Canada-Qatar: the Great Canadian Cow Airlift of 2017! Due to sanctions from its neighbors Qatar was cut off from its dairy imports. It purchased 6000 Canadian dairy cows and flew them in on hundreds of Qatar Airlines freighters. Qatar now produces nearly 100% of its dairy domestically.
Bosnia-Switzerland. The 1995 Dayton accords saw the Swiss waver on their famous neutrality to send unarmed “Yellow Berets” to Bosnia. Later there was a national referendum about arming them.
The Swiss reaction to Bosnian refugees of the same conflict was a little less laudatory.
Ed Burmila
Ed Burmila
Czechia-South Africa, great shared history. Prague was a sanctuary for the anti-apartheid movement, a haven for activists like Ruth First. Mandela (so the tale goes) used to fund his activities in part by exchanging currency through friendly Czech diplomats. ANC and SACP both had Prague roots.
Ed Burmila
Ghana-Panama, another one that on the surface seems unlikely. Ghanaian laborers were used in the hundreds and thousands to build the Panama Canal during both the failed French attempt and the successful US one. The strong Afro-Panamanian presence there now is largely (not exclusively) Ghanaian!
Ed Burmila
Algeria-Argentina, nothing, right? In the 80s when Algeria wanted to develop a civilian nuclear power program they wouldn’t be caught dead asking the French for help. The USA and USSR each had their geopolitical price demands, so Algeria turned to Argentina to develop its nuclear industry.
Ed Burmila
Iraq-Norway today, another surprisingly interesting relationship. When North Sea oil was discovered Norway had zero oil experts and hired an Iraqi team to set it all up for them. The much lauded “Norwegian Model” of oil / oil wealth management was 100% Iraqi designed.
Ed Burmila
Iran-New Zealand is honestly an interesting one. There were furious negotiations (daily headline stuff) with the first Ayatollah to protect the economic interests of the NZ mutton export industry. Muslim experts were hired en masse and rapidly made NZ the world’s largest exporter of halal meat.
