#prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud

[chinemagazine]

Les questions régionales au coeur des échanges entre les ministres chinois et saoudien

Les ministres des Affaires étrangères de Chine et d'Arabie saoudite ont discuté des guerres à Gaza et en Ukraine

Les ministres des Affaires étrangères de Chine et d’Arabie saoudite ont discuté le 31 mai 2024 des guerres à Gaza et en Ukraine, a indiqué le ministère chinois des Affaires étrangères. Wang Yi a reçu son homologue saoudien, le prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, à Pékin, où il a participé au Forum de coopération sino-arabe, selon un communiqué officiel publié à Pékin. Le prince Faisal bin Farhan Al…

[kirstythejetblackgoldfish]

Algeria welcomes resumption of Syria participation in Arab League meetings

“Our meeting is taking place today within special regional circumstance and rapid international developments that require continuing work to unite our word in order to overcome obstacles and challenges”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Community Abroad in Algeria, Ahmed Attaf, said during the meeting.

Attaf stressed the need to intensify efforts to strengthen joint Arab action and neutralize the marginal tensions that divide our countries.

Attaf went on to say that Algeria welcomes the resumption of Syria’s participation in the Arab League meetings, which reflects positively on strengthening joint Arab action.

Saudi Foreign Minister welcomes participation of Syria

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud, for his part, said: I welcome the Syrian Arab Republic here in our meeting today, and the resumption of its participation in the meetings of the Arab League.

He added that the world is going through many challenges and difficulties that “make us at a crossroads that require us to stand together and do more.

[rebelwithacauze]

Listen to how brilliantly the Saudi Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud answered her question.

.

I'm sick of mainstream media ,the only 2 questions the ask the people who are against their genocide are:

1) 'Do you condemn Khaaaamas?"

2) ' Why doesn't the Arab countries unify and take in Palestinian refugees?'

Firstly ,we will condemn Kkkkhhhaaammas when Israeli apologists accept israels 75 years of ethnic cleansing in Palestine

And Secondly, Palestinians will not leave their land,and Why should they?

Arab leaders are aware that.

Why should the holy land be handed over to the most ungodly people on earth?

Israel will never succeed in driving out Palestinians from their motherland !

#vivapalestina #Palestine

#saudiarabia

#gaza #gazagenocide #freepalestine #gazaunderattack #israel 🤮

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Khatija Suleman🇵🇸💯💪 (@katsuleman)

[head-post]

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed in Gaza, Hezbollah launches “new escalatory phase”

Hezbollah has announced a “new phase of escalation” in the conflict with Israel following the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The escalation of the confrontation will be indicated by upcoming actions, the Lebanese organisation’s press office said on Friday.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed in Gaza

The Israeli military said on Thursday it had killed Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, who is believed to have been the architect of the attack on Israel on October 7 last year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announcing the killing, said:

“While this is not the end of the war in Gaza, it’s the beginning of the end.”

Netanyahu said Sinwar was killed in the Gaza town of Rafah. Hamas has not yet confirmed the death. Sinwar was killed in a random clash with Israeli troops in southern Gaza and was only later identified.

Israel Defence Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said the military spotted three men running from house to house and engaged them before splitting up. He said the man, later identified as Sinwar, “ran alone into one of the buildings” and was killed after being spotted by a drone.

Drone footage released by Israel on Thursday purportedly captured the Hamas leader’s last moments before he was killed. The video shows a wounded man sitting with his head covered on a chair in a nearly destroyed building. The man is seen throwing a stick at a drone, after which the footage ends.

World reaction to the assassination of the head of Hamas

US President Joe Biden, commenting on Sinwar’s death, said the Hamas leader was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Israelis, Palestinians and Americans, among others. He also added:

“This is a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world.”

The US President said there was now an opportunity for a “political settlement that provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the assassination of the head of Hamas and a settlement in the Gaza Strip on Thursday in phone conversations with his Saudi and Qatari counterparts, according to written statements from State Department press chief Matthew Miller.

He said the US foreign policy chief and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud spoke about “the death of Yahya Sinwar and the importance of ongoing efforts to end the conflict and release all hostages.” Miller also added:

“The Secretary discussed ongoing work towards a post-conflict period in Gaza that ensures Hamas does not remain in power and provides a path for the people of Gaza to rebuild their lives and realise their aspirations.”

According to him, the US and Saudi diplomatic chiefs also spoke “about the situation in Lebanon and the urgent need to deliver humanitarian aid to all vulnerable populations.”

As specified by the head of the press service of the State Department, Blinken and Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani discussed “the death of Yahya Sinwar and the need to redouble efforts to end the conflict and release the hostages.” They also talked about the arrangement in the Gaza Strip after the cessation of hostilities there.

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said “Sinwar’s death ends a reign of terror.” He also added Hamas “must lay down its arms, release the hostages, and play no future role in the governance of Gaza,” and reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire to end the suffering in Gaza.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said “Sinwar was a brutal murderer and terrorist, who wanted to destroy Israel and its people.” She also added Hamas must immediately release all hostages and lay down its weapons, saying “the suffering of the people in Gaza must finally end.”

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said:

“I am convinced that a new phase must now begin: it is time for all hostages to be released, for an immediate ceasefire to be declared and for reconstruction to begin in Gaza.”

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said:

“Sinwar was the leader of a terrorist organisation, the terrorist organisation of Hamas. And he was basically the mastermind behind the 7th of October with the killings, the massacres, the rapes and the kidnapping. So his death is certainly significantly weakening Hamas.”

European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said “[Sinwar] was an obstacle to an urgently needed ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages.” Later, he added:

“There must be an end to violence, liberation of hostages and stop to the suffering of Palestinians.”

Iran’s permanent mission to the UN said the killing of Sinwar would only strengthen the spirit of the Palestinian resistance. The Iranian diplomatic mission said in a message published in X on October 17:

“The spirit of resistance will only be strengthened. He (Sinwar) will become a role model for the youth and children who will continue his journey to liberate Palestine. As long as there is aggression and occupation, the resistance will continue.”

The killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza is a major victory for Israel after a year-long hunt for the man believed to be the mastermind behind the deadliest terror attack in the country’s history, CNN reports.

Experts say it could bring the devastating war in Gaza to a close if Israel and its allies can seize the opportunity.

Harel Chorev, a senior fellow at the Moshe Dayan Centre at Tel Aviv University, told CNN that Sinwar’s death could be a deadly blow to Hamas because of the way he led the group. Chorev said that before the war, power in Hamas was decentralised – Sinwar, the political head of Gaza, was just one of many leaders – but that has changed over the past year. He also added:

“Sinwar became the sole decision maker, and of course, he grew stronger and stronger as Israel killed more and more important figures, such as (Hamas’ military chief) Mohammed Deif.”

New Hamas head

The head of the Hamas movement’s office abroad, Khaled Mashal, has taken over as head of the organisation after the Israeli army killed Yahya Sinwar, Lebanese media reported.

Khaled Mashal has assumed the role of acting head of the movement and is now in charge of all communications with key parties involved in hostage negotiations. The media reported that “Hamas leadership informed Turkish, Qatari and Egyptian officials of Sinwar’s death in the Tel al-Sultan operation and that negotiations on prisoner exchange and an end to the war would become increasingly difficult following his killing.”

Hezbollah launches “new escalatory phase”

On Thursday, Hezbollah announced the launch of a “new escalatory phase” in its confrontation with Israel. In a statement, the Lebanese party said:

“In line with the directives of the Resistance leadership, the Islamic Resistance Operations Room announces the transition to a new, escalatory phase in the confrontation with the Israeli enemy, the details of which will unfold in the coming days.”

The report also noted that the organisation’s fighters are striking “Israeli enemy concentrations in military installations and barracks along the border… as well as in settlements and occupied northern towns” using “various types of rockets, including precision missiles used for the first time.”

In a related development, Hezbollah also referred to killing “55 Israeli enemy officers and soldiers” and wounding “more than 500” in Lebanon.

On Friday, Hezbollah said in a series of statements that two clusters of Israeli soldiers near the town of Aita al-Shaab were hit by heavy rocket fire. The second attack came as Israeli soldiers were trying to evacuate their wounded and dead.

In addition, the party stated:

“After monitoring the movements of Israeli enemy soldiers on the outskirts of the town of Kafr Kila, Islamic Resistance fighters targeted them with artillery shells at 1:05 AM on Friday, October 18, 2024.”

The attacks were carried out “in support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in solidarity with their brave and noble resistance, as well as in defence of Lebanon and its people.”

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that more than 15 rockets were fired from southern Lebanon towards the Haifa Bay in the latest shelling.

Read more HERE

[theculturedmarxist]

[...]

In the meantime, while Iran was coordinating with the resistance groups on the military front, China and Saudi Arabia shifted gear on the diplomatic track. On Thursday, even as the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was heading for Arab capitals after talks in Tel Aviv, seeking help to get the hostages released by Hamas, China’s Special Envoy on the Middle East Zhai Jun contacted the Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of the Saudi foreign ministry Arabia Saud M. Al-Sati on the Palestine-Israel situation with focus on the Palestine issue and the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, in particular. The contrast couldn’t be sharper. 

On the same day, an extraordinary event took place in the Chinese foreign ministry when the Arab envoys in Beijing sought a group meeting with Special Envoy Zhai to underscore their collective stance that a “very severe” humanitarian crisis has emerged following Israel’s attack on Gaza and “the international community has the responsibility to take immediate actions to ease the tension, promote the resumption of talks for peace, and safeguard the Palestinian people’s lawful national rights.” 

The Arab ambassadors thanked China “for upholding a just position on the Palestinian question … and expressed the hope that China will continue to play a positive and constructive role.” Zhai voiced full understanding that the “top priority is to keep calm and exercise restraint, protect civilians, and provide necessary conditions for relieving the humanitarian crisis.” 

After this extraordinary meeting, the Chinese Foreign Ministry posted on its website at midnight a full-bodied statement by Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi titled China Stands on the Side of Peace and Human Conscience on the Question of Palestine. This reportedly prompted a call by the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to Wang Yi. 

Interestingly, Blinken too called Wang Yi from Riyadh on October 14,     where, according to the state department readout, he “reiterated U.S. support for Israel’s right to defend itself and called for an immediate cessation of Hamas’ attacks and the release of all hostages” and stressed the importance of “discouraging other parties (read Iran and Hezbollah) from entering the conflict.”

Succinctly put, in all these exchanges involving Saudi Arabia — especially, in Blinken’s meetings in Riyadh with Saudi FM and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, while the US focused on the hostage issue, the Saudi side instead turned the attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The state department readouts (here and here) bring out the two sides’ divergent priorities. 

Suffice to say, a coordinated Saudi-Iranian strategy backed by China is putting pressure on Israel to agree to a ceasefire and to de-escalate. The UN’s backing isolates Israel further.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s exit is to be expected but he won’t throw in the towel without a fight. US-Israel ties may come under strain. President Biden is caught in a bind, harking back to Jimmy Carter’s predicament over the Iran hostage crisis in 1980, which ended his bid for a second term as president. Biden is already backtracking. 

Where do things go from here? Clearly, the longer the Israeli assault on Gaza continues, the international condemnation and demand to allow a humanitarian corridor will only intensify. Not only will countries like India which expressed “solidarity” with Israel lose face in the Global South, even Washington’s European allies will be hard-pressed. It remains to be seen whether an invasion of Gaza by Israel is anymore realistic at all. 

Going forward, the Arab-Iran-China axis will raise the plight of Gaza in the UN Security Council unless Israel retracted. Russia has proposed a draft resolution and is insisting on a voting. If the US vetoes the resolution, the UN GA may step in to adopt it. 

Meanwhile, the US project to resuscitate the Abraham Accords loses traction and the plot to undermine the China-brokered Saudi-Iranian rapprochement faces sudden death.

As regards the power dynamic in West Asia, these trends can only work to the advantage of Russia and China, especially if the BRICS were to take a lead role at some point to navigate a Middle East peace process that is no longer the monopoly of the US. This is payback time for Russia. 

The era of petrodollar is ending — and along with that, the US’ global hegemony. The emergent trends, therefore, go a long way to strengthen multipolarity in the world order. 

[ukrainenews]

Daily Wrap Up February 25-26, 2023

Under the cut:

Ukrainian troops are standing their ground around Bakhmut despite a significant concentration of Russian forces near the eastern town, a Ukrainian commander said Saturday.

For the first time since the two countries established diplomatic relations 30 years ago, a Saudi foreign minister has visited Ukraine. "Ukraine will receive real help from Saudi Arabia," the Ukrainian official said. "The Presidential Office signed two documents formalizing a $400 million aid package to Ukraine: $100 million in humanitarian aid and $300 million in oil products."

The delivery of 12 Mi-8 MTV-1 and two Mi-8 T helicopters from Croatia to Ukraine is underway, Croatian newspaper Jutarnji said it had learned, without citing its sources.

Poland’s largest oil company, PKN Orlen, has stopped receiving oil via the Druzhba pipeline from Russia, its chief executive officer, Daniel Obajtek, has said.

Explosions have reportedly been heard in the Russian-occupied city of Mariupol in southern Ukraine, according to Petro Andriushchenko, an adviser to the exiled city’s mayor. The explosions were reported in the location of a large Russian military personnel cluster, he said.

“Ukrainian troops are standing their ground around Bakhmut despite a significant concentration of Russian forces near the eastern town, a Ukrainian commander said Saturday.

Cmdr. Yuriy Fedorovych Madyar, a colonel in Ukraine's military, published a video message on his Telegram channel about the state of the fighting around Bakhmut, which remains one of the most fiercely contested territories in the war.

"Ukrainian troops have retained their positions on all three suburbs of Bakhmut — the northern, eastern and southern-southwestern. The enemy had no territorial successes," Madyar said. "Enemy assault operations were unsuccessful." The colonel said Ukrainian forces "don't see any additional accumulation" of Russian troops in these areas. Still, the concentration of Russian forces in Bakhmut is "already considerable," allowing the Russians "to launch assault operations several times a day."  

Madyar said the situation in the southern suburbs of Bakhut is stable, and that it's the northern suburbs that are proving "the most difficult part of the front lines to hold on to."

"There is a large number of enemy troops and high intensity of enemy assault operations," Madyar said, describing the situation in the northern suburbs. "Appropriate forces were sent there to prevent the enemy from implementing its plan to surround the city and its outskirts."   Madyar said that over the past week, the number of remaining civilians seen in the streets of Bakhmut "has fallen to zero."

What Russia is saying: Russia state news agency RIA Novosti carried a report this week showing a Russian soldier walking through the outskirts of Bakhmut, saying that Ukrainian forces have been holding on to their lines but retreating "occasionally."

And the Russian private military company Wagner has claimed that it now controls the village of Yahidne. The village is in the northern suburbs of Bakhmut — the same area that Madyar, the Ukrainian colonel, said was proving the most difficult to hold.

CNN has not been able to independently verify either side's claims on recent troop movements around Bakhmut.”-via CNN

~

“For the first time since the two countries established diplomatic relations 30 years ago, a Saudi foreign minister has visited Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky's office released a video of him meeting Saudi Arabia's Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Sunday.

Zelensky said he expected the meeting would "provide a new impetus to further intensification of our mutually beneficial dialogue."

"Thank you for supporting peace in Ukraine, our sovereignty, and territorial integrity," he continued. "This is very important for us and our society."

Saudi Arabia has steered a neutral course in the conflict. The Kingdom mediated a prisoner exchange last year, in which two American and five British citizens were released from Russian detention.

Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential office, called the meeting successful in a message on Telegram.

"Ukraine will receive real help from Saudi Arabia," the Ukrainian official said. "The Presidential Office signed two documents formalizing a $400 million aid package to Ukraine: $100 million in humanitarian aid and $300 million in oil products."

"Ukraine and Saudi Arabia have common challenges and experiences in dealing with them. We are talking about Iranian UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones) that were supplied to certain 'rebels' and attacked Saudi oil facilities," Yermak said, in a reference to the use of Iranian drones by Houthi forces in Yemen.

"Since last year, the same Iranian UAVs have been in possession of Russian terrorists and have been attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure."”-via CNN

~

“The delivery of 12 Mi-8 MTV-1 and two Mi-8 T helicopters from Croatia to Ukraine is underway, Croatian newspaper Jutarnji said it had learned, without citing its sources.

As the Croatian government keeps all information on military aid confidential, the news outlet said obtaining official confirmation of the delivery was impossible.

Reports that Croatia's Defense Ministry would donate some of its Soviet-made Mi-8 helicopters to Ukraine emerged last year in November.

According to the outlet's sources, however, the helicopters are currently being disassembled and prepared for delivery and will be ready for transport in about ten days.

While Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has publicly voiced support for Ukraine, the country's president, Zoran Milanovic has repeatedly spoken out against providing military support to Ukraine as it defends against full-scale Russian invasion.

Jutarnji reported that Milanovic was angered by the announcement that Croatia would deliver helicopters to Ukraine last November, saying at the time that Croatia's Defense Ministry did not inform him how these helicopters would be replaced.

On Jan. 30, Milanovic criticized the West's decision to send tanks to Ukraine and said that the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula would "never again be part of Ukraine," prompting a response from Ukrainian officials.”-via Kyiv Independent

~

“Poland’s largest oil company, PKN Orlen, has stopped receiving oil via the Druzhba pipeline from Russia, its chief executive officer, Daniel Obajtek, has said.

Posting to Twitter, Obajtek said:

We’re effectively securing supplies. Russia has halted supplies to Poland, for which we are prepared.

Orlen said it could fully supply its refineries via sea and that consumers would not be affected by the halt.

The Druzhba pipeline, which supplies oil to Poland and Germany, as well as to Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, was exempted from EU sanctions to help countries with limited options for alternative deliveries.

Russian oil accounts for about 10% of Polish supply after Warsaw cut imports after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.”-via The Guardian

~

“Explosions have reportedly been heard in the Russian-occupied city of Mariupol in southern Ukraine, according to Petro Andriushchenko, an adviser to the exiled city’s mayor.

The explosions were reported in the location of a large Russian military personnel cluster, he said.

Andriushchenko, posting on Telegram, wrote:

The sounds of explosions along the line of Yalta village / Yuryivka village (location of a large concentration of occupiers) in Mariupol district are reported. We verify the reports. Air raid alert was announced in Ukraine, but occupiers are struck.

“It’s a good trend,” he added.

Ukraine’s armed forces have in recent days claimed strikes on Mariupol, previously thought to be outside the effective range of Ukrainian missiles, Kyiv Post has reported.

Nataliya Humeniuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s armed forces, on Thursay said:

At this stage, we can only state that inaccessibility is a very relative concept. What is considered so remote that it is unreachable, is not always so. The direction of Mariupol is no longer completely unreachable for us.”-via The Guardian

[zvaigzdelasas]

Iran's foreign minister said on Wednesday he spoke with his Saudi counterpart on the sidelines of a conference in Jordan the previous day, the highest-level encounter reported between officials from the rival states since they cut ties in 2016.[...]

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, tweeting in Arabic, on Wednesday listed his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, as one of several foreign ministers with whom he had the chance to hold "friendly talks" on the sidelines of the Jordan conference.[...]

In separate comments reported by Iran's official IRNA news agency, Amirabdollahian said he had "announced our readiness to continue the process that started in Baghdad".

"We are interested in resuming talks with Saudi Arabia and they also wanted it," he said, according to IRNA. [...]

Amirabdollahian, in his Tweet, said he also spoke with the foreign ministers of Oman, Qatar, Iraq and Kuwait.

21 Dec 22

[usa-journal]

Saudi Crown Prince Receives Message from Maldives President on Strengthening Ties

Riyadh, August 19 (QNA) - Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, received a written message on Monday from Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu. The message focused on enhancing bilateral relations and exploring opportunities for cooperation in various fields.

The message was handed over by the Maldives' Minister of Foreign Affairs, Moosa Zameer, during a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah.

[massispost]

New Post has been published on https://massispost.com/2024/04/armenian-and-saudi-foreign-ministers-discuss-bilateral-relations-regional-and-international-developments/

Armenian and Saudi Foreign Ministers Discuss Bilateral Relations Regional and International Developments

RIYADH — On April 17, the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia commenced, where he met with with Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia. It is the first high-level visit after the establishment of diplomatic relations in November 2023, the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported. The interlocutors commended the positive dynamics of the development of political dialogue between Armenia and Saudi Arabia, emphasizing that the organization of the high-level visit after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries is the best evidence of the desire…

[addnoral]

Saudi Arabia's high-level delegation to arrive in Pakistan today

In a major development, Saudi Arabia’s high-level delegation led by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah will land in Pakistan on a two-day official visit, from April 15 to 16. The development came after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, during a recent meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reaffirmed that Riyadh would never leave Islamabad alone. During the…

[oceansoulmatesblog]

Blinken visits Saudi Arabia to rebuild strained ties

AFP , Tuesday 6 Jun 2023 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to strengthen strained ties with the long-time ally as the oil-rich kingdom forges closer relations with America’s rivals. File photo: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud speak to reporters at the StateDepartment in Washington, Oct.…

[kirstythejetblackgoldfish]

Riyadh, SANA - Foreign and Expatriates Minister Fayssal Mikdad met his Saudi Counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and conveyed President Bashar al-Assad’s greetings to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud.

This came during Mikdad and the accompanying delegation’s visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to attend the Second Ministerial Meeting between Arab Countries and the Pacific Islands Countries.

Both sides discussed means to boost the bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries, and the importance of continuing coordination and consultation on various issues.

Mikdad emphasized that the strong relations of the Syrian-Saudi give us great hope for the future and the role of the Arab nation on the regional and international arenas to address common challenges.

The Saudi foreign minister stressed the importance of Syria’s return practice its Arab and regional role.

Mikdad also held a number of meetings with the delegations of participating countries in the ministerial meeting, during which he explained the latest regional and international developments and the Syrian stance about these developments.

[gadgetsforusesblog]

Sudan ceasefire gives hope for relief in Khartoum By Reuters

3/3 ©Reuters. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al-Saud stands with other officials as representatives of the Sudanese military and rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces sign an agreement for a seven-day ceasefire in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2/3 KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sporadic fighting between Sudan’s warring factions was heard in the capital Khartoum on Sunday,…

[head-post]

Iran, Saudi Arabia can ensure security, stability in Middle East

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Iran and Saudi Arabia could bring security and stability to the region, according to Arab media.

Geography always keeps us neighbors, and faith always makes us brothers.

Araghchi, who is on a diplomatic visit to Saudi Arabia to discuss regional issues, met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud on Wednesday. After the meeting, the Iranian foreign minister stated that he had “very important discussions on critical issues of common concern” with the Saudi Crown Prince.

Both parties stressed the importance of continued co-operation and dialogue between Iran and Saudi Arabia on bilateral and regional issues. The ongoing Israeli offensive on Gaza received particular attention.

Israeli regime is dragging the whole region into a catastrophe. Insight, wisdom, courage and co-operation are what the region needs to overcome this challenging time.

Read more HERE

[greaterbayarea]

Guest Opinion: A global balance needs China's presence

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang meets with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Beijing, capital of China, April 6, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

It seems that China has decided to get out of the position of an observer and engage in settling the region's crises, with high confidence, after its historical achievement represented by the Tehran-Riyadh agreement and the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

by Refaat Badawi, from Lebanon

The visit of the Chinese envoy to Lebanon and Syria on April 28 is more than a diplomatic one. It seems that China has decided to get out of the position of an observer and engage in settling the region's crises, with high confidence, after its historical achievement represented by the Tehran-Riyadh agreement and the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The deal, guaranteed by Beijing, constituted an essential breakthrough in the region, which was considered a monopoly of American influence for decades.

China, with its fair and balanced approach to ending the Iranian-Saudi dispute, its remarkable initiative to resolve the Ukraine crisis based on respect for the sovereignty of states under Security Council resolutions, and its intention to build the Belt and Road projects to link countries and work on the sustainable development of peoples, has proven that it is a balanced country that does not seek to dislodge America from its position and offend it. However, China wants concrete political, economic, and developmental participation, with various countries adopting a new multipolar world order rather than the unilateral, brutal American system based on monopoly, arrogance, imposing wills, and depriving peoples of benefiting from their wealth.

Here, the increasing Chinese role in a calm and balanced manner represented the most significant positive change in the world. With this renewed role, China and its balanced approach presented a new and reliable model in politics, economics, development, and culture, mainly since the declared Chinese principle relies on achieving security, stability, and growth on a win-win basis.

For example, America continues to impose unfair sanctions on Syria, which have deprived the Syrian people of the most basic life and noble human rights, after America intended to plunder the wealth of Syria and starve its people, as it did and still does in Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Somalia and Venezuela, which claimed the lives of millions of the people of those countries.

Protesters gather during the anti-war demonstration in Washington, D.C., the United States, March 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

As for China, it extended a helping hand to Syria when the latter faced the tragedy of the devastating earthquake. Furthermore, China has been championing respect for the sovereignty of every state, in addition to its continuous endeavor to solve the Palestinian issue and care for the rights of the Palestinian people following Security Council resolutions, compared to U.S. intransigence and arrogance.

The American policy of economic sanctions on countries that reject its dictates has made any U.S. administration a source of a permanent threat to the security, economy, and development of societies for most countries in the Middle East.

China did not threaten security in our country and did not draw up plans to divide Arab countries. China did not contribute to fueling sectarian strife and did not force some Gulf countries to finance terrorist organizations that were specially brought in to fragment our countries and our societies. China did not seek to destroy and obliterate the culture, civilization, and history of our Arab countries. It did not try to impose a culture of corruption and promote same-sex marriage in our country under the pretext of preserving human rights. China did not impose its blockade on Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, and Syria. It did not launch a blatant war on Afghanistan or declare war on Iraq for flimsy reasons that proved to the world that false allegations could have killed millions.

China did not occupy areas in northern Syria and did not contribute to the displacement of millions of Syrians and Iraqis. China did not sow chaos, corruption, hunger, and bankruptcy in Lebanon. It also never tried to obliterate the Palestinian cause and prevent the Palestinians from obtaining their legitimate rights. Finally, China did not seize wealth of our countries and others in Africa, like Libya, Sudan, and Somalia. Instead, America has done all of the above brutalities against humanity, outside the scope of norms, morals, and principles, and in flagrant violation of international law.

There is no doubt that the phone call between the Chinese and Ukrainian presidents was intended for China to search for effective exits to quell the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Yet, at the same time, America seeks with all its effort to fan the flames of the ongoing crisis without caring about the interests of Ukraine and the economic interests of its allies in European countries.

Aerial photo taken on June 17, 2022 shows the headquarters building of the New Development Bank (NDB), also known as the BRICS bank, in east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

Today's global confrontation has always been primarily economic, so liberation from dealing with the U.S. dollar has become necessary, and China and its active role with the BRICS countries can play a leading role in this field, in addition to the option of adopting the Chinese currency yuan in commercial transactions between countries.

Freedom, democracy, and human rights are no longer glamorous and believable American titles because, under those titles, America waged destructive wars and fragmented countries such as the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. It has been proven that America's intentions are detrimental to our identity and Arab culture and civilization. America is a blatant example of misleading, lying, tyranny, and oppression of people. As for China, we can look at it with confidence as a fair and reliable partner politically and economically.

It is no exaggeration to say that the whole world today is in dire need of China's positive presence, politically and economically, to restore the global balance which was disturbed as a result of the wrong policies of the United States of America and the loss of confidence in its reckless behavior, especially as China is gaining the trust of the people, who have always suffered from the tyranny and rule of the United States.

Editor's note: Refaat Badawi is a political analyst and adviser to former Lebanese Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Xinhua News Agency.

[amirblogerov]

US suffocating policy towards Syria

Since the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey in February this year, there have been increasing calls for the lifting of the US sanctions policy against the Syrian Arab Republic due to their negative impact on the delivery of humanitarian aid. On February 9, 2023, the US Department of the Treasury announced that it would temporarily lift certain sanctions covering "all earthquake relief operations" for 180 days. During the 2023 Munich Security Conference, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud noted that some dialogue is needed with Damascus, at least to address humanitarian issues, including the return of refugees, especially after the 2023 earthquake, and that "not only the Cooperation Council of Arab Persian Gulf states, but the entire Arab world is unanimous in the opinion that the status quo of Syria is unworkable.” This conference was an important step towards bringing our country out of political isolation. The question of restoring Syria's full-fledged participation in the "League of Arab States" began to be actively discussed, which means the rapprochement of the Arab world and becomes an important prerequisite for stabilizing the situation in the region. Washington did not expect such a development of events, so it decided to strengthen the sanctions policy. The Middle East will be in a state of constant tension as long as US influence remains on its territory. The situation in the region, and primarily in Syria, will return to normal as soon as it is possible to get rid of Washington's political and military interference in the affairs of the sovereign states of the Middle East.