Special envoys on investment

"I'm not afraid," he said, adding that even last year's attack on him with explosives-laden drones during a military ceremony didn't shake his resolve. "I'm only worried about the destiny of the fatherland and of our people, our boys and girls....this is what gives me energy." … [Read more...] about Venezuela’s Maduro Reveals Secret Meetings With US Envoy

“We have never looked at any cut to financial aid as punishment or blackmail,” he said. “Funding decisions are made by the administration solely on the basis of whether they receive a return — be it diplomatic, humanitarian or otherwise — on hard-earned taxpayer money.” … [Read more...] about U.S. Envoy David Friedman: Trump Peace Plan ‘Out of the Box’

And State Department senior adviser Brian Hook, who has spearheaded the administration’s Iran policy efforts, is expected to take on a larger role on the peace plan and work more closely with Kushner as the administration’s Iran policy increasingly merges with Kushner’s peace initiative. … [Read more...] about Trump’s Mideast envoy leaving before peace plan is released

In other administration news, the Department of State extended indefinitely April 18 the federal interagency review period on the Keystone XL pipeline because of a Nebraska lawsuit over the pipeline route from Canada to Texas.  Eight agencies have been reviewing the State Department’s favorable January 31 final environmental impact statement; the 90-day interagency review period was scheduled to end May 1. The Nebraska Supreme Court agreed in March to take up an expedited appeal in the case, but oral arguments are not likely to occur before September or October. Such a delay may mean that the administration will wait to announce a decision until after the elections, but Congressional Republicans, and some Democrats as well, are almost certain to attempt legislative approval of the project, something they have been unable to do to date. Senators John Hoeven (R-ND), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) have called in recent weeks for legislation to force the … [Read more...] about Energy & Environment Law Update – April 22, 2014

Italy to Push for Changes to EU Emissions Trading SystemDuring its six-month presidency of the European Union Council, which started this month and runs through December, Italy intends to urge that the proposed EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) be working by 2017, as opposed to 2021 as previously discussed. The ETS was proposed earlier this year as a market stability reserve for carbon emissions allowances which would allow surplus carbon permits to be removed from the market and then reintroduced at a later date when the surplus falls to a certain level.  … [Read more...] about Energy & Environmental Law Update – July 28, 2014