The United States and Saudi Arabia have conveyed their interest and devotion to securing the stability of global energy markets. US President Joe Biden held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other top Saudi officials in Jeddah. In a joint statement carried out by the Saudi state news agency (SPA), the US welcomed Riyadh's dedication to supporting balanced international oil markets to attain sustainable economic growth. The two countries agreed to strategically collaborate as partners in dealing with climate and energy issues and would consult often on global energy mark
The US House of Representatives passed a legislative amendment on Thursday, July 14, that approves a waiver to India against the harsh CAATSA sanctions for its acquisition of the S-400 missile defense system from Russia to help scare off aggressors like China. The legislative amendment was passed as part of an en bloc (as a unit) amendment in the middle of floor consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Written and introduced by Indian-American congressional representative Ro Khanna, the amendment requests the Biden administration to use its power to offer India a
On Friday, in an apparent gesture of openness towards Israel ahead of US President Joe Biden's visit, Saudi Arabia lifted restrictions on "all carriers" using its airspace. The US president praised Riyadh's "historic" decision, the latest conciliatory move concerning the Jewish state, which Riyadh has refused to recognize despite Israeli efforts to establish ties with the Arab world. In a statement on Twitter, the Saudi civil aviation authority stated that it has decided to open its airspace to all airlines meeting the requirements for overflying its airspace. In addition to efforts
Bali will host the G20 finance leaders this week for talks that will tackle topics such as global food security and inflation. Wempi Saputra, Indonesia's deputy for finance in the G20, said the group will be seeking to ensure the supply and affordability of food and fertilizers in poor countries to cope with a possible food crisis. In addition to debt relief for poor countries, the summit will discuss the creation of a future pandemic fund at the World Bank, as well as the Resilience and Stability Trust at the International Monetary Fund. When talks end on Saturday, Indonesia expects
On Tuesday, the European Union accepted Croatia as the 20th eurozone member. It will allow the nation to adopt a single currency from 2023. According to the European Council, Croatia has passed the final three legal measures necessary for the country to join the euro. Among the acts, one euro will be converted into 7.53450 Croatian kunas. It will take some months to determine the practicalities of switching currencies. European Commission VP Valdis Dombrivskis said that this was particularly important at such a challenging time when Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is continuously
Israeli Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Monday said he hoped a visit to Israel by U.S. President Joe Biden this week would result in a common Middle East market including Saudi Arabia. Biden is to visit Israel on Wednesday and move to Saudi Arabia on Friday. The White House has said the purpose of the visit is to boost regional economic and security cooperation. Questioned at an economic conference hosted by the Calcalist newspaper what he hopes to gain from Biden's visit, Lieberman said: "It is time to create a new, common market in the Middle East - Israel, Saudi Arabia, Gulf co
Japan's ruling party and its coalition partner scored a major victory in a parliamentary election on Sunday. The Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito lifted their combined share to 146 in the 248-seat chamber- much more than the majority — in the elections for half of the seats in the defenseless upper house. With such a monumental victory, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stands to rule uninterruptedly until a scheduled election in 2025. This would let Mr. Kishida focus on long-term policies such as national security, his "new capitalism" economic policy, and his pa
Two Indian-origin Conservative MPs are expected to bid for the Tory leadership. Attorney general Suella Braverman MP formally declared her run for UK PM even before Prime Minister Boris Johnson quit when she said on Live TV on Wednesday night: "If there is a leadership contest, I will put my name into the ring. I love this country. My parents came here with absolutely nothing and it was Britain that gave them hope, security, and opportunity this country has afforded me incredible opportunities in education and my career, and I owe a debt of gratitude to this country and to serve as prime mini
On Friday, the G20 meeting was held in Bali, Indonesia with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Finance Minister Sergei Lavrov. the top diplomates attended the meeting of the Group of 20 foreign ministers for the first time since the Russian Invasion. Meetings between Moscow and Western nations are expected to produce tense exchanges but no direct meetings are expected between the diplomats. It is believed that Washington is looking for significant backing from the major economies around the globe to put pressure on Moscow. A senior US official said, “It clearly can
S Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister, held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Bali on Thursday with the center of interest on "specific outstanding issues". The talks took place on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Summit, which is being held in Bali on July 7-8, 2022. One of the key topics discussed was the fight involving the eastern Ladakh border. Jaishankar tweeted, "Began my day in Bali by meeting FM Wang Yi of China. The discussion lasted one hour. Focused on specific outstanding issues in our bilateral relationship pertaining to the border situation