing inequality between cyber resilient organizations and those that lack the resilience to withstand and prevent attacks.[10] Recent events demonstrate the chaos that cybersecurity events can cause for our markets, resulting in billions in losses.
    As many of you are aware, in January of 2023, ION Cleared Derivatives (ION) experienced a significant cyberattack. ION provides important back-office services for many global futures commission merchants (FCMs) and other market participants. ION’s effective operations and successful provision of these critical services enable many market participants to clear and settle a significant volume of global transactions on a daily basis. The cyberattack on ION triggered a series of disruptions across markets. Those who rely on ION to perform critical functions were taken offline and many had to rely on manual trade processing. The outage similarly delayed the Commission’s ability to deliver timely the Commitments to Traders reports.
    Two years later, in a very different corner of markets, on February 21, 2025, Bybit, a popular cryptocurrency exchange, lost nearly $1.5 billion in losses in mostly Ether from a hacking incident.[11] The Bybit hack represented one of the single largest losses by any cryptocurrency exchange since the first Bitcoin was mined. 
    The hackers identified a vulnerability in Bybit’s transaction approval process hosted through smart contract logic in off chain infrastructure. What appeared to be a routine transfer from Bybit’s Ethereum cold wallet ended up being a rerouting of the transaction to the hacker’s wallets. What kinds of vulnerabilities have enabled hackers to capture hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency? Commonly deployed tactics include phishing, supply chain compromises, and private key thefts. 
    In the context of the Bybit hack, reports indicate that the hackers accessed critical Bybit systems through a third party provided critical infrastructure system and used this access point to inject malicious software that detected and modified outgoing transactions in real time.[12] Hackers appear to have gained access to an off chain Safe user interface provided by a third-party service provider.[13]
    To provide guardrails for these types of issues, in December 2023, the Commission unanimously approved a proposed rule that would create an operational resilience framework for FCMs, swap dealers (SDs) and major swap participants (MSPs) to “identify, monitor, manage, and assess risks relating to information and technology security, third-party relationships, and emergencies or other significant disruptions to normal business operations”.[14] The proposed rule included three components: (1) an information and technology security program; (2) a third-party relationship program; and (3) a business continuity and disaster recovery plan. Each of these components was designed to deliver frameworks to establish protections to FCMs, SDs, and MSPs and, in an event like the ION Derivatives cyberattack, a plan to continue business as normal while post-mortem checks are completed.
    I want to highlight one of the risks that the proposed ORF seeks to address – concentration risks associated with critical third-party service providers. As early back as 2019, the FSB released a report on third-party dependencies in cloud services and considerations on financial stability implications, including implications of market concentration on competition.[15] These risks can be heightened for smaller or medium sized firms, who may lack both the resources to develop technology in house as well as the bargaining power to negotiate with limited service providers in many cases. 
    Evidence, as well as our experience in working towards the operational resilience framework, indicates that this may be more pronounced in the markets we regulate where there may be even more limited vendors that can provide the sophisticated technologies often used in the derivatives industry. This is not only a potential issue for compliance with regulations and risk management, but also a business risk for market participants.
    The Central Counterparty (CCP) Risk & Governance Subcommittee of MRAC recognized the need for a rule like ORF to create a regulatory framework for cybersecurity preparedness and business continuity for cyberattacks and built out a proposal to expand the scope to include DCOs and bolster system safeguards for critical third-party service providers.[16]
    MRAC’s Recommendation on DCO System Safeguards for Critical Third-Party Service Providers
    The DCO System Safeguards recommendations are an example of MRAC’s proactive response to a potential risk identified. The recommendations also highlight the value of the CFTC advisory committees and the potential for diverse stakeholders who may have divergent perspectives to work together to make real progress towards making our markets more resilient. 
    A technology and operations workstream of the CCP Risk & Governance Subcommittee began evaluating issues related to cybersecurity and third-party risk management in early 2023. In March of that year, MRAC held a “first-of-its-kind” public meeting to discuss the cybersecurity event at ION Cleared Derivatives that led to a ripple effect across our markets. This was the first chance for experts across our industry to come together following the ION cyberattack to evaluate the event and begin to map out next steps to ensure cyber preparedness among market participants, service providers, and other sources that have the potential to impact our markets. 
    At the meeting, Futures Industry Association (FIA) President and CEO Walt Lukken announced the creation of a new Cyber Risk Taskforce, the National Futures Association (NFA) President and CEO Tom Sexton discussed NFA’s role in standard setting to mitigate cyberthreats, and we heard from other experts including those from the White House’s Office of the National Cyber Director, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and of course, the CFTC, on strategies to enhance the security and resilience of financial markets in the face of new and evolving cyber threats. 
    Later the same year, the FIA Cyber Risk Taskforce issued an After Action Report outlining the challenges facing our markets.[17] Key findings in the report include a lack of communication amongst market participants in the wake of a cyber incident and the need to connect our market with the broader financial sector to learn from and share the best operational resilience strategies for cyber events. The After Action Report made six recommendations based on their findings: (1) the creation of an “Industry Resilience Committee” to help develop information channels with respect to operational and cyber resilience; (2) connecting our industry with sector-wide specialist groups who focus on operational resilience across our markets; (3) a self-reflective review of our market participant’s policies and procedures for cyber incidents; (4) the establishment of procedures for sharing critical data and information during cyber incidents; (5) identification of ways to assess risk to create more robust operational resilience frameworks; and (6) participation in regularly held cyber preparedness exercises.[18]
    The CCP Risk & Governance Committee recognized that there may have been some important gaps in operational resilience and took up the mantle to continue to examine areas not fully addressed by the Commission. The Subcommittee’s recommendations highlight the importance of cyber resilience in DCOs and the need for a more robust regulatory framework. These recommendations, which the MRAC voted to advance to the Commission, would improve upon the existing framework and require that DCOs establish, implement, and maintain a third-party relationship management program. 
    The CCP Risk & Governance Committee’s report focuses on CFTC Rule 39.18, which establishes system safeguard standards for DCOs and addresses outsourcing but does not expressly discuss third-party relationships. The CCP Risk and Governance recommendations build upon the framework of Rule 39.18 by adding a third-party risk management program to (b)(2). The proposal suggests that a robust third party relationship management program that identifies, assesses, mitigates, and monitors the full risks that are associated with using third party arrangements for critical services should include robust risk management frameworks like policies and procedures that cover the lifecycle of the relationship, personnel assigned to onboarding and diligence of the third party relationships, risk-based monitoring, and more. 
    The recommendations build upon the philosophy of the DCO Core Principles, lessons learned and best practices from voices across the industry, and international standard setting bodies. As noted in the report,

    These principles are intended to reflect lessons learned from industry efforts and best practices in derivatives, the guidance notes in Form DCO, the NFA interpretive guidance, lessons learned from the wider context of third-party relationship management, as well as the principles enunciated in the PFMIs. Incorporating these principles in Commission regulations would enable the Commission to update its regulatory framework with respect to critical third party service providers and to bring its regulations in line with internationally accepted standards, while maintaining a principles based approach to regulation.[19]

    Operational resilience, and especially third-party risk management, is a key issue for me, which I continue to track closely and to discuss frequently with my colleagues at the CFTC and at other agencies, as well as with market participants that we regulate, and at events like these. I frequently request that we take these issues seriously and continue to consider actionable steps to address them. As I’ve noted previously, “effectively combatting cyber threats will require a coordinated effort among regulators and industry,” and I am committed to continuing to foster conversations about how we can work together to make our markets safer and more resilient.[20]
    I expect that MRAC will continue to consider issues related to cyber resilience and third-party risk management, including as the risks continue to evolve and AI-enhanced cybersecurity creates new or heightened risks.
    DCO Recovery and Wind Down: Parallelism with International Standards
    Similarly, the CCP Risk and Governance Subcommittee has outlined supplemental reforms that complement Commission staff work that aims to ensure recovery and orderly wind-down of DCOs as part of the post-crisis reforms and important robust preventative resilience framework. Since reforms adopted in the U.S. under the Dodd-Frank Act, international standard-setting bodies have adopted principles, guidance, and standards to support and inform national policymakers on CCP regulation.[21] The Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO and together with CPMI, CPMI-IOSCO) and the FSB have published numerous reports on these issues on resilience, recovery, and resolution.[22] In 2012, CPMI-IOSCO published a report setting forth 24 principles that financial market infrastructures, like CCPs, should apply, with the goal of enhancing safety and efficiency.[23] The principles, called the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructures (or PFMI), set forth four foundational pillars for managing financial risk associated with CCPs: governance arrangements of CCPs, comprehensive risk management frameworks, financial resources allocated to loss absorption, and stress testing for both credit and liquidity exposures. 
    The FSB issued guidelines[24] as well and worked together with CPMI-IOSCO to assess CCP financial resources in connection with recovery and resolution.[25] In the following years, the Commission took up a similar path, issuing a proposed rule that would apply guidelines and requirements for recovery and orderly wind down plans that are already required for systemically important DCOs (SIDCOs) and Subpart C DCOs to all DCOs.[26] 
    The Proposed DCO Recovery and Wind-Down Rule is robust and important to the Commission and its market participants. Again, MRAC and the CCP Risk & Governance Subcommittee identified four main areas to recommend enhancements: supervisory stress testing of recovery and wind-down plans; conducting recovery scenarios and analysis; inclusion of non-default loss (NDL) in recovery and wind-down plans; and porting of customer positions and collateral during a CCP resolution and clearing member default.[27]
    The MRAC’s Recommendations on DCO Recovery and Orderly Wind-Down Plans; Information for Resolution Planning
    At its April 2024 meeting, the MRAC approved another set of recommendations from the CCP Risk & Governance Subcommittee on DCO recovery and orderly wind-down plans and advanced them to the Commission. The recovery and resolution workstream worked on these recommendations in parallel with the Commission developing the Proposed DCO Recovery and Wind-Down Rule and aimed to support the staff in its drafting and the Commission in its consideration of such a rule. 
    The report included background about the importance of DCOs and CCPs in derivatives markets and actions taken both domestically and internationally to strengthen their resilience, some of which I have shared with you here today. The recommendations in the report demonstrate the depth of expertise available to the Commission through advisory committees and the inclusive nature of all participating viewpoints. For example, the recommendation to implement supervisory stress tests came with a caveat – while subcommittee members representing end-users, FCMs, and academia believed that stress tests should be required to take place annually, subcommittee members representing DCOs did not believe that the frequency of reverse stress tests should be annual but should be determined by Commission staff.[28] This is a prime example of why continued participation and robust discussion amongst all viewpoints is a necessity when evaluating the complex issues that face our markets. Although the Commission has yet to complete a final rulemaking on this topic, I hope that the recommendations made by MRAC in this report can provide a roadmap for future engagement.
    The Work Continues
    I will not have sufficient time today to share all of the details about all of the reports or recommendations that that MRAC has advanced during my time at the Commission, but if you will indulge me, I would like to say a word about some of the other projects that have been completed over the past two years. 
    The Market Structure Subcommittee developed a report and recommendations on the Treasury cash-futures basis trade and effective risk management practices, which the MRAC voted to advance to the Commission. The report takes a thoughtful and comprehensive look at the basis trade, including its mechanics and parties involved, the disruptions experienced in March 2020 during broader COVID-19-related market turmoil, and its impacts on the broader economy), and identifies both benefits and risks before the recommending effective risk management practices associated with the cash-futures basis trade.[29] 
    At the most recent MRAC meeting, Josh Frost, then-Assistant Secretary for Financial Markets at the Treasury Department, and members of the Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee spoke about the importance of Treasury markets and their role in price discovery and liquidity across the financial system, drawing on perspectives from a number of participants in the ecosystem, including both asset managers and hedge funds that participate in the basis trade. This discussion was a good example of the importance of the work of the MRAC on topics that have real implications for our market ecosystem, and the value of bringing together different voices to achieve a deeper, more informed understanding of important issues and how best we can address them.
    To take one more example, earlier last year, the MRAC Market Structure Subcommittee issued a report sharing results from a survey of data on FCMs spanning 2003-2023,[30] which showed some interesting trends in capacity and concentration. At a recent trade association meeting, FIA Boca, I described issues that I believe are critical for the Commission to consider as we begin to explore clearing U.S. Treasuries. 
    The data collected in the MRAC Market Structure Subcommittee report outlines industry concentration in the market for FCM services despite the growth of the industry. For example, the survey showed a disproportionate amount of increase in bank-affiliated FCMs and increased concentration of broker-dealer-FCMs that are dully registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All of the top ten industry positions in terms of holdings of customer funds were associated with banks or broker-dealers, and they accounted for more than 80% of all customer funds.
    Conclusion
    We must continue to support our advisory committees and robust multi-stakeholder engagement. Each significantly benefit the stability and integrity of our markets. 
    Before closing, I would like to personally thank everyone that has supported the MRAC in any way, through service as an MRAC member, participation on a workstream to advance a set of recommendations to the Commission, by serving as an expert presenter at a meeting, or just tuning into the CFTC YouTube page to watch a meeting – thank you for dedicating your time. If you have not served on an advisory committee, I encourage you to consider service and the potential to contribute to the important engagement that service offers. 
    The broader CFTC community is part of what makes this agency so special and enables us to punch above our weight. It has been an honor to work with and learn from all of you, and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together next. 

    [1] Commissioner Johnson to Deliver Keynote Address at the 2022 CCP12 Annual General Meeting in Madrid (June 22, 2022), https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/Events/opaeventjohnson062222; Commissioner Johnson to Provide a Keynote Speech and Participate in a Fireside Chat at the CCP-12 Annual General Meeting (June 14, 2023), https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/Events/opaeventjohnson061523. As in my previous speeches, the views I express today are my own and not the views of the Commission, my fellow Commissioners or the staff of the CFTC.
    [2] Opening Remarks of Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, at the WHO Media Briefing on COVID-19 (March 11, 2020), https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19—11-march-2020.
    [3] Sir Jon Cunliffe, Keynote Address at the FIA & SIFMA Asset Management Derivatives Forum 2022 (Feb. 9, 2022), https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/speech/2022/february/jon-cunliffe-keynote-address-fia-sifma-asset-management-derivatives-forum.
    [4] FSB Interim Report, Lessons Learnt from the COVID-19 Pandemic from a Financial Stability Perspective (July 13, 2021), https://www.fsb.org/uploads/P281021-2.pdf.
    [5] See CFTC Regulation 39.13, applying a principles-based approach to managing procyclicality, and Article 41 of EMIR and Article 28 of the Regulatory Technical Standards, requiring CCPs to implement specific margin procyclicality mitigants.
    [6] Market Risk Advisory Committee, 79 Fed. Reg. 25844 (May 6, 2014), https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2014/05/06/2014-10325/market-risk-advisory-committee.
    [7] CFTC, Renewal Chart of the Market Risk Advisory Committee (Apr. 16, 2024) (accessible at https://www.cftc.gov/About/AdvisoryCommittees/MRAC).
    [8] See, e.g.,  Opening Statement of Acting Chairman Rostin Behnam before the Market Risk Advisory Committee (Feb. 23, 2021), https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/SpeechesTestimony/behnamstatement022321 (“Advisory committees like MRAC are vehicles for change, challenge, and perhaps most importantly, debate and consensus.”); Statement of Commissioner Sharon Bowen before the Market Risk Advisory Committee (Apr. 2, 2025), https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/SpeechesTestimony/bowenstatement040215 (“The information and recommendations from this Committee will be invaluable”). For a list of reports and recommendations set forth by the MRAC, see Market Risk Advisory Committee, CFTC, https://www.cftc.gov/About/AdvisoryCommittees/MRAC.  
    [9] DTCC, Systemic Risk Barometer Survey, 2024 Risk Forecast (2024), https://www.dtcc.com/-/media/downloads/Systemic-Risk/29873-Systemic_Risk-2024.
    [10] World Economic Forum, Global financial stability at risk due to cyber threats, IMF warns. Here’s what to know (May 15, 2024), https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/05/financial-sector-cyber-attack-threat-imf-cybersecurity/; see also World Economic Forum, Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2024 (January 11, 2024), https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-cybersecurity-outlook-2024/. 
    [11] Vicky Ge Huang and Robert McMillan, How the Biggest Crypto Hack Ever Nearly Destroyed the World’s No. 2 Exchange, WSJ (Mar. 6, 2025), https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/how-the-biggest-crypto-hack-ever-nearly-destroyed-the-worlds-no-2-exchange-ee273a3a?msockid=26f265067f5965a63f6273047e1464d0.  
    [12] Alexandra Andhov, Inside The Bybit Hacking Incident: Lessons From The Breach, Forbes (Apr. 1, 2025), https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2025/04/01/inside-the-bybit-hacking-incident-lessons-from-the-breach/; see also Sandy Carter, Latest On The Bybit Record Breaking 1.4 Billion Dollar Crypto Hack, Forbes (Feb. 21, 2025), https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2025/02/21/latest-on-the-bybit-record-breaking-14-billion-dollar-crypto-hack/.  
    [13] Taylar Rajic, The ByBit Heist and the Future of U.S. Crypto Regulation, CSIS (Mar. 18, 2025), https://www.csis.org/analysis/bybit-heist-and-future-us-crypto-regulation.
    [14] CFTC, Operational Resilience Framework for Futures Commission Merchants, Swap Dealers, and Major Swap Participants, 89 Fed. Reg. 4706 (proposed Jan. 24, 2024). 
    [15] Third-party dependencies in cloud services, Considerations on financial stability implications, FSB (Dec. 9, 2019), https://www.fsb.org/uploads/P091219-2.pdf. 
    [16] Recommendations on DCO System Safeguards Standards for Third Party Service Providers, Central Counterparty Risk and Governance (CCP) Subcommittee, Market Risk Advisory Committee of the U.S. CFTC (Dec. 2024) (available at https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/Events/opaeventmrac121024). 
    [17] FIA Taskforce On Cyber Risk After Action Report and Findings, FIA (Sept. 2023), https://www.fia.org/sites/default/files/2023-09/FIA_Taskforce%20on%20Cyber%20Risk_Recommendations_SEPT2023_Final2.pdf.
    [18] Id.
    [19] Recommendations on DCO System Safeguards Standards for Third Party Service Providers, Central Counterparty (CCP) Risk and Governance Subcommittee, MRAC (Dec. 2024) (available at https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/Events/opaeventmrac040924).
    [20] Keynote Remarks of Commissioner Kristin Johnson at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (May 29, 2025), https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/SpeechesTestimony/opajohnson19.
    [21] Recommendations on Derivatives Clearing Organizations Recovery and Orderly Wind-Down Plans; Information for Resolution Planning, CCP Risk and Governance Subcommittee, MRAC (Aug. 2024) (available at https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/Events/opaeventmrac040924).
    [22] Id. 
    [23] CPMI-IOSCO, Principles for Financial Market Infrastructures (April 16, 2012), https://www.bis.org/cpmi/publ/d101.htm; see also CPMI-IOSCO, Resilience and Recovery of Central Counterparties (CCPs): Further Guidance on the PFMI – Consultative Report (August 16, 2016), https://www.bis.org/cpmi/publ/d149.htm; CPMI-IOSCO, Implementation Monitoring of PFMI: Level 3 Assessment – Report on the Financial Risk Management and Recovery Practices of 10 Derivatives CCPs (August 16, 2016), https://www.bis.org/cpmi/publ/d148.htm.
    [24] FSB, Guidance on Central Counterparty Resolution and Resolution Planning (July 5, 2017) https://www.fsb.org/2017/07/guidance-on-central-counterparty-resolution-and-resolution-planning-2/; FSB, Guidance on Financial Resources to Support CCP Resolution and on the Treatment of CCP Equity in Resolution (November 16, 2020), https://www.fsb.org/2020/11/guidance-on-financial-resources-to-support-ccp-resolution-and-on-the-treatment-of-ccp-equity-in-resolution/.
    [25] FSB, Central Counterparty Financial Resources for Recovery and Resolution (March 10, 2022), https://www.fsb.org/2022/03/central-counterparty-financial-resources-for-recovery-and-resolution/.
    [26] CFTC, Derivatives Clearing Organizations Recovery and Orderly Wind-Down Plans; Information for Resolution Planning, 88 Fed. Reg. 48968 (proposed July 28, 2023) (Proposed DCO Recovery and Wind-Down Rule).
    [27] Recommendations on Derivatives Clearing Organizations Recovery and Orderly Wind-Down Plans; Information for Resolution Planning, CCP Risk and Governance Subcommittee, MRAC (Aug. 2024) (available at https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/Events/opaeventmrac040924).
    [28] Id.
    [29] The Treasury Cash-Futures Basis Trade and Effective Risk Management Practices, MRAC (Dec. 2024) (available at https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/Events/opaeventmrac121024).
    [30] Market Structure Subcommittee Data and Analysis Regarding FCM Capacity, MRAC (Apr. 2024) (available at https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/Events/opaeventmrac040924).

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Great Southern Bancorp, Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2025 Preliminary Earnings Release Date and Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SPRINGFIELD, Mo., June 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Great Southern Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:GSBC), the holding company for Great Southern Bank, expects to report second quarter preliminary earnings after the market closes on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, and host a conference call on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. Central Time (3:00 p.m. Eastern Time).

    The call will be available live or later in a recorded version at the Company’s Investor Relations website, https://investors.greatsouthernbank.com.

    Participants may register for the call here. While not required, it is recommended that participants join 10 minutes prior to the event start. Instructions are provided to ensure the necessary audio applications are downloaded and installed. Users can obtain these programs at no cost.

    The Company will notify the public that second quarter 2025 results have been issued through a news release and will post the results to the Company’s Investor Relations website. The earnings release will also be available on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) website, www.sec.gov, as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K that will be furnished by the Company to the SEC.

    About Great Southern Bank

    Headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, Great Southern offers a broad range of banking services to customers. The Company operates 89 retail banking centers in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Arkansas and Nebraska and commercial lending offices in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Omaha, and Phoenix. The common stock of Great Southern Bancorp, Inc. is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “GSBC.”

    CONTACT:

    Jeff Tryka, CFA,
    Investor Relations,
    (616) 233-0500
    GSBC@lambert.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cramer, Colleagues Lead Effort to Strengthen Review of Foreign Land Purchases Near Military Sites

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

    BISMARCK, N.D. – In 2021, the Chinese Fufeng Group purchased 370 acres of land for a wet-corn milling plant 12 miles from Grand Forks Air Force Base (GFAFB), alarming the community. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) was a vocal opponent of the purchase due to national security concerns, given the food manufacturer’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party and the sensitive work performed at the base. He requested the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) review the investment. The committee ultimately concluded it lacked the legal jurisdiction to make a determination, regardless of the merits of the case. In a January 2023 letter, the U.S. Air Force officially asserted the Fufeng project “presents a significant threat to national security with both near- and long-term risks of significant impacts to our operations in the area.”

    In the years since, Cramer has been at the forefront of expanding CFIUS’ jurisdiction. He joined fellow Senate Banking Committee members U.S. Senators Tim Scott (R-SC), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Kennedy (R-LA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Banks (R-IN), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), and Dave McCormick (R-PA) in introducing the Protect Our Bases Act to update records of military, intelligence, and national laboratory facilities, which should be designated as sensitive sites for national security purposes.

    “Every time a foreign adversary acquires land near U.S. military installations and sensitive sites, the safety and security of our nation is at risk,” said Cramer. “The Protect our Bases Act will allow CFIUS to make necessary updates to hold our adversaries accountable, protect us from potential national security threats, and bring much-needed transparency and clarity to the table. We should discourage land being sold to bad people.”

    The Protect Our Bases Act provides CFIUS with streamlined authority to address foreign adversary investment near sensitive national security sites in the United States rather than rely on member agencies to maintain updated lists of sensitive sites. These lists are used as the basis to review transactions. The legislation will consolidate statutory authorities for CFIUS to utilize its list of sensitive national security sites, including U.S. military installations, intelligence facilities, and national laboratories. It also requires committee members to update their equities on the list annually and reporting to Congress on CFIUS actions and reviews related to listed sites.

    Following the Fufeng controversy, CFIUS expanded jurisdiction over GFAFB and seven other bases. Cramer cosponsored amendments included in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act to defend national security against these concerning investments. The Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations minibus included language Cramer supported to add the Secretary of Agriculture to CFIUS to review foreign agricultural and biotechnology purchases of national concern. He also introduced legislation empowering governors to proactively ask CFIUS whether a proposed transaction would warrant or trigger a review prior to the project’s development.

    Click here for bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Tenney Reintroduces Legislation to Protect Gun Owners Regardless of Financial Status

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22)

    Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today reintroduced the Protecting Gun Owners in Bankruptcy Act, reaffirming her commitment to defending the Second Amendment rights of all Americans, regardless of their financial status.

     Additional cosponsors of this legislation include Representatives Mike Collins (GA-10), Burgess Owens (UT-4), and Randy Weber (TX-14).

    The bill ensures that up to $3,000 worth of firearms are exempt from bankruptcy proceedings, recognizing them as essential property. Current federal law exempts a certain value of property from bankruptcy proceedings that allow the debtor to maintain a basic standard of living, such as musical instruments, jewelry, and a television. However, federal law fails to provide a specific exemption for firearms, a constitutionally guaranteed right that allows individuals to defend themselves.

    “The Second Amendment is a Constitutional right for all Americans, regardless of their financial situation. No American should ever be forced to forfeit their right to self-defense because they’re going through financial hardship. This legislation ensures that the Constitutional right to own a firearm is protected, no matter the financial situation,” said Congresswoman Tenney.

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Alexander Novak: It is necessary to ensure structural transformation and increased efficiency of the economy

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The discussion was also attended by the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Special Representative of the President for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries Kirill Dmitriev, Chairman of the State Corporation VEB.RF Igor Shuvalov, Chief Executive Officer of Alfa-Bank Vladimir Verkhoshinsky, Chairman of the Management Board of Gazprom Neft PJSC Alexander Dyukov, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the AEON Infrastructure Corporation Roman Trotsenko.

    In 2024, the IMF recognized Russia as the world’s fourth largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity. In order to maintain and increase such results by 2030, it is necessary to continue growing steadily. This task, as Alexander Novak emphasized, will require serious efforts.

    “The President outlined the task of achieving growth rates of the Russian economy above the world average. For this purpose, the national project “Efficient and Competitive Economy” was formed and the President defined the national goal – a sustainable and dynamic economy. We need to create conditions for achieving economic growth,” said Alexander Novak.

    He added that the economy has been growing at a high rate over the past two years – above 4% per year. In the first four months of 2025, GDP growth was 1.5%. In April, according to the Ministry of Economic Development, it was 1.9%. There is a controlled cooling of the economy and a strict monetary policy is being implemented to combat inflation.

    “I am confident that as a result we will reach our potential for economic growth – 3% per year. To do this, it is necessary to structurally change and modernize the economy, increase the share of non-resource industries, support and ensure technological leadership. We are talking about such industries as microelectronics, pharmaceuticals, shipbuilding and aircraft construction, robotics, mechanical engineering and machine tool building, etc.,” said Alexander Novak.

    Speaking about systemic development, he stressed that it is also necessary to ensure the operation of basic industries that today form the basis of the economy. These are the fuel and energy complex, the forestry complex, transport, and infrastructure. At the same time, the task of increasing efficiency concerns all industries. To do this, it is necessary to introduce modern technologies, switch to platform digital solutions, and increase labor productivity. This will ensure investment growth. And the state, in turn, guarantees support for entrepreneurship through national projects, the creation and improvement of development institutions, and the training of professional personnel.

    “This work will be effective with the joint efforts of the federal center, regions and business, which will ensure sustainable economic growth, allowing it to be fourth in the world and move forward in the long term,” the Deputy Prime Minister concluded.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Alexander Novak: For sustainable economic growth it is important to create a favorable investment climate

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak took part in the session “Business Climate of Russia. National Model and Regional Opportunities” at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The session was also attended by Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, General Director of JSC “Barkli” Leonid Kazinets, Chairman of the public organization “Business Russia”, founder of the R-Pharm group of companies Alexey Repik.

    Alexander Novak recalled that one of the key tasks for economic development set by the President is to increase investment by 60% by 2030 and ensure sustainable economic growth in the long term.

    “To achieve ambitious goals to attract investment to the economy, it is important to create a favorable investment climate. Much work has been done in this direction in recent years. The National Entrepreneurial Initiative, the National Investment Climate Rating, and “Business Climate Transformation” were launched. In 2020, as a result of this work, our country moved up in the Doing Business rating from 123rd to 28th place. In certain areas, the breakthrough was even more significant. We worked on simplifying procedures and reducing the time it takes for organizations to connect to networks in the electric power industry. Thanks to the successful joint work of businesses with the Government and the regions, we moved up from 168th to 8th place in the rating for this indicator,” said Alexander Novak.

    Among other important steps to improve the investment climate, he named the implementation of a project to reengineer industrial construction rules, the reform of regulatory authorities, the improvement of corporate regulation, and the introduction of regional and municipal investment standards. All of this has had a positive impact on investment activity in the regions and throughout the country, but today this work needs to be restarted in order to enter the top twenty countries among 180 participants in the World Bank’s Be Ready investment climate business rating by 2030.

    To this end, on the instructions of the President, a national model of target conditions for doing business is being developed jointly with the Agency for Strategic Initiatives. With the participation of businesses, representatives of federal and regional authorities, 11 working groups have been created for the entire life cycle of business: from registering a company to deploying work within the country and selling its products abroad. Business conditions will be improved according to 40 criteria and 150 indicators at the federal level and 27 indicators at the regional level.

    The national model of target conditions for doing business will be launched next year, which will help to achieve one of the national goals of attracting investment into the Russian economy.

    At the end of the session, Alexander Novak announced the results of the National Investment Climate Rating for 2025. The Deputy Prime Minister presented an honorary diploma for first place to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin – the capital became the leader of the rating. Two regions at once took second place in the rating: Nizhny Novgorod and the Republic of Tatarstan. Third place was taken by the Moscow Region and the Republic of Bashkortostan.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Concludes the Fifth Reviews Under the Extended Fund Facility and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility with Barbados

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    June 20, 2025

    • The IMF Executive Board concluded the fifth and final reviews under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) arrangements with Barbados, allowing an immediate disbursement of about US$19 million under the EFF arrangement and about US$39 million under the RSF arrangement.
    • Implementation of the home-grown Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT 2022) plan has remained strong and the broad objectives of the EFF and RSF arrangements have been achieved. Macroeconomic stability has been reinforced, and reforms have been implemented to boost fiscal sustainability, enhance growth, and build resilience.
    • Barbados’ economy has continued to perform well. Growth has been robust, inflation has moderated, the fiscal and external positions have improved, and the public debt-to-GDP ratio has continued to decline. The outlook is stable but subject to downside risks, given heightened global uncertainty and vulnerabilities to external shocks and natural disasters.

    Washington, DC: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today concluded the fifth and final reviews of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) arrangements with Barbados. The completion of the reviews allows the authorities to draw the equivalent of SDR 14.175 million (about US$19 million) under the EFF arrangement and SDR 28.35 million (about US$39 million) under the RSF arrangement, bringing total disbursements under the EFF arrangement to SDR 85.05 million (about US$116 million) and SDR 141.75 million (about US$193 million) under the RSF arrangement. The authorities have consented to the publication of the staff report prepared for these reviews.[1]

    Economic activity in 2024 remained robust, with growth estimated at 4 percent, driven by tourism, construction, and business services. Inflation moderated to an average of 1.4 percent due to easing global commodity prices and prices of domestic goods and services. The external position strengthened further, with the current account deficit narrowing to 4.5 percent of GDP, supported by tourism receipts, declining import prices, and one-off current transfers. Gross international reserves reached US$1.6 billion at end-2024, equivalent to over 7 months of import cover, providing continued strong support to the exchange rate peg.

    The near-term outlook is stable. Growth is expected to reach 2.7 percent in 2025, supported by construction of tourism-related projects and government investment. Inflation is expected to pick up in 2025 due to the rising cost of non-fuel imports and some domestic agricultural products. Nevertheless, risks to the outlook are tilted to the downside, amidst the highly uncertain external economic environment and Barbados’ continued vulnerability to global shocks and natural disasters.

    Program performance has remained strong. All quantitative performance criteria and indicative targets were met. The authorities exceeded the primary fiscal surplus target for FY2024/25 and are targeting 4.4 percent of GDP for FY2025/26. Public debt has fallen below 105 percent of GDP, and the authorities remain committed to bringing it down to 60 percent of GDP by FY2035/36. The authorities met the EFF structural benchmarks for the review, including completing the assessment of human resource needs at the Barbados Customs and Excise Department, preparing a public-private partnership (PPP) framework, and developing a daily liquidity forecasting framework. Both reform measures for the RSF fifth review were also implemented. Key elements to strengthen the integration of climate concerns into public financial management have been completed, including the development of project appraisal guidelines, the deepening of fiscal risk analysis, and the preparation of the PPP framework. The Central Bank of Barbados has also included physical climate risk analysis in its bank stress testing.

    Following the Executive Board discussion on Barbados, Mr. Bo Li, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair, issued the following statement:

    “The implementation of Barbados’ homegrown Economic Recovery and Transformation program has remained strong, supported by the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) arrangements. The completion of the fifth and final reviews marks the successful conclusion of the Fund arrangements.

    “While the outlook is stable, risks remain tilted to the downside, given the highly uncertain external economic environment and Barbados’ vulnerability to shocks and natural disasters. The authorities remain strongly committed to ensuring macroeconomic stability and implementing structural reforms to boost potential growth and build resilience.

    “Maintaining strong fiscal surpluses will be necessary to achieve the public debt target of 60 percent of GDP by FY2035/36. The authorities’ focus on strengthening revenue mobilization and improving public financial management is appropriate. These measures will be key to preserving fiscal sustainability and creating space for public investment. Finalizing ambitious reforms of state-owned enterprises is a priority. The authorities are taking the necessary steps to mobilize external financing.

    “The exchange rate peg remains a critical anchor for macroeconomic stability, supported by ample international reserves. Measures have been taken to strengthen the monetary policy framework and financial safety nets. Efforts to enhance the local payments market and infrastructure are advancing, with the goal of moving to a digital payments system in 2026.

    “Reforms to improve the business environment and boost growth potential are key. Important measures include advancing the digitalization of government services and investing in skills and education. The authorities focus on boosting macroeconomic resilience to natural disasters and facilitating the transition to renewable energy is welcome.”

    [1] Under the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, publication of documents that pertain to member countries is voluntary and requires member consent. The staff report will be published shortly on the www.imf.org/Barbados page.

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Meera Louis

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/06/20/pr-25210-barbados-imf-concludes-5th-reviews-under-the-eff-and-resil-and-sustainability-facility

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Disaster Recovery Centers in Garrard, Muhlenberg, Oldham and Webster Counties to Close Permanently; Help is Still Available

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Disaster Recovery Centers in Garrard, Muhlenberg, Oldham and Webster Counties to Close Permanently; Help is Still Available

    Disaster Recovery Centers in Garrard, Muhlenberg, Oldham and Webster Counties to Close Permanently; Help is Still Available

    FRANKFORT, Ky

    –The Disaster Recovery Centers in Garrard, Muhlenberg, Oldham and Webster counties are scheduled to close permanently

    Kentucky survivors who experienced loss as the result of the April severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides can still apply for FEMA assistance

    The Disaster Recovery Centers are located at:Garrard County: Closing permanently Friday, June 20 at 7 p

    m

    Forks of Dix River Baptist Church: 5764 Lexington Road, Lancaster, KY 40444Working hours are Wednesday through this Friday, 9 a

    m

    to 7 p

    m

    Eastern TimeMuhlenberg County: Closing permanently Saturday, June 21 at 7 p

    m

    Fire Training Center: 61 Career Way, Central City, KY 42330Working hours are Wednesday through this Saturday, 9 a

    m

    to 7 p

    m

    Central Time

    Oldham County: Closing permanently Friday, June 20 at 5 p

    m

    Goshen Branch Oldham Co

    Public Library: 3000 Paramont Commons, Prospect, KY 40059Working hours are Wednesday through this Friday, 10 a

    m

    to 5 p

    m

    Eastern Time

    Webster County: Closing permanently Saturday, June 21 at 7 p

    m

    Onton United Methodist Church: 15 Wrightsburg Road, Sebree, KY 42455Working hours are Wednesday through this Saturday, 9 a

    m

    to 7 p

    m

    Central Time

    Disaster Recovery Centers are one-stop shops where you can get information and advice on available assistance from state, federal and community organizations

     You can get help to apply for FEMA assistance, learn the status of your FEMA application, understand the letters you get from FEMA and get referrals to agencies that may offer other assistance

    The U

    S

    Small Business Administration representatives and resources from the Commonwealth are also available at the Disaster Recovery Centers to assist you

    FEMA is encouraging Kentuckians affected by the April storms to apply for federal disaster assistance as soon as possible

    The deadline to apply is July 25

    You can visit any Disaster Recovery Center to get in-person assistance

    No appointment is needed

    To find all other center locations, including those in other states, go to fema

    gov/drc or text “DRC” and a Zip Code to 43362

     You don’t have to visit a center to apply for FEMA assistance

    There are other ways to apply: online at DisasterAssistance

    gov, use the FEMA App for mobile devices or call 800-621-3362

    If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service

    When you apply, you will need to provide:A current phone number where you can be contacted

    Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying

    Your Social Security Number

    A general list of damage and losses

    Banking information if you choose direct deposit

    If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name

    For more information about Kentucky flooding recovery, visit www

    fema

    gov/disaster/4860 and www

    fema

    gov/disaster/4864

    Follow the FEMA Region 4 X account at x

    com/femaregion4

     
    martyce

    allenjr
    Fri, 06/20/2025 – 15:16

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Text adopted – Macro-financial assistance to Egypt – P10_TA(2025)0125 – Wednesday, 18 June 2025 – Strasbourg

    Source: European Parliament

    THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

    Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 212(2) thereof,

    Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

    After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,

    Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure(1),

    Whereas:

    (1)  Relations between the Union and the Arab Republic of Egypt (‘Egypt’) are developed within the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of the other part(2) (the ‘Association Agreement’), in force since 2004. The Union and Egypt adopted the latest EU-Egypt Partnership Priorities (2021-2027) at the ninth EU-Egypt Association Council, established by the Association Agreement, on 19 June 2022 (the ‘Partnership Priorities’). The Partnership Priorities reconfirm the joint aim of addressing common challenges facing the Union and Egypt, promoting joint interests and guaranteeing long-term stability and sustainable development on both sides of the Mediterranean. The shared commitment to the universal values of democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights continues to underpin the Partnership Priorities, as is also reflected in the EU-Egypt Multi-Annual Indicative Programme for the period of 2021-2027 (the ‘EU-Egypt MIP’).

    (2)  The Partnership Priorities reflect the shared commitment of the Union and Egypt to reinforce cooperation in support of Egypt’s ‘Sustainable Development Strategy Vision 2030’ and the Union’s determination to act on a renewed impetus to strengthen the partnership with its Southern Neighbourhood. In particular, in the conclusions of the European Council of 10-11 December 2020, the Union identified a democratic, more stable, greener and more prosperous Southern Neighbourhood as a strategic priority. The EU Agenda for the Mediterranean, and the Economic and Investment Plan for the Southern Neighbours set out in the Joint Communication of the Commission and of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 9 February 2021 entitled ‘Renewed partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood: A new Agenda for the Mediterranean’ present the Union’s objectives of achieving long-term, sustainable socioeconomic recovery and resilience and of advancing the twin green and digital transitions in the region.

    (3)   On 17 March 2024, Egypt and the Union jointly decided to upgrade their relations to a strategic and comprehensive partnership, based on the values of equity and mutual respect and trust in order to strengthen their common stability, peace and prosperity.

    (4)  In line with the Partnership Priorities, the Union and Egypt are committed to ensuring accountability, the rule of law, full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as promoting democracy, gender equality and equal opportunities as constitutional rights of all their citizens. Those commitments contribute to the advancement of the partnership and to Egypt’s sustainable social and economic development, good governance and socio-economic stability. The increased and constructive engagement between the Union and Egypt in the last period has opened the path to more meaningful dialogue on human rights-related issues. In the framework of the Association Agreement, the subcommittee on Political Matters, Human Rights and Democracy – International and Regional issues ▌ and the Association Committee provide the institutional platforms to exchange views on an array of human rights issues, which the Union would like to continue and build upon. The steady future improvement of the human rights situation in Egypt in key areas related to civil, political, economic, social rights and fundamental freedoms regularly addressed by both partners in bilateral and international fora will have a positive impact on relations between the Union and Egypt.

    (5)  Assistance to Egypt is funded mainly through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI-GE), established by Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council(3). The Union’s indicative allocation for Egypt under the NDICI-GE for the first period (2021-2024) of the EU-Egypt MIP was EUR 240 million. This is in addition to the ongoing cooperation portfolio of EUR 1,3 billion and other budget support and emergency measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine amounting to EUR 307 million. The Partnership Priorities for 2021-2027 are reflected in the EU-Egypt MIP, which has been prepared in close consultation with all relevant stakeholders, and cover three broad areas: (i) Sustainable Modern Economy and Social Development; (ii) Partnering in Foreign Policy, and (iii) Enhancing Stability. The NDICI-GE replaces the European Neighbourhood Instrument under which the Union’s bilateral assistance to Egypt for the period 2014-2020 amounted to EUR 756 million.

    (6)  The Union recognises Egypt’s key role for regional security and stability, and has a strong interest in preventing short-term economic instability in Egypt that could have broader consequences and a negative impact on the geopolitical landscape. Terrorism, organised crime, such as human trafficking, irregular migration, disinformation and conflicts, are common threats against common security and the social fabric of nations across both sides of the Mediterranean. The Union acknowledges Egypt’s contribution to addressing such issues. Furthermore, energy security is one of the most pressing challenges facing countries on both sides of the Mediterranean. Energy cooperation between the Union and Egypt could not only offer a source of economic prosperity for the region, but also strengthen energy security by diversifying energy supplies and encouraging regional collaboration. Therefore, the Union and Egypt have a common interest in strengthening cooperation highlighted in the Partnership Priorities, in full compliance with international law, including human rights and international humanitarian law, as well as in promoting joint interests and addressing common challenges.

    (7)  Recalling the global and regional geopolitical challenges, such as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, resulting from the aftermath of the Hamas terrorist attacks across Israel on 7 October 2023, the escalating tensions in the Horn of Africa and the safety of navigation in the Red Sea, as well as migratory pressure from the conflict in Sudan, uncertainties in Syria, the instability in Libya, Egypt’s role as a host to large numbers of refugees and migrants, and the strategic importance of Egypt as the largest country in the region and a pillar of stability for the whole Middle East, the Union has embarked on a strategic and comprehensive partnership with Egypt as outlined in the Joint Declaration of the Union and Egypt, signed in Cairo on 17 March 2024 (the ‘Joint Declaration’).

    (8)  The objective of the strategic and comprehensive partnership with Egypt is to elevate the political relations of the Union and Egypt to a strategic partnership and to enable Egypt to fulfil its key role of providing stability in the region, the Middle East and North Africa. That partnership aims to contribute to supporting Egypt’s macroeconomic resilience and enabling the implementation of ambitious socio-economic reforms in a manner that complements and reinforces the reform process provided for under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme for Egypt. As outlined in the Joint Declaration, the strategic and comprehensive partnership will address a wide set of policy measures clustered across six pillars of intervention, namely political relations, economic stability, investment and trade, migration, security and law enforcement cooperation, demography and human capital. The strategic and comprehensive partnership should be developed in line with initiatives at Union and Member State level.

    (9)  Underpinning the strategic and comprehensive partnership is a financial package of EUR 7,4 billion consisting of short- and longer-term support for the macro-fiscal and socio-economic reform agenda, as well as increased amounts available to support investments in Egypt and targeted support for the implementation of the different strategic priorities, which include renewable energy and migration, amongst others. Part of the support package is the Union’s macro-financial assistance package of up to EUR 5 billion in loans, composed of two macro-financial assistance operations, a short-term operation of a maximum amount of EUR 1 billion and a medium-term operation of a maximum amount of EUR 4 billion. That financial package also includes financial instruments, such as guarantees and blending instruments, aimed to mobilise public and private investments with the objective of generating substantial new investments with positive economic impacts which can benefit all Egyptians. This will be complemented by programmes to support specific priorities under the strategic and comprehensive partnership through individual projects and technical assistance implemented under the NDICI-GE.

    (10)  Egypt’s macro-fiscal situation has faced significant challenges and has deteriorated substantially over recent months, as external pressures have intensified and public debt has increased further, with substantial downside risks to the economic outlook persisting. The repercussions of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the geopolitical tensions and conflicts in the Middle East have led to protracted capital outflows and lower foreign currency receipts, in particular due to sharply easing income from tourism, Suez Canal proceeds, and gas production amid volatility of confidence among foreign investors. This is particularly challenging in Egypt’s difficult fiscal situation, which is characterised by constant fiscal deficits and high and growing debt-to-GDP ratios. Despite that difficult external context, in 2024 Egypt was able to implement reforms, such as the unification of exchange rates and making progress in tightening monetary policy, to help preserve its macroeconomic stability.

    (11)  Egypt’s economic and financial situation has been supported by several disbursing IMF programmes since 2016. Those are a three-year Extended Fund Facility of USD 12 billion adopted in 2016, emergency financial assistance under the Rapid Financing Instrument of USD 2,8 billion adopted in 2020, a one-year Stand-By Arrangement of USD 5,2 billion adopted in 2020, and a four-year Extended Fund Facility of USD 3 billion adopted in 2022 and augmented to USD 8 billion in 2024. Egypt made considerable reform efforts during the first part of its engagement with the IMF in 2016-2021. Reforms included a significant currency devaluation, accompanied by monetary policy reforms focused on an inflation target corridor. Fuel subsidy reform was coupled with a significant strengthening of a targeted social transfer system. Public finance management was strengthened by developing medium-term revenue and debt management strategies. The Egyptian authorities also began improving the governance of state-owned enterprises.

    (12)  After the adoption of a follow-up IMF programme in December 2022, reform progress was less noticeable, although Egypt has implemented steps to level the playing field between public and private companies through a law to abolish the tax privileges of state-owned enterprises, albeit with exemptions on the basis of national security, and through the adoption of a state ownership policy, aimed to reduce the presence of the State in the economy, which remains large and distorting despite recent limited progress, and clarifying the rationale of continued State involvement in certain strategic sectors. However, Egypt did not implement its commitment to make the currency durably flexible in 2023, leading to a largely stable official exchange rate and a substantial parallel currency market with a significantly depreciated and highly volatile exchange rate. That fragmentation weighed heavily on foreign investment and domestic business activity.

    (13)  Egypt re-engaged with the IMF in early 2024, and reached a staff-level agreement on 6 March 2024 on a revamped extended fund facility programme scaled up to USD 8 billion. The new programme was adopted by a Decision of the IMF Executive Board on 29 March 2024, and it aims to address the areas of: (i) credible exchange rate flexibility; (ii) sustainable tightening of monetary policy; (iii) fiscal consolidation to preserve debt sustainability; (iv) a new framework to rein in infrastructure spending; (v) provision of adequate levels of social spending to protect vulnerable groups, including from rises in the cost of living and energy price; and (vi) implementation of the state ownership policy and reforms to level the playing field with a view to promoting the development of the private sector in the economy. Together with the signature of the staff-level agreement, Egypt also enacted a flexibilisation of the exchange rate, and raised the central bank’s key policy rate by a sizeable 600 basis points, in line with the priorities of the IMF programme. Staff-level agreement on the fourth review of Egypt’s economic reform programme was reached in December 2024, and the IMF Executive Board completed the review in March 2025.

    (14)  In view of a worsening economic situation and outlook clouded by substantial downside risks in relation to ongoing external shocks, Egypt requested complementary macro-financial assistance from the Union on 12 March 2024.

    (15)  Given that Egypt is a country covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy, it should be considered to be eligible to receive macro-financial assistance from the Union.

    (16)  The Union’s macro-financial assistance should be an exceptional instrument of untied and undesignated balance-of-payments support, which aims to address Egypt’s immediate external financing needs, and it should underpin the implementation of a policy programme containing strong immediate adjustment and structural reform measures designed to improve Egypt’s balance-of-payments position.

    (17)  Given that there is still a significant residual external financing gap in Egypt’s balance of payments over and above the resources provided by the IMF and other multilateral institutions and regional partners, the Union’s macro-financial assistance to be provided to Egypt is, under the current exceptional circumstances, considered to be an appropriate response to Egypt’s request to the Union to support Egypt’s economic stabilisation, in conjunction with the IMF programme. The Union’s EUR 5 billion macro-financial assistance package, including the macro-financial assistance of up to EUR 4 billion under this Decision, seeks to support the economic stabilisation and the structural reform agenda of Egypt, supplementing resources made available under the IMF programme. The first part of the package, a macro-financial assistance loan of EUR 1 billion, was disbursed in December 2024 after a positive assessment by the Commission.

    (18)  The Union’s macro-financial assistance should aim to support the restoration of a sustainable external financing situation for Egypt, thereby supporting its economic and social development. By fostering stability and prosperity in its Neighbourhood, the provision of the Union’s macro-financial assistance to Egypt could also contribute to the Union’s growth and economic resilience.

    (19)  The determination of the amount of the Union’s macro-financial assistance should be based on a complete quantitative assessment of Egypt’s residual external financing needs and should take into account Egypt’s capacity to finance itself with its own resources, in particular the international reserves at its disposal. The Union’s macro-financial assistance is part of an international joint effort, effectively complementing the programmes and resources provided by the IMF and the World Bank. The determination of the amount of the assistance should also take into account expected financial contributions from multilateral donors and the need to ensure fair burden sharing between the Union and other donors, as well as the pre-existing deployment of the Union’s other external financing instruments in Egypt and the added value of the Union’s overall involvement in Egypt.

    (20)  The Commission should ensure that the Union’s macro-financial assistance is legally and substantially in accordance with the key principles and objectives of the different areas of external action, with measures taken in respect of those areas, and with other relevant Union policies and Union values, such as democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

    (21)  The Union’s macro-financial assistance should support the Union’s external policy towards Egypt. The Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) should work closely together throughout the macro-financial assistance operation in order to coordinate, and ensure the consistency of, the Union’s external policy.

    (22)  The Union’s macro-financial assistance should support Egypt’s commitment to foster values shared with the Union, including democracy, the rule of law, good governance, respect for human rights, sustainable development and poverty reduction, as well as its commitment to the principles of open, rule-based and fair trade.

    (23)  A precondition for granting the Union’s macro-financial assistance to Egypt should be that Egypt continue to make concrete, credible and tangible steps towards respecting effective democratic mechanisms, including a multi-party parliamentary system, and the rule of law, and guaranteeing respect for human rights. In addition, the specific objectives of the Union’s macro-financial assistance should strengthen the efficiency, transparency and accountability of the public finance management systems, the governance and supervision of the financial sector in Egypt, and should promote structural reforms that aim to support sustainable and inclusive growth, decent employment creation and fiscal consolidation. The Commission and the EEAS should regularly monitor the fulfilment of that precondition and the achievement of those specific objectives.

    (24)  The link of the Union’s macro-financial assistance to an on-track disbursing IMF programme, with its strong macro-fiscal framework and rigorous debt sustainability analysis, provides reassurances in relation to Egypt’s repayment capacity. In addition, in order to ensure that the Union’s financial interests linked to the Union’s macro-financial assistance are protected efficiently, Egypt should take appropriate measures relating to the prevention of, and fight against, fraud, corruption and any other irregularities linked to that assistance. The transparent management of funds allocated under the Union’s macro-financial assistance is essential. In addition, a loan agreement to be concluded between the Commission and the Egyptian authorities should contain provisions authorising the European Anti-Fraud Office to carry out investigations, including on-the-spot checks and inspections, in accordance with the provisions and procedures laid down in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council(4) and Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96(5), the Commission and the Court of Auditors to carry out audits and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office to exercise its competences with regard to the provision of the Union’s macro-financial assistance during and after the availability period of that assistance.

    (25)  The release of the Union’s macro-financial assistance is without prejudice to the powers of the European Parliament and the Council as budgetary authority.

    (26)  The amounts of the provision required for macro-financial assistance in the form of loans should be consistent with the budgetary appropriations provided for in the multiannual financial framework.

    (27)  The Union’s macro-financial assistance should be managed by the Commission. In order to ensure that the European Parliament and the Council are able to follow the implementation of this Decision, the Commission should regularly inform them of developments relating to that assistance and provide them with relevant documents.

    (28)  The annual report on the implementation of this Decision should include information on concrete, tangible and credible steps taken by Egypt towards respecting effective democratic mechanisms, including a multi-party parliamentary system, and the rule of law, and guaranteeing respect for human rights.

    (29)  In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Decision, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council(6).

    (30)  The Union’s macro-financial assistance should be subject to economic policy conditions, to be set out in a memorandum of understanding (MoU). In order to ensure uniform conditions of implementation and for reasons of efficiency, the Commission should be empowered to negotiate such conditions with the Egyptian authorities under the supervision of the committee of representatives of the Member States in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011. Under Regulation (EU) No 182/2011, the advisory procedure should, as a general rule, apply in all cases other than as provided for in that Regulation. Considering the potentially significant impact of assistance of more than EUR 90 million, it is appropriate that the examination procedure as specified in Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 be used for operations above that threshold. Considering the amount of the Union’s macro-financial assistance to Egypt, that examination procedure should apply to the adoption of the MoU, and to any reduction, suspension or cancellation of that assistance.

    (31)  Since the objective of this Decision, namely to address Egypt’s external financing needs cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States but can rather be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Decision does not go beyond what is necessary to achieve that objective.

    (32)  In order to enable the prompt provision of macro-financial assistance to Egypt, this Decision should enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union,

    HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

    Article 1

    1.  The Union shall make macro-financial assistance in the form of loans of a maximum amount of up to EUR 4 billion available to Egypt (the ‘Union’s macro-financial assistance’), with a view to supporting Egypt’s economic stabilisation and a substantive reform agenda. The release of the Union’s macro-financial assistance is subject to the adoption of the Union budget for the relevant year by the European Parliament and the Council. The Union’s macro-financial assistance shall contribute to covering Egypt’s balance-of-payments needs as identified in the IMF programme.

    2.  In order to finance the Union’s macro-financial assistance, the Commission shall be empowered, on behalf of the Union, to borrow the necessary funds on the capital markets or from financial institutions and to on-lend them to Egypt.

    3.  The release of the Union’s macro-financial assistance shall be managed by the Commission in a manner consistent with the agreements or understandings reached between the IMF and Egypt, and with the key principles and objectives of economic reforms set out in the Association Agreement.

    The Commission shall regularly inform the European Parliament and the Council of developments regarding the Union’s macro-financial assistance, including disbursements thereof, and shall provide those institutions with the relevant documents in due time.

    4.  The Union’s macro-financial assistance shall be made available for a period of two and a half years, starting from the first day after the date of entry into force of the MoU referred to in Article 3(1).

    5.  Where the financing needs of Egypt decrease fundamentally during the period of the disbursement of the Union’s macro-financial assistance compared to the initial projections, the Commission, acting in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 7(2), shall reduce the amount of the assistance, suspend or cancel it.

    Article 2

    1.  A precondition for granting the Union’s macro-financial assistance shall be that Egypt continue to make concrete and credible steps towards respecting effective democratic mechanisms, including a multi-party parliamentary system, and the rule of law, and guaranteeing respect for human rights.

    2.  The Commission and the EEAS shall monitor the fulfilment of the precondition set out in paragraph 1 throughout the life-cycle of the Union’s macro-financial assistance.

    3.  Paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article shall apply in accordance with Council Decision 2010/427/EU(7).

    Article 3

    1.  The Commission, in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 7(2), shall agree with the Egyptian authorities on clearly defined economic policy and financial conditions, focusing on structural reforms and sound public finances, to which the Union’s macro-financial assistance is to be subject. Those economic policy and financial conditions shall be set out in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which shall include a timeframe for their fulfilment. Those economic policy and financial conditions shall be consistent with the agreements or understandings referred to in Article 1(3), including the macroeconomic adjustment and structural reform programmes implemented by Egypt with the support of the IMF.

    2.  The economic policy and financial conditions referred to in paragraph 1 shall aim, in particular, to enhance the efficiency, transparency and accountability of the public finance management systems in Egypt, including for the use of the Union’s macro-financial assistance. Progress in mutual market opening, including for small and medium-sized enterprises, the development of rule-based and fair trade, sustainable development, good governance and other priorities in the context of the Union’s external policy shall also be duly taken into account when designing the policy measures. The Commission shall regularly monitor Egypt’s progress in attaining those objectives.

    3.  The detailed financial terms of the Union’s macro-financial assistance shall be laid down in a loan agreement to be concluded between the Commission and the Egyptian authorities in accordance with Article 223 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council(8) (the ‘Financial Regulation’) (the ‘loan agreement’).

    4.  The Commission shall verify, at regular intervals, that the conditions referred to in Article 4(3), first subparagraph, continue to be met, including whether the economic policies of Egypt are in accordance with the objectives of the Union’s macro-financial assistance. For the purposes of that verification, the Commission shall coordinate closely with the IMF and the World Bank, and, where necessary, with the European Parliament and with the Council.

    Article 4

    1.  Subject to the conditions referred to in paragraph 3, first subparagraph, the Union’s macro-financial assistance shall be made available by the Commission in instalments. The size of each of those instalments shall be set out in the MoU. An instalment may be disbursed in one or more tranches.

    2.  The amounts of the Union’s macro-financial assistance provided in the form of loans shall be provisioned, where required, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/947.

    3.  The Commission shall decide on the release of the instalments subject to the fulfilment of the following conditions:

    (a)  the precondition set out in Article 2(1);

    (b)  a continuous satisfactory track record of implementing a policy programme that contains strong adjustment and structural reform measures supported by a non-precautionary IMF credit arrangement; and

    (c)  the satisfactory implementation of the economic policy and financial conditions agreed in the MoU.

    The release of the second instalment shall not, in principle, take place earlier than three months after the release of the first instalment. The release of the third instalment shall not, in principle, take place earlier than three months after the release of the second instalment.

    4.  Where the conditions set out in paragraph 3, first subparagraph, are not met, the Commission shall temporarily suspend or cancel the disbursement of the Union’s macro-financial assistance. In such cases, it shall inform the European Parliament and the Council without delay of the reasons for that suspension or cancellation.

    5.  The Union’s macro-financial assistance shall be disbursed to the Central Bank of Egypt. Subject to the agreed provisions set out in the MoU, including a confirmation of residual budgetary financing needs, the Union funds may be transferred by the Central Bank of Egypt to the Egyptian Ministry of Finance as the final beneficiary.

    Article 5

    1.  In order to finance the Union’s macro-financial assistance in the form of loans, the Commission shall be empowered, on behalf of the Union, to borrow the necessary funds on the capital markets or from financial institutions in accordance with Article 224 of the Financial Regulation.

    2.  The Commission shall enter into a loan agreement referred to in Article 3(3) in respect of the amount referred to in Article 1. The loan agreement shall lay down the availability period and the detailed terms of the Union’s macro-financial assistance, including in relation to the internal control systems. Egypt shall repay the loan, which shall be granted on terms that allow its repayment over a long period, including a possible grace period. The maximum duration of the loan shall be 35 years. ▌

    3.   The Commission shall inform the European Parliament and the Council of developments in the operations referred to in paragraph 2.

    Article 6

    1.  The Unions macro-financial assistance shall be implemented in accordance with the Financial Regulation.

    2.  The Union’s macro-financial assistance shall be implemented under direct management.

    3.  Before the implementation of the Union’s macro-financial assistance, the Commission shall assess, by means of an operational assessment, the soundness of Egypt’s financial arrangements, administrative procedures, and internal and external control mechanisms which are relevant to the assistance.

    Article 7

    1.  The Commission shall be assisted by a committee. That committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011.

    2.  Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.

    Article 8

    1.  By 30 June of each year, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and to the Council a report on the implementation of this Decision in the preceding year, including an evaluation of that implementation. That report shall:

    (a)  examine the progress made in implementing the Union’s macro-financial assistance;

    (b)  assess the economic situation and prospects of Egypt, as well as progress made in implementing the policy measures referred to in Article 3(1);

    (c)  indicate the connection between the economic policy and financial conditions set out in the MoU, Egypt’s on-going economic and fiscal performance and the Commission’s decisions to release the instalments of the Union’s macro-financial assistance, while outlining concrete and credible steps taken towards respecting democratic mechanisms and the rule of law and guaranteeing human rights.

    2.  Not later than two years after the expiry of the availability period referred to in Article 1(4), the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and to the Council an ex post evaluation report, assessing the results and efficiency of the completed Union’s macro-financial assistance and the extent to which it has contributed to the aims of the assistance.

    Article 9

    This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

    Done at …,

    For the European Parliament For the Council

    The President The President

    (1) Position of the European Parliament of 18 June 2025.
    (2) OJ L 304, 30.9.2004, p. 39.
    (3) Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe, amending and repealing Decision No 466/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulation (EU) 2017/1601 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 480/2009 (OJ L 209, 14.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/947/oj).
    (4) Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 September 2013 concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (Euratom) No 1074/1999 (OJ L 248, 18.9.2013, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/883/oj).
    (5) Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 of 11 November 1996 concerning on-the-spot checks and inspections carried out by the Commission in order to protect the European Communities’ financial interests against fraud and other irregularities (OJ L 292, 15.11.1996, p. 2, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/1996/2185/oj).
    (6) Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/182/oj).
    (7) Council Decision 2010/427/EU of 26 July 2010 establishing the organisation and functioning of the European External Action Service (OJ L 201, 3.8.2010, p. 30, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2010/427/oj).
    (8) Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (OJ L, 2024/2509, 26.9.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2509/oj).

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EIB backs new military base in Lithuania with €540 million loan

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • EIB approves €540 million loan for Lithuanian military base in Rūdninkai to strengthen NATO defence capabilities.
    • Base near border with Belarus to host German military brigade, feature training, medical and housing facilities.
    • EIB financing reflects commitment to European security and defence.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) plans to lend €540 million for Lithuania to build a military base south of the capital Vilnius, highlighting Europe’s collective commitment to bolster its defence infrastructure and deterrence capacity. The new base in Rūdninkai will host a German brigade, strengthening the rapid-response capabilities of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the region.

    Construction of the Rūdninkai military site, which will be located 35 kilometres from the border with Belarus, is due to begin in 2026. The project will span 170 hectares, lay out 11 kilometres of roads and feature around 150 buildings including medical centres, residential units, training facilities, warehouses, hangars and helipads.

    “This is a landmark step in how we support Europe’s security,” EIB Group President Nadia Calviño said in Luxembourg where she met Lithuanian Finance Minister Rimantas Šadžius. “By financing large-scale military infrastructure, we’re demonstrating our readiness to meet the region’s evolving defence needs. It reflects the EIB’s growing role in safeguarding stability across the European Union.”

    The initiative is strategically important for NATO’s eastern defence. Rūdninkai is near a narrow corridor that represents the only land route between the Baltic states and the rest of NATO as well as of the EU. The corridor, known as the Suwałki Gap, is bordered by Belarus to the southeast and Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave to the northwest.

    The financing from the EIB is part of its recently expanded scope of activities in the areas of security and defence to include military investments that align with the EU’s goals of bolstering preparedness and crisis management. The approved EIB loan will be to private partners to be selected by the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence to carry out the project.

    “I greatly appreciate the invaluable expertise and financial support from the EIB in implementing the Rūdninkai project that will strengthen Lithuania’s defense capabilities,” said Lithuanian Finance Minister Šadžius. “We are already seeing the results of financial diplomacy and we can confidently state that the EIB’s involvement will contribute not only to Lithuania’s debt sustainability and stronger fiscal stance but also to the security of our country.”

    The EIB Board of Directors approved the €540 million loan at a meeting on 19 June in Luxembourg. The endorsement paves the way for legal and financial negotiations over the loan that are expected to be completed in the coming months. 

    “This investment marks a historic milestone for Lithuania’s national security and NATO’s collective defence,” said Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Dovilė Šakalienė. “The Rūdninkai military base will not only strengthen our defence posture but also serve as a permanent home for the German brigade – a cornerstone of NATO’s deterrence in the region. The EIB’s support is a clear sign that European resilience begins with shared responsibility.”

    The EIB backing for the Rūdninkai military site will help spread the costs of the project, easing the burden on Lithuanian finances and on companies involved in an initiative that takes the form of a public-private partnership (PPP). The EIB is also providing advisory services to ensure that the PPP agreements meet market standards and follow best practices.

    The Rūdninkai base will accommodate around 4,000 German troops and 750 civilian personnel.

    In April 2025 Germany activated the 45th Panzer Brigade of the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr), also known as the Lithuania Brigade. For Germany, it`s the first brigade-sized unit to be based abroad permanently since World War II.

    Background information   

    EIB Group

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, the EIB finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.  

    The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.    

    The EIB Group stepped up its support to Europe’s security and defence industry by expanding the scope of projects eligible for financing and setting up a one-stop shop to streamline processes, doubling investment to €1 billion in 2024. The EIB Group expects to multiply this amount in 2025 to new record.

    The Board of Directors in March approved a series of additional measures to further contribute to European peace and included peace and security as a cross-cutting Public Policy Goal to finance large-scale strategic projects in areas such as land-border protection, military mobility, critical infrastructure, military transport, space, cybersecurity, anti-jamming technologies, radar systems, military equipment and facilities, drones, bio-hazard and seabed infrastructure protection, critical raw materials and research. 

    High-quality, up-to-date photos of the EIB Group’s headquarters for media use are available here

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Trade and Environment Week underscores members’ drive to advance environment discussions

    Source: World Trade Organization

    Since its launch in 2019, Trade and Environment Week has grown into a flagship forum for deepening the global conversation on the nexus between trade and the environment. Anchored around the CTE meeting, the Week was designed to complement the Committee’s work and spark inclusive dialogue on emerging environmental challenges with trade dimensions. It offers a unique platform for WTO members to engage directly with business leaders, international organizations, academic experts, civil society and environmental practitioners — fostering an exchange of insights, experiences and actionable ideas.

    In 2025, the Week will feature 15 sessions spanning a range of issues at the forefront of the trade and environment agenda. Topics include the global fight against plastics pollution, sustainable agriculture, the green transition in developing economies, carbon pricing mechanisms, deforestation-related regulations, the future of sustainable fuels, and trade-related climate policy measures.

    The CTE meeting will continue to advance discussions under a comprehensive work programme on trade and environment in line with the Committee’s mandate. Since its establishment in 1995, the CTE has facilitated dialogue among all WTO members on the interaction between trade and environmental policies.

    All 15 sessions are open to the public. The full programme for Trade and Environment Week, the live webcast link and registration information for in-person participation is available here.

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    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Members agree on way forward for SPS transparency working group, launch mentoring system

    Source: WTO

    Headline: Members agree on way forward for SPS transparency working group, launch mentoring system

    New working group on transparency
    In adopting the Report of the Sixth Review of the SPS Agreement at its last meeting in March, members endorsed a recommendation to establish a Transparency Working Group for a two-year period.  The Committee followed up by agreeing to initiate working group discussions in November to focus on how to improve SPS notifications, track how comments are taken into account, and examine possible enhancements to the ePing SPS&TBT Platform.  The working group will also consider revisions of key SPS transparency documents.
    The Chair of the Committee, Ms Maria Cosme (France), noted that New Zealand and Chile volunteered to be stewards of the working group, which will be guided by the agreed operational guidelines.  The Transparency Working Group will hold its first meeting back-to-back with the November Committee meeting. 
    Launch of mentoring system
    In line with another recommendation in the Sixth Review, the Committee launched a new SPS mentoring system to assist developing and LDC members with transparency and timely engagement on SPS matters. The system will start with a pilot phase between June 2025 and June 2026 in which informal, ad hoc supportive relationships will be established between individual mentors and mentees for knowledge-sharing, peer learning and engagement on SPS-related issues.
    With the Committee’s agreement, the WTO Secretariat has set up a dedicated mentoring webpage, which includes an online form for interested government officials seeking mentoring during the pilot phase. After this, the Secretariat will select a limited number of requests for the pilot and will launch a call for mentors who could support the selected mentees to achieve their objectives.
    Thematic session
    On 17 June, the Committee held a thematic session on addressing relevant risks associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through SPS measures in international trade.  The recordings of the session are available on the dedicated webpage. The session was based on a proposal submitted by the European Union.
    The event focused on steps being taken by members to address relevant risks related to AMR in the context of the SPS Agreement and international trade. It also explored the relationship between AMR and the SPS Agreement, and provided members, international organizations, academia and other stakeholders with an opportunity to share experiences and best practices in addressing relevant AMR-related risks while facilitating safe trade.
    Specific trade concerns
    Members raised 56 specific trade concerns (STCs) — four for the first time — at the meeting. The new STCs raised by members related to uncertainty regarding coffee beans imports into China; Thailand’s regulation to mitigate aflatoxins in peanut kernels; a ban on imports of aquaculture shrimp in Thailand; and Viet Nam’s procedure for the listing of exporting establishments.
    A list of the STCs discussed is available here.
    As of early 2025, close to 60% of all STCs raised in the SPS Committee had been reported as resolved or partially resolved.
    STDF annual report and updates
    The Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) shared updates on its work, including the launch of its 2024 Annual Report, which highlights project results, lessons learned and reflections on its 20th anniversary. The report also covers monitoring, evaluation, learning and Trust Fund financing, aligning with the STDF 2025–2030 Strategy.
    Next meeting
    The next regular meeting of the Committee is scheduled for 5-7 November 2025.

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    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Verizon announces expiration date results of its private exchange offers for 10 series of notes and expiration of related tender offers

    Source: Verizon

    Headline: Verizon announces expiration date results of its private exchange offers for 10 series of notes and expiration of related tender offers

    NEW YORK, N.Y. –  Verizon Communications Inc. (“Verizon”) (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) today announced the expiration and preliminary expiration date results of its Exchange Offers (as defined below) and the expiration of its Cash Offers (as defined below).

    Exchange Offers

    The first transaction consists of 10 separate private offers to exchange (the “Exchange Offers”) any and all of the outstanding series of notes listed in the table below (as used in the context of the Exchange Offers and the Cash Offers (as defined below), collectively the “Old Notes”) in exchange for newly issued 5.401% Notes due 2037 of Verizon (the “New Notes”), on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offering Memorandum dated June 12, 2025 (the “Offering Memorandum”), the eligibility letter (the “Eligibility Letter”) and the accompanying exchange offer notice of guaranteed delivery (the “Exchange Offer Notice of Guaranteed Delivery” which, together with the Offering Memorandum and the Eligibility Letter, constitute the “Exchange Offer Documents”).

    The Exchange Offers expired at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on June 18, 2025 (the “Exchange Offer Expiration Date”). The “Exchange Offer Settlement Date” with respect to the Exchange Offers will be promptly following the Exchange Offer Expiration Date and is expected to be June 25, 2025. In addition to the applicable Total Exchange Price (as defined in the Offering Memorandum and set forth in the table below), Exchange Offer Eligible Holders (as defined below) whose Old Notes are accepted for exchange will receive a cash payment equal to the accrued and unpaid interest on such Old Notes from and including the immediately preceding interest payment date for such Old Notes to, but excluding, the Exchange Offer Settlement Date. Interest will cease to accrue on the Exchange Offer Settlement Date for all Old Notes accepted, including those tendered through the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures (as defined in the Offering Memorandum).

    Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used under the heading Exchange Offers have the respective meanings assigned thereto in the Exchange Offer Documents.

    The table below indicates, among other things, the aggregate principal amount of each series of Old Notes validly tendered for exchange and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Exchange Offer Expiration Date in connection with Verizon’s offer to exchange any and all of its outstanding notes listed below for New Notes:

    Acceptance Priority Level(1)

    Title of Security

    CUSIP
    Number(s)

    Principal Amount Outstanding

    Principal Amount Tendered for Exchange by the Expiration Date(2)

    1

    1.450% Notes due 2026

    92343VGG3

    $838,579,000

    $1,689,000

    2

    Floating Rate Notes due 2026

    92343VGE8

    $212,932,000

    $4,987,000

    3

    4.125% Notes due 2027

    92343VDY7

    $2,903,541,000

    $316,360,000

    4

    3.000% Notes due 2027

    92343VFF6

    $569,992,000

    $64,673,000

    5

    4.329% Notes due 2028

    92343VER1/

    92343VEQ3/

    U9221ABK3

    $3,640,515,000

    $722,436,000

    6

    2.100% Notes due 2028

    92343VGH1

    $2,139,693,000

    $196,532,000

    7

    4.016% Notes due 2029

    92343VEU4/

    92343VET7/

    U9221ABL1

    $4,000,000,000

    $523,460,000

    8

    3.150% Notes due 2030

    92343VFE9

    $1,464,080,000

    $266,808,000

    9

    1.680% Notes due 2030

    92343VFX7/

    92343VFN9/

    U9221ABS6

    $1,098,195,000

    $270,138,000

    10

    7.750% Notes due 2030

    92344GAM8/

    92344GAC0

    $562,561,000

    $30,303,000

    (1) Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions of the Exchange Offers described in the Offering Memorandum, if the New Notes Capacity Condition (as defined if the Offering Memorandum) and/or the corresponding Cash Offer Completion Condition (as defined if the Offering Memorandum) is not satisfied with respect to every series of Old Notes, Verizon will accept Old Notes for exchange in the order of their respective Acceptance Priority Level specified in the table above (as used in the context of the Exchange Offers and the Cash Offers, each an “Acceptance Priority Level,” with 1 being the highest Acceptance Priority Level and 10 being the lowest Acceptance Priority Level). It is possible that a series of Old Notes with a particular Acceptance Priority Level will not be accepted for exchange even if one or more series with a higher or lower Acceptance Priority Level are accepted for purchase.

    (2) The principal amounts tendered as reflected in the table above, does not include the aggregate principal amounts of Old Notes that may be validly tendered pursuant to Guaranteed Delivery Procedures and not validly withdrawn prior to the guaranteed delivery date and accepted for exchange.

    Verizon is offering to accept for exchange validly tendered Old Notes using a “waterfall” methodology under which such Old Notes of different series will be accepted in the order of their respective Acceptance Priority Levels as listed in the table above, subject to a $2.5 billion cap on the maximum aggregate principal amount of New Notes that Verizon will issue in all of the Exchange Offers (the “New Notes Maximum Amount”). However, subject to applicable law, Verizon, in its sole discretion, has the option to waive or increase the New Notes Maximum Amount at any time.

    Based on the principal amount of Old Notes validly tendered for exchange and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Exchange Offer Expiration Date and the Total Exchange Prices set forth in the table above, Verizon expects that the Minimum Issue Requirement (as defined in the Offering Memorandum) will be satisfied.  Verizon will not receive any cash proceeds from the Exchange Offers. The actual aggregate principal amount of New Notes that will be issued on the Exchange Offer Settlement Date is subject to change, based on the amount of Old Notes delivered pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures and satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in the Offering Memorandum, including the Cash Offer Completion Condition.

    If and when issued, the New Notes will not be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws. Therefore, the New Notes may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws. Verizon will enter into a registration rights agreement with respect to the New Notes.

    Only a holder who had duly completed and returned an Eligibility Letter certifying that it was either (1) a “qualified institutional buyer” (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”)); or (2) a person located outside the United States who is (i) not a “U.S. person” (as defined in Rule 902 under the Securities Act), (ii) not acting for the account or benefit of a U.S. person and (iii) a “Non-U.S. qualified offeree” (as defined below), was authorized to receive the Offering Memorandum and to participate in the Exchange Offers (such holders, “Exchange Offer Eligible Holders”).

    Global Bondholder Services Corporation is acting as the Information Agent and the Exchange Agent for the Exchange Offers. Questions or requests for assistance related to the Exchange Offers or for additional copies of the Exchange Offer Documents may be directed to Global Bondholder Services Corporation at (212) 430-3774.You may also contact your broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Exchange Offers. The Exchange Offer Documents can be accessed at the following link: https://gbsc-usa.com/eligibility/verizon.

    Cash Offers

    The second transaction consists of 10 separate offers to purchase for cash (the “Cash Offers”) any and all of each series of Old Notes, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase dated June 12, 2025 (the “Offer to Purchase”), the certification instructions letter (the “Certification Instructions Letter”) and the accompanying cash offer notice of guaranteed delivery (the “Cash Offer Notice of Guaranteed Delivery” which, together with the Offer to Purchase and the Certification Instructions Letter, constitute the “Tender Offer Documents”).

    The Cash Offers expired at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on June 18, 2025 (the “Cash Offer Expiration Date”). The “Cash Offer Settlement Date” with respect to the Cash Offers will be promptly following the Cash Offer Expiration Date and is expected to be June 25, 2025.

    Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used under the heading Cash Offers have the respective meanings assigned thereto in the Tender Offer Documents.

    The table below indicates, among other things, the aggregate principal amount of each series of Old Notes tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Cash Offer Expiration Date in connection with Verizon’s offer to purchase any and all of its outstanding notes listed below:

    Acceptance Priority Level(1)

    Title of Security

    CUSIP
    Number(s)

    Principal Amount Outstanding

    Principal Amount Tendered for Purchase by the Expiration Date(2)

    1

    1.450% Notes due 2026

    92343VGG3

    $838,579,000

    $14,136,000

    2

    Floating Rate Notes due 2026

    92343VGE8

    $212,932,000

    $2,287,000

    3

    4.125% Notes due 2027

    92343VDY7

    $2,903,541,000

    $174,419,000

    4

    3.000% Notes due 2027

    92343VFF6

    $569,992,000

    $25,913,000

    5

    4.329% Notes due 2028

    92343VER1/

    92343VEQ3/

    U9221ABK3

    $3,640,515,000

    $158,375,000

    6

    2.100% Notes due 2028

    92343VGH1

    $2,139,693,000

    $255,691,000

    7

    4.016% Notes due 2029

    92343VEU4/

    92343VET7/

    U9221ABL1

    $4,000,000,000

    $109,039,000

    8

    3.150% Notes due 2030

    92343VFE9

    $1,464,080,000

    $43,536,000

    9

    1.680% Notes due 2030

    92343VFX7/

    92343VFN9/

    U9221ABS6

    $1,098,195,000

    $39,519,000

    10

    7.750% Notes due 2030

    92344GAM8/

    92344GAC0

    $562,561,000

    $2,818,000

    (1) Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions of the Cash Offers described in the Offer to Purchase, including if the Maximum Total Consideration Condition (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) is not satisfied with respect to every series of Old Notes, Verizon will accept Notes for purchase in the order of their respective Acceptance Priority Level specified in the table above. It is possible that a series of Old Notes with a particular Acceptance Priority Level will not be accepted for purchase even if one or more series with a higher or lower Acceptance Priority Level are accepted for purchase.

    (2) The principal amounts tendered reflect the preliminary results of the Cash Offer and are subject to change following review of the documentation submitted by holders of Old Notes to determine the validity of the tenders received pursuant to the Tender Offer Documents. The principal amounts tendered does not include the aggregate principal amounts of Old Notes that may be validly tendered pursuant to Guaranteed Delivery Procedures and not validly withdrawn prior to the guaranteed delivery date and accepted for exchange.

    Verizon is offering to purchase validly tendered Old Notes using a “waterfall” methodology under which such Old Notes of different series will be accepted in the order of their respective Acceptance Priority Levels as listed in the table above, subject to the Maximum Total Consideration Condition and the Exchange Offer Completion Condition (each as defined in the Offer to Purchase). However, subject to applicable law, Verizon, in its sole discretion, has the option to waive or increase the Maximum Total Consideration Condition at any time.

    In addition to the applicable Total Consideration, Cash Offer Eligible Holders (as defined below) whose Old Notes are accepted for purchase will be paid accrued and unpaid interest on such Old Notes from and including the immediately preceding interest payment date for such Old Notes to, but excluding, the Cash Offer Settlement Date. Interest will cease to accrue on the Cash Offer Settlement Date for all Old Notes accepted in the Cash Offers, including those Old Notes tendered through the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures.

    Only holders who were not Exchange Offer Eligible Holders (“Cash Offer Eligible Holders”) were eligible to participate in the Cash Offers. Holders of Old Notes participating in the Cash Offers were required to complete the Certification Instructions Letter and certify that they are Cash Offer Eligible Holders.

    Verizon is in the process of reviewing the documentation submitted by holders of Old Notes pursuant to the Cash Offers to determine the validity of the tenders received in the Cash Offers pursuant to the Tender Offer Documents. Verizon will announce the final principal amount of each series of Old Notes validly tendered and accepted for exchange and for purchase as soon as practicable, but no later than 9:00 a.m. (Eastern time) on June 23, 2025.

    Global Bondholder Services Corporation is acting as the Information Agent and the Tender Agent for the Cash Offers. Questions or requests for assistance related to the Cash Offers or for additional copies of the Tender Offer Documents may be directed to Global Bondholder Services Corporation at (212) 430-3774. You may also contact your broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Cash Offers. The Tender Offer Documents can be accessed at the following link: https://www.gbsc-usa.com/verizon.

    Verizon refers to the Exchange Offers and the Cash Offers, collectively, as the “Offers.”

    Verizon retained Barclays Capital Inc, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, RBC Capital Markets, LLC to act as lead dealer managers for the Offers and Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., Truist Securities, Inc. and U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. to act as co-dealer managers for the Offers.

    This announcement is for informational purposes only. This announcement is not an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any Old Notes. The Exchange Offers are being made solely pursuant to the Offering Memorandum and related documents and the Cash Offers are being made solely pursuant to the Offer to Purchase and related documents. The Offers are not being made to holders of Old Notes in any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities, blue sky or other laws of such jurisdiction. In any jurisdiction in which the securities laws or blue sky laws require the Offers to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, the Offers will be deemed to be made on behalf of Verizon by the dealer managers or one or more registered brokers or dealers that are licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction.

    This communication and any other documents or materials relating to the Exchange Offers have not been approved by an authorized person for the purposes of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (the “FSMA”). Accordingly, this announcement is not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, persons within the United Kingdom save in circumstances where section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply. Accordingly, this communication is only addressed to and directed at persons who are outside the United Kingdom and (i) persons falling within the definition of investment professionals (as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Financial Promotion Order”)), or (ii) within Article 43 of the Financial Promotion Order, or (iii) high net worth companies and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Financial Promotion Order, or (iv) to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the FSMA) in connection with the issue or sale of any securities may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (such persons together being “relevant persons”). The New Notes are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such New Notes will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on any document relating to the Exchange Offers or any of their contents.

    This communication and any other documents or materials relating to the Exchange Offer are only addressed to and directed at persons in member states of the European Economic Area (the “EEA”), who are “Qualified Investors” within the meaning of Article 2(e) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129. The New Notes are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such New Notes, will be engaged in only with, Qualified Investors. The Exchange Offer is only available to Qualified Investors. None of the information in the Offering Memorandum and any other documents and materials relating to the Exchange Offer should be acted upon or relied upon in any member state of the EEA by persons who are not Qualified Investors.

    “Non-U.S. qualified offeree” means:

    (i)       in relation to any investor in the European Economic Area (the “EEA”), a qualified investor as defined in Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended or superseded) that is not a retail investor.  For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (a) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, “MiFID II”); or (b) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II;

    (ii)      in relation to any investor in the United Kingdom, a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 that is not a retail investor and that (a) has professional experience in matters relating to investments and qualifies as an investment professional within the meaning of Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended, the “Financial Promotion Order”), (b) is a person falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (“high net worth companies, unincorporated associations etc.”) of the Financial Promotion Order, or (c) is a person to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (the “FSMA”)) in connection with the issue or sale of any notes may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (x) a retail client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (“EUWA”); or (y) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the FSMA and any rules or regulations made under the FSMA to implement Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA; or

    (iii)      any entity outside the U.S., the EEA and the United Kingdom to whom the Exchange Offer may be made in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations of any applicable jurisdiction without registration of the Exchange Offer or any related filing or approval.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    In this communication Verizon has made forward-looking statements, including regarding the conduct and completion of the Offers. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but only predictions and generally can be identified by use of statements that include phrases such as “will,” “may,” “should,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “expect,” “plan,” “appear,” “project,” “estimate,” “hope,” “intend,” “target,” “forecast,” or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe our objectives, plans or goals also are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated, including those discussed in the Offering Memorandum and Offer to Purchase under the heading “Risk Factors” and under similar headings in other documents that are incorporated by reference in the Offering Memorandum and Offer to Purchase. Holders are urged to consider these risks and uncertainties carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release, and Verizon undertakes no obligation to update publicly these forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or otherwise. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events might or might not occur. Verizon cannot assure you that projected results or events will be achieved.

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Members advance Bosnia and Herzegovina’s WTO accession negotiations closer to conclusion

    Source: WTO

    Headline: Members advance Bosnia and Herzegovina’s WTO accession negotiations closer to conclusion

    The Chair of the Working Party, Ambassador Anita Pipan of Slovenia, said the meeting was an opportunity to “inject fresh momentum into Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession process, which is now in its 26th year and is technically advanced.”
    Ambassador Pipan asked delegations to clearly pinpoint the last outstanding issues of this accession process. She underlined that Bosnia and Herzegovina was identified by the WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as one of three accessions with a strategic focus for this year and the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) next year in Cameroon, alongside Ethiopia and Uzbekistan.
    “Today’s meeting offers an opportunity to take stock of where we are, identify remaining concerns, and consider possible next steps toward the conclusion of the accession process,” she added.
    Mr. Hamdo Tinjak, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations and Head of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s WTO Accession Team, led the delegation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Geneva.
    He said that through the WTO accession process, alongside other integration efforts, the country has succeeded in establishing an open and liberal foreign trade regime grounded in the principles of free movement of people, goods, services and capital, and the removal of trade barriers.
    “We view this as one of the most significant achievements of the accession process. Full WTO membership would serve as formal recognition of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a country with harmonized and transparent trade legislation — a reliable partner for international trade and a favourable destination for foreign investment. This, in turn, is expected to contribute to the expansion of our foreign trade and, ultimately, to the broader economic development of the country,” said Mr Tinjak. See his full statement here.
    On the bilateral track, Bosnia and Herzegovina reported significant progress in the last remaining bilateral market access negotiations, following the resolution of a key outstanding issue relating to the regulation of petroleum fuels. On the multilateral track, Bosnia and Herzegovina stressed that the draft Working Party Report (the formal document that outlines the specific commitments an acceding government will undertake upon joining the WTO) is nearly complete, reflecting Bosnia and Herzegovina’s alignment with WTO rules and principles.
    Deputy Director-General Zhang Xiangchen said that the reactivation of this accession process after seven years “stands as a testament to the recent constructive developments in this technically advanced accession file, which have provided a clear basis for the Working Party to take its work towards finalization.”
    DDG Zhang, who accompanied the Working Party Chair on a visit to Sarajevo in November 2024, stressed that the WTO Secretariat remains fully committed to supporting efforts “to cross the finishing line in the very near future”.
    Delegations commended Bosnia and Herzegovina’s technical engagement, and the substantive progress made in the accession process.
    Next steps
    Recognizing the value of securing a potential deliverable for the WTO before or at MC14, Ambassador Pipan urged the conclusion of the remaining bilateral market access negotiations, which would enable the WTO Secretariat to consolidate the draft schedules of commitments on goods and services. On the multilateral front, she requested members to submit additional questions and comments by 17 July that will be circulated to the Working Party.
    Subsequently, the Secretariat will update the draft Working Party Report. “I very much hope that this next version will be final,” Ambassador Pipan said.
    Keeping in mind Bosnia and Herzegovina’s aspiration to finalize its accession process as soon as possible, the Chair added that the next Working Party meeting will depend on consultations with delegations and the Secretariat, particularly on the conclusion of the last outstanding bilateral market negotiations and the finalization of the draft Working Party Report.

    Share

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI Banking: First “Manitoba Wind Energy Indigenous Equity Summit” a success

    Source: – Press Release/Statement:

    Headline: First “Manitoba Wind Energy Indigenous Equity Summit” a success

    A unique conference, presented by Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) in collaboration with Indigenous Clean Energy (ICE), recognizes the critical role of Indigenous engagement in Manitoba’s energy transition.

    Winnipeg, Manitoba, June 20, 2025—More than 120 people attended the Manitoba Wind Energy Indigenous Equity Summit, held at the Winnipeg Art Gallery on June 18, 2025, presented by Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) in collaboration with Indigenous Clean Energy (ICE).

    This unique, invitation-only event brought together key representatives from Manitoba’s Indigenous and renewable energy communities to discuss Manitoba Hydro’s recently launched wind energy procurement, entitled “Call for Power: Indigenous Majority Owned Wind,” part of the Manitoba Affordable Energy Plan. This is the province’s first significant wind-energy procurement in many years. An RFP for 600 MWs of wind energy is expected to be issued in August of this year, with a majority Indigenous-ownership criteria.

    “In order for Manitoba’s new wind energy procurement to succeed, the renewable energy industry must commit to ensuring that development plans align with the priorities of Indigenous communities,” said Evan Wilson, CanREA’s Vice President of Policy—Western Canada and National Affairs.

    The Summit kicked off with opening remarks by the Hon. Mike Moyes, Manitoba’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, as well as the Hon. Adrien Sala, Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro, who spoke about the importance of collaboration and the value that such an event can bring to the process.

    In “Wind Energy 101 – Developer Spotlight Panel,” Wilson moderated a panel of wind energy developers with successful projects elsewhere in Canada, including Ina Gjoka (Innergex), Brian Hodder (Renewable Energy Systems / RES Group), Galvin Clancey (Nordex) and Jennifer Tuck (Potentia Renewables), who shared lessons learned and ideas for how best to work together for Manitoba’s energy transition.

    Following this discussion, ICE’s Founding Executive Director, Chris Henderson, moderated a panel on “Indigenous Nation: Wind Pathways Success,” featuring panelists Kory Wood (Kikinaw Energy Services), Troy Jerome (Sentii Energy, Kiruguj First Nation), and Drew Bernard (Lennox Island First Nation).

    “Indigenous 51% equity is essential to Manitoba’s wind call for power. The Government of Manitoba’s Indigenous inclusion goal was supported by CanREA members and Indigenous communities at the Indigenous Equity Summit in Winnipeg. Indigenous Clean Energy’s collaboration with CanREA was positive, reflecting this vision,” said Henderson.

    Later that morning, CanREA’s Director for Saskatchewan and Indigenous Engagement, Kelly Hall, emceed a session on “Indigenous Loan Guarantees & Financing Options,” in which the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s Justin Lok presented on Financing Indigenous Equity, the Manitoba Finance Treasury Division’s Nicoleta Oprea presented on the Government of Manitoba Treasury, and the Canada Indigenous Loan Guarantee Corporation’s Pearl Yuzicappi presented on the Canada Development Investment Corporation.

    The afternoon was split into two simultaneous tracks: The CanREA track consisted of a session on “Wind Energy Procurement Guidance,” in which CanREA’s Director for Manitoba & Saskatchewan and for Indigenous Engagement, Kelly Hall, hosted Bryce Wood and team from Manitoba Environment and Climate Change’s Environmental Approvals Branch, as well as Adrienne McGarrigle of Solas Energy, who offered guidance to help navigate the upcoming Wind Energy Procurement Process.

    The Indigenous Clean Energy track consisted of several sessions. It began with an “Indigenous Nation-Nation Experience Sharing Session,” with opening remarks by Kisik Energy Manitoba’s Darrell Brown, a Founding Chair at ICE. Next, the “Indigenous Renewables Turtle Island Landscape” session was facilitated by ICE’s Henderson and ICE Board Member Mihskakwan James Harper of NRStor.

    The “Indigenous Wind Project Development Discussion,” also facilitated by Henderson, featured Kory Wood (Kikinaw Energy Services), Troy Jerome (Sentii Energy, Kiruguj First Nation) and Drew Bernard (Lennox Island First Nation).

    The Summit closed with an open Q&A discussion with the audience, facilitated by CanREA & ICE, with special guest Isabelle Deguise of Renewable Energy Systems (RES) Canada Inc., who is also a CanREA Board member.

    “The first-ever Manitoba Wind Energy Indigenous Equity Summit was a great success.  Indigenous engagement is a priority for the clean energy industry, as it is critical to the success of the energy transition in Manitoba, and across Canada. As Manitoba’s current Indigenous wind energy procurement progresses, CanREA will continue to advocate for Indigenous engagement, share our industry knowledge and be a voice for the industry in Manitoba,” said Hall.

    CanREA thanks all attendees and speakers for participating in the Summit, with a special thanks to ICE for their collaboration in organizing, supporting and executing the Summit, and to our generous sponsors, Northland Power (the Wellness and Networking Break Sponsor), and MLT Aikins (the Networking Lunch Sponsor). Doing double duty, Drew Lafond and Kevin Mehi of MLT Aikins also presented at the Summit, focusing on “Legal Considerations for Indigenous Equity Ownership.”

    Photos

    Photo: In “Wind Energy 101 – Developer Spotlight Panel,” CanREA’s Evan Wilson (far right) moderated a panel of wind energy developers with successful projects elsewhere in Canada, including (from L to R) Brian Hodder (Renewable Energy Systems / RES Group), Ina Gjoka (Innergex), Jennifer Tuck (Potentia Renewables) and Galvin Clancey (Nordex).

    Photo: The panel on “Indigenous Nation: Wind Pathways Success” featured, from left to right: moderator Mihskakwan James Harper (NRStor & ICE board member), and speakers Kory Wood (Kikinaw Energy Services), Drew Bernard (Lennox Island First Nation), and Chris Henderson (Indigenous Clean Energy). 

    Photo: The Manitoba Wind Energy Indigenous Equity Summit kicked off with opening remarks by the Hon. Mike Moyes, Manitoba’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change (left), as well as the Hon. Adrien Sala, Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro (right), who spoke about the importance of collaboration and the value that such an event can bring to the process. Centre: Kelly Hall, CanREA’s Director for Manitoba & Saskatchewan and for Indigenous Engagement.

    Quotes

    “In order for Manitoba’s new wind energy procurement to succeed, the renewable energy industry must commit to ensuring that development plans align with the priorities of Indigenous communities.”
    —Evan Wilson, Vice President of Policy—Western Canada and National Affairs, Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA)

    “Indigenous 51% equity is essential to Manitoba’s wind call for power. The Government of Manitoba’s Indigenous inclusion goal was supported by CanREA members and Indigenous communities at the Indigenous Equity Summit in Winnipeg. Indigenous Clean Energy’s collaboration with CanREA was positive, reflecting this vision.” 
    —Chris Henderson, Founding Executive Director, Indigenous Clean Energy (ICE)

    “The first-ever Manitoba Wind Energy Indigenous Equity Summit was a great success. Indigenous engagement is a priority for the clean energy industry, as it is critical to the success of the energy transition in Manitoba, and across Canada. As Manitoba’s current Indigenous wind energy procurement progresses, CanREA will continue to advocate for Indigenous engagement, share our industry knowledge and be a voice for the industry in Manitoba.”
    —Kelly Hall, Director for Manitoba & Saskatchewan, and for Indigenous Engagement, Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA)

    For media inquiries or interview opportunities, please contact: 

    Communications Canadian Renewable Energy Association communications@renewablesassociation.ca 

    About CanREA 

    The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) is the voice for wind energy, solar energy and energy storage solutions that will power Canada’s energy future. We work to create the conditions for a modern energy system through stakeholder advocacy and public engagement. Our diverse members are uniquely positioned to deliver clean, low-cost, reliable, flexible and scalable solutions for Canada’s energy needs. For more information on how Canada can use wind energy, solar energy and energy storage to help achieve its net-zero commitments, consult “Powering Canada’s Journey to Net-Zero: CanREA’s 2050 Vision.” Follow us on Bluesky and LinkedIn here. Learn more at renewablesassociation.ca. 

    The post First “Manitoba Wind Energy Indigenous Equity Summit” a success appeared first on Canadian Renewable Energy Association.

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI: Stifel Welcomes Olympic Gold Medal Cyclist Kristen Faulkner as Newest Brand Ambassador

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ST. LOUIS, June 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) announced today the signing of Olympic gold medalist Kristen Faulkner as the firm’s newest brand ambassador. Faulkner made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics by winning gold in both the women’s individual road race and the women’s track cycling team pursuit. She brings extraordinary drive, determination, and a compelling personal story to Stifel, perfectly aligning with the firm known as a place “Where Success Meets Success.”

    Before becoming a world-class cyclist, Faulkner began her career in venture capital, working at Bessemer Venture Partners and Threshold Ventures. Her bold leap from finance to Olympic champion has made her a symbol of resilience, ambition, and excellence. She is the first American woman to win gold in both road and track cycling in a single Olympic Games.

    “We are incredibly proud to welcome Kristen Faulkner to the Stifel team,” said Ronald J. Kruszewski, Chairman and CEO of Stifel. “As our sports partnership portfolio continues to grow, Kristen’s commitment to excellence and inspiring journey, together with her experience as a financial professional, align perfectly with Stifel’s values. Her story is remarkable, and we are excited to have her represent our brand.”

    As a brand ambassador, Faulkner will collaborate with Stifel on initiatives promoting financial wellness and empowering individuals to pursue their financial goals. She will participate in community outreach programs, engaging with Stifel clients and associates, represent Stifel at key events, and appear in select Stifel creative campaigns.

    “I am honored to join Stifel and their impressive group of brand ambassadors,” said Faulkner. “Both financial success and athletic success require discipline, patience, and hard work. I’m excited to partner with a firm that shares these same values.”

    Faulkner joins a roster of decorated athletes who serve as Stifel ambassadors, including all-time leader in World Cup alpine skiing victories Mikaela Shiffrin, three-time Olympic medalist in cross-country skiing Jessie Diggins, and two-time Olympic medalist in halfpipe skiing Alex Ferreira.

    Stifel is also a proud partner of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, the St. Louis Cardinals, the St. Louis Blues, and the Stifel Charity Classic of the PGA Tour Champions.

    Stifel Company Information
    Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) is a financial services holding company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, that conducts its banking, securities, and financial services business through several wholly owned subsidiaries. Stifel’s broker-dealer clients are served in the United States through Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, including its Eaton Partners and Miller Buckfire business divisions; Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.; and Stifel Independent Advisors, LLC; in Canada through Stifel Nicolaus Canada Inc.; and in the United Kingdom and Europe through Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited. The Company’s broker-dealer affiliates provide securities brokerage, investment banking, trading, investment advisory, and related financial services to individual investors, professional money managers, businesses, and municipalities. Stifel Bank and Stifel Bank & Trust offer a full range of consumer and commercial lending solutions. Stifel Trust Company, N.A. and Stifel Trust Company Delaware, N.A. offer trust and related services. To learn more about Stifel, please visit the Company’s website at www.stifel.com. For global disclosures, please visit https://www.stifel.com/investor-relations/press-releases.

    Media Contact
    Neil Shapiro, +1 (212) 271-3447
    shapiron@stifel.com

    Brian Spellecy, +1 (314) 342-2000
    spellecb@stifel.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Xbox and AMD on advancing the next generation of gaming together

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Xbox and AMD on advancing the next generation of gaming together

    Hear from AMD’s Lisa Su on what this means for the future of gaming:  

    Lisa Su, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of AMD, shares how Xbox and AMD are building on two decades of partnership, innovation, and trust. AMD will extend its console work to design full roadmap of gaming-optimized chips combining the power of Ryzen and Radeon for consoles, handhelds, PCs, and cloud. 

    [embedded content]

    Stay tuned for more as we continue to bring the next generation of Xbox to life—together.

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Edge for Business provides a secure foundation for mobile work

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Edge for Business provides a secure foundation for mobile work

    Today, information workers expect to be able to access corporate resources from any device, including their personal smartphones and tablets. As an IT Pro in a mobile-driven workplace, you’re faced with the growing complexity of managing mobile browser access across a wide range of devices, with each requiring different management tools and policies. This fragmentation makes it difficult to enforce consistent security controls and ensure timely updates.

    Compounding this challenge, personal mobile devices may lack enterprise-grade protections, leaving gaps that unmanaged browsers can exploit—potentially exposing sensitive corporate data. The result? You’re faced with a delicate balancing act: empowering users with flexible access while maintaining rigorous security standards across a diverse and dynamic device landscape.

    That’s where Edge for Business and Intune deliver a streamlined, secure mobile browsing experience—using similar tools you already rely on for managing Edge for Business on desktop. As a secure enterprise browser built for work, Edge for Business extends the trusted security features of the desktop experience to iOS and Android devices, providing a secure foundation for mobile work. And by managing Edge for mobile through Intune, you can enforce a consistent set of security and compliance policies across both desktop and mobile environments—standardizing access and protection through a single, trusted browser.

    Lock down corporate data

    With Edge for mobile, managed through Intune, you get the control you need to protect sensitive data on personal devices—without compromising the user experience. By tapping into Intune’s data protection capabilities, like App Policy Protection (APP), organizations can control how data is accessed and shared by apps on mobile devices. Edge for mobile blocks data sharing such as copy-pasting data from the Edge app into unmanaged apps and restricting file uploads to unauthorized websites.

    Edge for mobile also disables printing and local saving, and offers encryption for sensitive data such as passwords, favorites, and autofill data within the Edge app for iOS users.

    Defend your organization against malicious actors

    Without proper management, personal mobile devices can become a gateway for cyber threats—especially when they connect to unsecured public networks, creating the perfect opportunity for malicious actors to slip into your organization’s data environment unnoticed. A device without proper restrictions is an open door to threats like phishing, malware attacks, and typosquatting—where a simple URL typo can lead users to malicious sites. Edge for mobile helps close that door with built-in protections designed to keep your corporate data safe.

    Defender SmartScreen plays a key role by performing real-time reputation checks to warn users before they land on suspicious or harmful websites. Powered by the Microsoft Intelligent Security Graph, SmartScreen taps into trillions of signals across Microsoft’s global network—giving users a safety net that evolves with the threat landscape.

    Website typo protection in Edge for mobile acts like a digital safety net—catching users before a simple keystroke mistake leads them somewhere dangerous. If a user accidentally mistypes a URL, Edge for mobile instantly flags the error and offers a safer path forward: either correct the address or proceed with caution. It’s a smart, proactive layer of defense that helps keep users—and your organization’s data—out of harm’s way.

    Edge for mobile, paired with Microsoft Tunnel for Mobile Application Management (MAM), creates a secure, encrypted pathway between users and corporate resources—even when they’re on public Wi-Fi. There’s no need for users to manually launch a VPN; once they sign into Edge for mobile with their Entra ID, Tunnel activates automatically in the background. This seamless experience gives users secure access to internal apps and data beyond the corporate network perimeter—without slowing them down or adding friction. And for you, it means stronger protection against interception and data leakage.

    Ensure compliance and customize feature access

    As your users shift more of their work to mobile devices, you need confidence that browser features align with your organization’s standards. What works well on desktop—such as Read Aloud or other productivity tools—might not be appropriate in a mobile context. With granular feature control, you can selectively enable or disable specific browser features based on your organization’s policies. Whether it’s turning off features that could introduce risk or simply tailoring the experience to fit your mobile strategy, you have the flexibility to shape Edge for mobile to meet your organization’s needs.

    Addressing shared device challenges

    Managing corporate-issued smartphones and tablets comes with its own set of challenges—especially when those devices are shared across multiple users. The good news? Edge for mobile brings the same security and manageability benefits to corporate-managed mobile devices as it does to personal mobile scenarios. And when it comes to shared use, Shared Device Mode (SDM)—powered by Entra ID—makes life easier for both users and IT. With SDM, users can sign in once to any supported Microsoft 365 app on iOS and Android, and they’re automatically signed in across all SDM-enabled apps. When their session ends, signing out of one app signs them out of all—ensuring a clean, secure handoff to the next user.

    Get started today with the secure enterprise browser, on mobile

    Edge for mobile is here to help you tackle the challenges of mobile work. By setting Edge for mobile as the required app for internet access for mobile devices, you can ensure that your organization’s security needs are met.

    Note:

    • Intune data protection and SDM capabilities are generally available in Edge for mobile with a Microsoft 365 E3 license.
    • Defender SmartScreen and website typo protection are available to all Edge users.
    • Access to Tunnel VPN for MAM requires a Microsoft Intune Plan 2 or Microsoft Intune Suite license.

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Our 2025 Responsible AI Report: How we’re growing and supporting customers

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Our 2025 Responsible AI Report: How we’re growing and supporting customers

    In May 2024, we released our inaugural Responsible AI Transparency Report. We’re grateful for the feedback we received from our stakeholders around the world. Their insights have informed this second annual Responsible AI Transparency Report, which underscores our continued commitment to building AI technologies that people trust. Our report highlights new developments related to how we build and deploy AI systems responsibly, how we support our customers and the broader ecosystem, and how we learn and evolve. 

    The past year has seen a wave of AI adoption by organizations of all sizes, prompting a renewed focus on effective AI governance in practice. Our customers and partners are eager to learn about how we have scaled our program at Microsoft and developed tools and practices that operationalize high-level norms. 

    Like us, they have found that building trustworthy AI is good for business, and that good governance unlocks AI opportunities. According to IDC’s Microsoft Responsible AI Survey that gathered insights on organizational attitudes and the state of responsible AI, over 30% of the respondents note the lack of governance and risk management solutions as the top barrier to adopting and scaling AI. Conversely, more than 75% of the respondents who use responsible AI tools for risk management say that they have helped with data privacy, customer experience, confident business decisions, brand reputation, and trust.

    We’ve also seen new regulatory efforts and laws emerge over the past year. Because we’ve invested in operationalizing responsible AI practices at Microsoft for close to a decade, we’re well prepared to comply with these regulations and to empower our customers to do the same. Our work here is not done, however. As we detail in the report, efficient and effective regulation and implementation practices that support the adoption of AI technology across borders are still being defined. We remain focused on contributing our practical insights to standard- and norm-setting efforts around the world. 

    Across all these facets of governance, it’s important to remain nimble in our approach, applying learnings from our real-world deployments, updating our practices to reflect advances in the state-of-the-art, and ensuring that we are responsive to feedback from our stakeholders. Learnings from our principled and iterative approach are reflected in the pages of this report. As our governance practices continue to evolve, we’ll proactively share our fresh insights with our stakeholders, both in future annual transparency reports and other public settings.

    Key takeaways from our 2025 Transparency Report 

    In 2024, we made key investments in our responsible AI tools, policies, and practices to move at the speed of AI innovation.

    1. We improved our responsible AI tooling to provide expanded risk measurement and mitigation coverage for modalities beyond text—like images, audio, and video—and additional support for agentic systems, semi-autonomous systems that we anticipate will represent a significant area of AI investment and innovation in 2025 and beyond. 
    2. We took a proactive, layered approach to compliance with new regulatory requirements, including the European Union’s AI Act, and provided our customers with resources and materials that empower them to innovate in line with relevant regulations. Our early investments in building a comprehensive and industry-leading responsible AI program positioned us well to shift our AI regulatory readiness efforts into high gear in 2024. 
    3. We continued to apply a consistent risk management approach across releases through our pre-deployment review and red teaming efforts. This included oversight and review of high-impact and higher-risk uses of AI and generative AI releases, including every flagship model added to the Azure OpenAI Service and every Phi model release. To further support responsible AI documentation as part of these reviews, we launched an internal workflow tool designed to centralize the various responsible AI requirements outlined in the Responsible AI Standard. 
    4. We continued to provide hands-on counseling for high-impact and higher-risk uses of AI through our Sensitive Uses and Emerging Technologies team. Generative AI applications, especially in fields like healthcare and the sciences, were notable growth areas in 2024. By gleaning insights across cases and engaging researchers, the team provided early guidance for novel risks and emerging AI capabilities, enabling innovation and incubating new internal policies and guidelines. 
    5. We continued to lean on insights from research to inform our understanding of sociotechnical issues related to the latest advancements in AI. We established the AI Frontiers Lab to invest in the core technologies that push the frontier of what AI systems can do in terms of capability, efficiency, and safety.  
    6. We worked with stakeholders around the world to make progress towards building coherent governance approaches to help accelerate adoption and allow organizations of all kinds to innovate and use AI across borders. This included publishing a book exploring governance across various domains and helping advance cohesive standards for testing AI systems.

    Looking ahead to the second half of 2025 and beyond 

    As AI innovation and adoption continue to advance, our core objective remains the same: earning the trust that we see as foundational to fostering broad and beneficial AI adoption around the world. As we continue that journey over the next year, we will focus on three areas to progress our steadfast commitment to AI governance while ensuring that our efforts are responsive to an ever-evolving landscape: 

    1. Developing more flexible and agile risk management tools and practices, while fostering skills development to anticipate and adapt to advances in AI. To ensure people and organizations around the world can leverage the transformative potential of AI, our ability to anticipate and manage the risks of AI must keep pace with AI innovation. This requires us to build tools and practices that can quickly adapt to advances in AI capabilities and the growing diversity of deployment scenarios that each have unique risk profiles. To do this, we will make greater investments in our systems of risk management to provide tools and practices for the most common risks across deployment scenarios, and also enable the sharing of test sets, mitigations, and other best practices across teams at Microsoft.
    2. Supporting effective governance across the AI supply chain. Building, earning, and keeping trust in AI is a collaborative endeavor that requires model developers, app builders, and system users to each contribute to trustworthy design, development, and operations. AI regulations, including the EU AI Act, reflect this need for information to flow across supply chain actors. While we embrace this concept of shared responsibility at Microsoft, we also recognize that pinning down how responsibilities fit together is complex, especially in a fast-changing AI ecosystem. To help advance shared understanding of how this can work in practice, we’re deepening our work internally and externally to clarify roles and expectations.
    3. Advancing a vibrant ecosystem through shared norms and effective tools, particularly for AI risk measurement and evaluation. The science of AI risk measurement and evaluation is a growing but still nascent field. We are committed to supporting the maturation of this field by continuing to make investments within Microsoft, including in research that pushes the frontiers of AI risk measurement and evaluation and the tooling to operationalize it at scale. We remain committed to sharing our latest advancements in tooling and best practices with the broader ecosystem to support the advancement of shared norms and standards for AI risk measurement and evaluation.

    We look forward to hearing your feedback on the progress we have made and opportunities to collaborate on all that is still left to do. Together, we can advance AI governance efficiently and effectively, fostering trust in AI systems at a pace that matches the opportunities ahead. 
    Explore the 2025 Responsible AI Transparency Report 

    Tags: AI, AI for Good Lab, artificial intelligence

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF and South Sudan Reach Staff-Level Agreement on a Nine-Month Staff-Monitored Program

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    June 20, 2025

    Staff-Monitored Programs (SMPs) are informal arrangements between national authorities and IMF staff to monitor the authorities’ economic program. As such, they do not entail endorsement by the IMF Executive Board. SMP Staff reports are issued to the Board for information.

    • IMF staff and the South Sudanese authorities have reached a staff-level agreement on a nine-month Staff-Monitored Program (SMP), which is expected to start in August 2025, pending approval from the IMF’s Management.
    • The SMP aims to support South Sudan in designing and implementing policies and key reforms to strengthen its economic resilience to shocks, enhance macroeconomic stability, restore sustainability, and improve governance and transparency.
    • The South Sudanese economy is projected to start recovering as oil production has resumed from the oil pipeline damaged in February 2024 due to the war in Sudan. This disruption had halted oil exports, fiscal revenues, and foreign exchange (FX) proceeds for over a year, leading to liquidity and financing constraints. The recovery is expected to be gradual and hinges on continued improvement in the security environment and political stability.

    Washington, DC: Upon request from the authorities, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team, led by Ms. Mame Astou Diouf, held meetings in Juba, South Sudan, from June 11 to 20, 2025 to negotiate a Staff-Monitored Program (SMP) in support of the authorities’ economic and financial reform program. This SMP request follows the conclusion of South Sudan’s Staff Monitored Program with Board Involvement (PMB) on November 15, 2024 (See Press Release No. 24/434).

    At the end of the mission, Ms. Diouf issued the following statement:

    “The South Sudanese authorities and the IMF team have reached a staff-level agreement on the economic and structural policies and reforms that will underpin a nine-month SMP, pending approval by the IMF’s Management.

    “Since early 2014, South Sudan has faced severe shocks that have exacerbated the country’s post-conflict fragility and humanitarian situation. Due to the war in Sudan, the country’s main oil pipeline was damaged in February 2024, halting related oil exports, fiscal revenues, and FX proceeds for over a year. The conflict also triggered a large influx of refugees, compounding an already-dire social and humanitarian situation caused by recurrent floodings, agricultural production losses, widespread food insecurity, and large-scale population displacement. The recent steep decline in international aid flows risks exacerbating the humanitarian challenges facing the country.

    “The short- and medium-term economic outlook is moderately favorable and improving, contingent on a continuously improving security environment and political stability. The resumption of oil exports through the main pipeline since April 2025 is promising. While real GDP growth is projected to have contracted during FY2024/25 due to the lower oil production, it is expected to recover in FY2025/2026 as oil exports gradually strengthen. The rebound in oil exports is expected to significantly improve the current account balance, helping rebuild external buffers. The parallel foreign exchange (FX) market premium stood at 30.8 percent on June 11, 2025.

    “While the budget execution of FY2024/2025 has been constrained by the financing constraints, non-oil domestic revenue collection was strong. This has allowed the resumption of government salary payments. However, structural bottlenecks partly hinder the effective distribution of salaries to civil servants due to cash shortages. For FY2025/2026, oil revenue is expected to recover substantially. Non-oil revenue will remain strong, benefiting from the continued implementation of tax policy reforms approved under the FY2024/2025 budget and broader revenue administration improvements. This will gradually ease liquidity constraints and provide some fiscal space for cautious repayment of salary arrears and a gradual increase of priority social spending and debt service repayments, while maintaining prudent fiscal management and cautious investment plans, given the continued risks to the outlook.

    “Inflation has remained high. Average inflation is projected at about 143 percent in FY2024/2025, and expected to slow down in FY2025/26, thanks to ongoing tight monetary policy and a reduction in monetary financing. The debt-to-GDP ratio is forecast at about 58 percent of GDP in FY2024/2025, with large debt vulnerabilities. With the easing liquidity constraints, debt sustainability is projected to strengthen.

    “Against this background, the South Sudanese authorities have requested a nine-month SMP to help strengthen economic resilience to shocks and foster macroeconomic stability through sound and prudent policies conducive to sustained growth. Key priorities under the SMP include:

    “Restoring fiscal and public debt sustainability in the near term and laying the groundwork for positive medium-term prospects through prudent debt management and improved domestic revenue mobilization to increase fiscal space for priority spending, including salary and social programs. Enhancing spending efficiency, including through public financial and investment management reforms, will support public service delivery against the backdrop of high spending needs and limited availability of domestic and external financing.

    “Maintaining a tight monetary policy stance to curb inflationary pressures and exchange rate depreciation. This includes containing monetary financing and continuing liquidity mop-up operations. While the official exchange rate has gradually decreased since August 2024 to narrow the parallel FX market premium, further policy adjustment is required to unify the official and parallel FX markets and increase FX reserves.

    “Steadfast implementation of the governance and accountability reform agenda will be critical to addressing the country’s sources of fragility and creating an environment conducive to strong, diversified, and sustained growth and improved living standards. This includes the governance and transparency of oil-related investment programs.

    “The mission met His Excellency, Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel, Vice President and Chairperson of the Economic Cluster, the Minister of Finance and Planning, Honorable Dr. Marial Dongrin Ater, the Governor of the Bank of South Sudan, Dr. Addis Ababa Othow, and other senior government officials, as well as representatives from civil society, private sector, and development partners.

    “The mission takes the opportunity to thank the authorities and stakeholders for their warm hospitality, strong cooperation, and for open and productive discussions.”

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Wafa Amr

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/06/20/pr-25200-south-sudan-imf-and-south-sudan-reach-agreement-on-9-month-staff-monitored-program

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China remains committed to expanding market opening: Chinese Foreign Ministry

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, June 20 (Xinhua) — China will continue to steadily expand the opening of its market to the world, accumulate new driving forces, provide new opportunities, and bring more benefits to the common development of all countries through its own stable development, giving it stronger momentum, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Friday.

    As a recent World Bank report shows, the Chinese economy is still growing at the beginning of 2025, and the Chinese government has taken appropriate monetary and fiscal measures to counteract the uncertainty in global trade. At the same time, international financial institutions such as JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs have also recently raised their growth forecasts for the Chinese economy.

    Answering a relevant question at a press briefing, Guo Jiakun noted that despite the complicated external environment, the Chinese economy has demonstrated sustainable development, maintained stability while moving forward, improved and renewed, and demonstrated strong resilience and development potential. China has become a “stabilizing foundation” for the world economy and a “center of attraction” for sharing development opportunities, the Chinese diplomat noted.

    According to Guo Jiakun, in the first five months of this year, China’s total import and export volumes of goods grew by 2.5 percent year-on-year, while retail sales of consumer goods increased by 5 percent. The growth in foreign consumption in China is particularly noticeable: in the first month of the new exit tax refund policy, the number of such refunds increased by 116 percent compared to the same period last year. In addition, visa-free travel to China is expected to be extremely popular during the summer tourist season, the diplomat added.

    “Facts have proven that the fundamental trend of the long-term sound development of the Chinese economy will not change, the advantages of a super-large domestic market and a complete industrial system will be maintained, and the focus on high-quality development and high-level opening up will remain unchanged,” Guo Jiakun said.

    This is the source of confidence of the international community in China, which encourages them to continue to bet on the Chinese market, to develop it and to take root in the country, the official representative concluded. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Africa: African and Caribbean leaders to headline Afreximbank’s 32nd Annual Meetings in Abuja, Nigeria


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    The 32nd Annual Meetings (AAM2025) of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) will bring together an influential coalition of global, African and CARICOM leaders in Abuja, Nigeria from 25–27 June 2025. This high-level forum will focus on advancing trade, investment, and innovation across the continent, with Heads of State, Prime Ministers, top business executives, academics and acclaimed academics confirmed to speak.

    H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; former Nigerian President H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and H.E. Ambassador Albert Muchanga, African Union Commissioner for Economic Development, Tourism, Trade, Industry & Mining, are among the confirmed dignitaries.

    They will be joined by ministers, central bank governors, investors, and industry leaders from Africa, the Caribbean, and beyond.

    Held under the theme “Building the Future on Decades of Resilience”, AAM2025 will focus on accelerating trade opportunities, driving investment and fostering innovation.

    Professor Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, remarked:

    “AAM2025 comes at a pivotal time for Africa. As the continent confronts global uncertainties, it is doing so with renewed resolve. Following the successful 31st edition of AAM held in The Bahamas last year, we are back on the African continent for this year’s meetings which are about catalysing practical action—building stronger institutions to strengthen trade integration and unlocking the full potential of African innovation. We thank H.E Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for his support.”

    The speaker lineup includes renowned economists and industry leaders including Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Centre for Sustainable Development, Columbia University and Dr. Kishore Mahbubani, Distinguished Fellow, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore.

    Africa’s foremost business innovation leaders such as Mr. Aliko Dangote, President & CEO of Dangote Group and Mr. Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings, will also participate. The speaker lineup further includes Professor Ghulam Mufti of King’s College London, former Prime Minister of Jamaica P.J. Patterson, and other influential figures.

    Afreximbank’s 32nd Annual Meetings (AAM2025) in Abuja are expected to deliver strong economic benefits, both in the short and long term. The main anticipated impacts include the trade and investment mobilisation, policy and institutional advancement and strengthening South-South cooperation and trade flows.

    AAM2025 is expected to facilitate significant trade and investment deals, including Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and public-private partnerships. The meetings are expected to catalyse billions of dollars in funding over the next 5–10 years for key strategic sectors.

    By bringing together heads of state, ministers, leaders of trade institutions, policymakers and the private sector, the meetings will advance regional dialogue on several priorities: implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), enhancing cross-border payment systems to speed up regional transactions, strengthening Africa–Caribbean (CARICOM) economic ties through expanded trade, tourism, and joint ventures, and ensuring private sector participation in policy reforms. These discussions aim to reduce business costs, improve trade infrastructure, and deepen regional economic integration.

    With world-renowned economists, scholars, and entrepreneurs participating, AAM2025 will shape thought leadership on Africa’s development path.

    Platforms like this influence policy, shift narratives, and inspire reforms that foster innovation, inclusion, and competitiveness. This year’s meetings will also mark the launch of several new initiatives.

    AAM2025 is expected to welcome thousands of participants and media from more than 80 countries.

    A full programme of events and speakers is available on www.AAM2025.com

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

    Media Contact:
    Vincent Musumba
    Manager, Communications and Events (Media Relations)
    Email: press@afreximbank.com  

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    About Afreximbank:
    African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialisation and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2024, Afreximbank’s total assets and contingencies stood at over US$40.1 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$7.2 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa1), China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB-). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its equity impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, “the Group”). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt. 

    For more information, visit: www.Afreximbank.com

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with SOM Leader of India

    Source: ASEAN – Association of SouthEast Asian Nations

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today met with Secretary (East) of the Ministry of External Affairs of India, H.E. P. Kumaran, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat. During the meeting, they exchanged ways to further strengthen the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with SOM Leader of India appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Global Banks