TUNISIA / ALGERIA. The Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA) militates for the signature of an agreement of free trade and free movement between Tunisia and Algeria.

CROATIA. After the vote of three legal texts as the last validation of the process, the euro will become the official currency of Croatia as of 1 January 2023, which will be the twentieth Member State to adopt it.

EU / USA. For the first time since its creation as a circulating currency, the euro was at parity with the dollar on the morning of Tuesday 12 July 2022.

EU. The population of the European Union decreased again in 2021 from 447 million on 1 January 2021 to 446.8 million on 1 January 2022.

CYPRUS. Following the adoption of the Partnership Agreement, the Single Operational Programme and the Just Transition Plan for Cyprus, the European Union will invest more than €1bn in this country between 2021 and 2027.

CROATIA. The European Commission authorises a Croatian state aid scheme under the temporary framework defined by the institution to better respond to crisis situations.

TURKEY. The British agency Fitch Ratings has decided to lower Turkey's long-term sovereign debt rating from B+ to B, with a negative outlook.

ALGERIA / FRANCE. Sonatrach and the French energy group Engie are extending their natural gas purchase and sale agreement and want to extend it to LNG.

ALGERIA / TUNISIA. After more than two years of closure because of Covid-19, the land borders between Algeria and Tunisia will reopen from 15 July 2022.

FRANCE. Born in 1942 in Rabat, Morocco, Yves Aubin de La Messuzière is a former French diplomat, expert on Arab countries. He graduated in Islamology at the Sorbonne, as well as in literal and oriental Arabic, and spent his career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, notably as ambassador in Tunisia and Italy. He has also worked in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria... A member of the Iremmo scientific council, he has just created a branch in Marseille: Iremmo Suds.

MEDITERRANEAN. Lebanon, Syria and Turkey are among the top six countries whose currencies have lost the most value in two years.

TURKEY. With a year-on-year inflation rate of nearly 80% in June, Turkey is sinking into an economic crisis. The reality would be even worse, because in order to remain in office, the directors of the Tüik (Turkish National Statistics Office) are forced to publish figures in line with the presidential speech. Four have already been fired.

FRANCE. The Institute for Research and Studies of the Mediterranean and the Middle East (Iremmo) sets up a branch in Marseille by creating the Iremmo Suds association. Legally, it exists since May 2022. But it will only be fully operational in September.

MEDITERRANEAN. Criticised for its environmental nuisance, the cruise sector is adopting technical solutions to limit its impact. Increasingly strict regulations are an effective spur. In the Mediterranean, the extension of the Seca and Pelagos zones will bring the most polluting ships out of our sea.