Power supply

Euromed 2025

by Richard Zimmermann

The 2025 EUROMED issue is dedicated this year to European resources. Almost full freedom was given to the postal administrations to design their stamps, and, as a consequence, individual stamps describe very different topics including national parks, natural (local) or energy resources (wind and sun), landscapes, food, crafts or access to raw material (e.g., salt), with Türkiye showing in a souvenir sheet all possible country resources. So far, 14 countries have released their stamps with the most ciommon date on July 14, 2025. Those countries include: Bosnia Herzegovina (July 10, 2025), strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) derived products, preserves, jam; Croatia (July 14), the Neretva Delta; Cyprus (July 9), wind turbine; Egypt (July 14), energy, oil, sea resources; France (July 11), sea and shore; Greece (July 7), sea sponge (Spongia mollissima) and boat; Malta (July 9), sculptor and building; Montenegro (July 14), Ulcinjska Solana (Ulcinj saltworks); Morocco (July ?), natural resources, “Cap des Trois Fourches” (Cape of the Three Forks), Ramsar wetland; Portugal (July 10), carob collecting and salt harvesting; Slovenia (July 11), karst edge; Spain (July 8), flower (Paeonia cambessedesii), Balearic peony; Tunisia (July 7), Galite and Zembra national parks; Türkiye (Turkey) (July 7), landscape with different resources.

The Euromed association includes also Albania, Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine. With the exception of Albania which always issues their Euromed stamp with a delay of one year, there is limited chances that one of these other countries will participate this year, but who knows?

Information was mainly provided by Med Achour Ali Ahmed (Algeria) and Enzo Cafaro (Italy). Thanks to both of them.

March 2025 update

by Richard Zimmermann

Kenneth Sequeira (Singapore) provided the first illustrations of the stamps and miniature sheets issued by the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Singapore celebrating their relationship established on February 21, 1985. The stamp features Muscat Street in Singapore’s Kampong Glam district, reflecting both Singapore’s heritage and its connection with Oman, through architecture and wall paintings. The stamps and souvenir sheets were released on February 21, 2025.

In the meantime, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania issued similar stamps related to the integration of the Baltic States to the European electricity network. These countries disconnected their electricity grids from the old Soviet-era system (BRELL), which linked them to Russia and Belarus, and synchronized it with the European grid (ENTSO-E) on February 9, 2025. The project involved building new infrastructure, upgrading power lines, and installing synchronous condensers to stabilize the grid. The stamps were issued on March 7, 2025. The three stamps are not identical, but very similar, created by the same designer and considered as twin stamps of type [T3].

Kenneth Sequeira (Singapore) provided a series of information about new issues to be released during the year 2025. In particular, Indonesia made a series of announcements of joint issues related to diplomatic relationship with Russia (February, 2025), China PR (April), Serbia (August), and Bosnia Herzegovina (September or October 3). Knowing the broad definition by Indonesian post for joint issue, we will have to wait for announcements and even release of stamps from the partner countries before confirming existence of these issues. In particular, we are already missing information about the supposed to be released February issue with Russia (no information in the Russian philatelic program).

A Portugal – India diplomatic relations joint issue was also announced to be released on April 7, 2025. On the other hand, the long awaited UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage joint issue between Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan, telling tradition of Nasreddin Hodja anecdotes, is finally cancelled, without explanations. By beginning of March 2025, the 50th anniversary of the women’s day was also celebrated. Some countries (Algeria, China, Malaysia, Thailand, …) issued stamps at this occasion and others will probably do, but there is no joint character with all these stamps.

We are still missing information about Qatar stamps that could have been issued since January 31, 2025 in association with the (announced as joint issue) stamp from Argentina. Any help is welcome.

The Volume XVI of the catalogue has been updated accordingly.