China for the first time became Germany’s most important trading partner in 2016, overtaking the United States, which fell back to third place behind France, data showed on Friday. The development is likely to be welcomed by the German government. Source: Reuters
German company ADL and Iran’s Sepahan Oil Company (SOC) have signed an agreement to cooperate in technology transfer in oil and gas industry lubricants. Source: Oil Price
Russia has moved one step closer to seeing its controversial Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline become a reality. On Wednesday, the consortium managing the pipeline said that it has all of the Russian permits needed for installation. Source: Oil Price
Turkey on Friday threatened to respond if the United States levied further sanctions over the detention of an American pastor which has sparked a diplomatic standoff and battered the Turkish currency. Source: Agence France Presse
