Category: Politics

On Friday, Syria’s President Bashar Assad visited the United Arab Emirates, marking his first visit to an Arab country since Syria’s civil war erupted in 2011.

An official statement was posted on social media page that said that Assad met the ruler of Dubai, and Vice President and prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of the UAE. The statement said that they discussed bilateral relations between the nations.

After the conflict broke out in 2011, Syria was expelled from the 22-member Arab League and boycotted by its neighbours. Assad was blamed by Arab and West for the deadly crackdown on the 2011 protest that evolved into a civil war.

The leader has recovered control of most of the country, thanks to military assistance from his two allies-Russia and Iran; Arab countries have begun to restore ties with the Syrian leader in recent years after the war fell to a stalemate.

A major Arab overture to the Assad government was made by the UAE in late 2018 through the reopening of its embassy in Syria, but relations remained chilly.

Assad’s visit to the Arab world sends its strongest signal yet that it is willing to reengage with Syria’s once widely shunned president.

On Tuesday, Tunisian President Kais Saied met Italian defence minister Lorenzo Guerini. During the 23rd session of the Tunisian-Italian Military Commission, the two countries discussed the military cooperation at Carthage Palace.

The talks between Tunisian Defence Minister Imed Memmich and Italian Ambassador Lorenzo Fanara followed military discussions in which the latter said Rome is willing to help Tunisia in developing its military capabilities.

Some major topics like migration and regional, international issues of common interest were also discussed in the meeting. Saied reaffirmed Tunisia’s keenness to enhance ties with Italy, which have been demonstrated through cooperation against COVID-19 and at various other governmental levels.

Italy reiterated its willingness to continue assisting Tunisia in implementing social projects, mentioning, in particular, the Center for professional training in scuba diving and underwater activities in Zarzis, Governorate of Medenine, and the two development projects in Rjim Maatoug and El Mohdeth in the delegation of El Faouar, Governorate of Kebili.

A senior military official from each country attended the meeting.

Guerini praised the solidity of bilateral relations, saying Rome is prepared to support Tunisia at the regional and European levels, as well as promote its causes with international organizations and donors.

On Wednesday, the need to work together to stabilise the global energy markets was stressed by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in talk with the United Arab Emirate’s de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

Ahead of the meeting, Johnson said, “The world must wean itself off Russian hydrocarbons and strive Putin’s addiction to oil and gas. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are key international partners in that effort”.

As part of his Gulf visit, Johnson met the prince on his first stop in an effort to secure more oil supplies and put more pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin over the invasion of Ukraine.

Like much of the West, Britain faces spiralling energy prices, and Johnson wants to encourage producers to increase output and secure others to try to help consumers and reduce reliance on Russian exports. After Russia invaded Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which have strained relations with Washington, have resisted U.S. pleas for more oil production to tame soaring crude prices and avert a global recession.

UAE and Saudi Arabia are among few OPEC oil exporters with spare oil capacity to raise output and potentially offset supply losses from Russia.

As part of an initiative aimed at supporting the United Nations-led peace process, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is considering inviting the Houthi movement and other Yemeni parties to Riyadh for consultations this month.

Two gulf officials confirmed that the formal invitation will be sent within the next few days for the talks on military, political, and economic aspects of the war between the Iran-aligned Houthis and a coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

On Tuesday, the conflict will enter its eight-year. In return for an invitation to the talks, GCC Secretary-General Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf will offer security guarantees at the body’s Riyadh headquarters if Houthi officials accept the invitation. The talks will take place from March 29-April 7.

However, according to the Houthi official, the group might not agree to travel to Saudi Arabia, which backs the government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Hadi was ousted from the capital, Sanna, by the movement in late 2014. Houthis claim to fight against a corrupt system and foreign aggression.

Head of the movement’s supreme revolutionary committee, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi posted on Twitter, “Riyadh is a party in the war, not a mediator”.

Efforts are being made by the US and UK to coordinate the implementation of their respective Indo-Pacific strategies by focusing on enhancing their ties with India.

This week, officials from both governments held high-level consultations on the Indo-Pacific in which they resolved to broaden and deepen their alignment and cooperation. During the meeting, which is one of many being held amid the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, preparations were also discussed for responding to the “challenge of the systemic competition with China.”

The consultations released a joint statement on Friday which stated, “In the coming months, the US and the UK will work together to invest in partnerships with the Pacific Islands; to support the centrality of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and to advance concrete cooperation with ASEAN and its member states, and to enhance ties with India”.

On Monday and Tuesday, the US delegation talks were led by Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell and included representatives from the Department of State, National Security Council and Department of Defence.

Deputy National Security Advisor David Quarrey led the UK delegation which included representatives from all over the British government.

On Wednesday, for the first time in a video conference Japan, Egypt and Jordan held trilateral consultation regarding the Middle East. The nations exchanged their views on regional affairs and future economic cooperation.

Tokyo’s foreign ministry confirmed the meeting between the three countries would take place during the visit of the former foreign minister MOTEGI Toshimitsu to Egypt and Jordan in 2021. During his visit, he said, “Through the visit, I want to reiterate our commitment to the Middle East, which has contributed to ts peace and prosperity over the years”. He visited Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Palestine, Turkey and Qatar to discuss regional security and the response to the coronavirus pandemic

According to the delegationsTrilateral Consultations will be convened on a periodic basis.

Kansuke Nagaoka, director-general of the Middle Eastern and African affairs bureau, led the Japanese delegation, while Ambassador Alaa Moussa, assistant minister for Arab affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed the Egyptian delegation.

Ambassador Hazem Al-Khatib, director of the department of Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, and ambassador Muhammed Hindawi, director of the department for negotiations coordination, led the delegation, according to the ministry.

On Wednesday, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina thanked India’s Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi for safely evacuating nine citizens of her country from war-torn Ukraine.

Under “Operation Ganga”, India has reduced stranded Indian citizens, mostly students and brought them back to their motherland. Since Russia attacked Ukraine two weeks ago, India has evacuated several other nations’ students including Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Tunisia.

The operation was started on Tuesday from Ukraine’s Sumy to Poltava after Russia announced a temporary ceasefire from 10 am (Moscow time). In Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol, humanitarian corridors were established following the ceasefire. A convoy of 12 busses left Sumy which was escorted by officials of the Indian Embassy.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said, “I checked with the control room, 649 Indian students remain stranded in Sumy. Today, they have all left in buses for Poltava”.

A video of a Pakistani student Asma Shafique thanking the Indian government for evacuating her from the strife-torn nation is also going viral. According to the reports she was safely evacuated by Indian officials and is currently on her way to western Ukraine and soon will be reunited with her family.

On Wednesday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog is scheduled to arrive in Ankara on a two day-trip for the first time after a decade. The meeting will address potential areas of cooperation and explore ways to deepen bilateral relations.

Turkey and Israel will seek ways to mend once close relations and overcome years of strained ties and discuss steps to improve cooperation. Trade links between the countries remained high throughout the years of tension and even reached a record level last year despite the tension.

The two leaders are expected to review all aspects of Turkish-Israeli relations and discuss ways to enhance cooperation, notably in energy, trade, and security. Both presidents will discuss recent international and regional developments, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where both nations have intensified diplomatic efforts to mediate and end the conflict.

According to official data, trade between Turkey and Israel reached a record $8.4 billion last year, up from $6.2 billion in 2020. Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) reports that exports to Israel increased 35% over the previous year to $6.4 billion, an all-time high. Imports jumped nearly 37% to $2.1 billion.

On Tuesday, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi arrived in Riyadh on an official visit.

He was welcomed by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the King Khalid International Airport.

King Salman later hosted the president at the Al-Yamamah Palace where a luncheon was held in his honor. The King praised bilateral relations and Egypt’s pivotal role in maintaining security and stability in the Arab world along with its unremitting efforts to support Arab Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia.

The bilateral relations, regional and international developments were also discussed between Prince Mohamed and El-Sisi during the meeting post in which Prince took the president on a tour of Driryah’s historic At-Turaif district.

According to the Saudi ambassador to Egypt, Osama Nugali, the visit occurred within the context of continued consultations and the growing relationship between the two countries. The Egyptian spokesman Bassam Rady, the meeting between the president and the king included delegations from both nations in their talks.

A large number of agreements, memorandum of understanding, and protocols between the nation will provide with strategic dimension to the historic and religious, and Arab dimensions.

Meanwhile, the depth and strength of these nations have translated into frequent visits and uninterrupted contact among the officials.

Towards strengthening regional trade and connectivity, India, Bangladesh, and Nepal signed an enabling Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Tuesday to implement the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA).

The connectivity faced hindrance in 2017 when Bhutan temporarily opted out of it as it could not get parliament’s approval for the MVA. Meanwhile, the other three nations decided to move ahead with the agreement. On March 7-8, the implementation of BBIN MVA was finalized in the meeting held at New Delhi which enabled MoU to be signed by India, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

In a statement, the ministry said, “Recalling the commitments made at the highest level for implementation of the BBN MVA, the delegations expressed their desire to sign the MoU at the earliest to give momentum to the implementation”.

When the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) failed to agree on a regional MVA at a summit in Nepal, the BBIN connectivity project was conceived in 2014. This connectivity was formed mainly due to the opposition from Pakistan.

The nations are emphasizing the need for speedy operation of the MVA to “enable seamless movement between them for a facilitating trade and people-to-people contact”.