Day: May 30, 2023

Caretaker Justice Minister Henri Khoury on Tuesday stressed that he did what’s needed to ‘preserve the Lebanese state’s rights,’ amid a row with caretaker PM Najib Mikati over hiring lawyers to represent the Lebanese state in the case of the Paris-held assets of Central Bank chief Riad Salameh.

Speaking at a press conference, Khoury denied that there is a lack of information surrounding the lawyers.

‘This is incorrect and we have sent the information to the Premiership,’ the minister said.

‘The lawyer Emmanuel Daoud is not a Jew but rather a Catholic from an Algerian father and a French mother. He had been hired in a lawsuit against Israel to the benefit of Palestinian activist Salah Hammouri and he had previously filed a lawsuit against the CIA for bombing Iraq,’ Khoury said.

‘We are ready to submit information regarding the CVs of the lawyers Emmanuel Daoud and Pascal Buffet,’ the minister added.

‘The CVs of the two lawyers have been deliberately distorted and the aim is to delay the files that the French courts are looking into,’ Khoury went on to say.

‘We have signed the contracts and they are still in effect. I’m clinging to them and will not back down,’ he emphasized.

Informed sources have told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that Mikati was dismayed after ‘the justice minister unilaterally hired the lawyers Emmanuel Daoud and Pascal Buffet without following the legal channels that are used in such cases.’

The procedures ‘should have started with a suggestion with the names of the lawyers from Justice Ministry Director General Judge Mohammed al-Masri to get the minister’s approval before referring the file to Cabinet to issue an appointment decree,’ the source said.

Mikati had invited Khoury and the rest of ministers to a Cabinet session on Wednesday to discuss the appointment of the lawyers as a sole topic. Khoury, however, said that he would continue to boycott Cabinet sessions in line with the Free Patriotic Movement’s decision and the premier announced a postponement of the session in the wake of Khoury’s press conference

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Tuesday announced the postponement of a council meeting which had been initially scheduled for Wednesday.

Mikati urged Khoury to rethink his position, asserting that public posturing in the media could not replace definitive decision-making within the Council of Ministers.

In response to Khoury’s recent statements in a press conference, Mikati’s office issued a detailed statement. It emphasized Mikati’s commitment to Lebanon’s supreme interests and preserving its rights, especially regarding the case currently before the French courts.

The statement further referred to Decree No. 2252 issued on 1-8-1992, which stipulates the operational protocol of the Council of Ministers, notably Article 9, granting the Prime Minister the authority to summon relevant individuals for hearing during a session.

The bone of contention during Khoury’s press conference was his claim that the issue necessitated thorough scrutiny within the Council of Ministers. Mikati asserted that Khoury’s obligation was to attend the proposed session to discuss the matter, present his standpoint, and share his reasons.

Given Khoury’s announcement about his non-attendance at the scheduled meeting, Mikati declared the postponement of the session to a future date. He called on the Justice Minister to reassess his position, emphasizing that media sound bites cannot replace decisive discussions within the Council of Ministers.

In light of the current stalemate, Mikati stressed that Khoury’s obstructionist approach could lead to personal liability for any detriment to the state’s supreme interests. He highlighted that there was still an opportunity for making an appropriate decision, away from fruitless disputes.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

The Council of Ministers held its regular session today, headed by Prime Minister, Muhammad Al-Sudani.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Iraq and the United States of America discussed the issue of transferring families from Al-Hol camp to a camp inside Iraq and the challenges related to this process.

A statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the minister, Fuad received the American ambassador to Iraq, Alina Romanowski, and during the meeting, they reviewed the progress of relations between Baghdad and Washington, and ways to enhance them in a way that serves the interest of the two friendly peoples, and discussed the issue of transferring families from Al-Hol camp to a camp designated for them inside Iraq and the challenges related to this process. “.

According to the statement, the two sides discussed the next meeting of the international coalition, which will be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with the participation of the foreign ministers of the member states.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

The economist and political expert, Jalil Al-Lami, confirmed: The new Development Road is the other side of the Silk Road, whose implementation has been obstructed internally and externally.

He told the National Iraqi News Agency / NINA /: The Development Road is considered one of the most important projects that will benefit Iraq and the world. It is the product of Iraq’s external movement during the recent period.

He added: Despite the expectation of the Silk Road to make a qualitative leap in the Iraqi economy and open broad horizons to move various sectors and revitalize them in the medium and long term, internal and external reasons, factors and circumstances hindered the implementation of this strategic project.

Al-Lami continued: Iraq seeks to make the new Development Road Project the other side of the Silk Road, which enables it to restore its leading role in the region.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

The Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Planning, Muhammad Ali Tamim, affirmed the government’s tendency to stop external borrowing, except in the case of necessity, and the loans are directed to the implementation of giant strategic development projects, such as electricity projects, roads, irrigation stations and ports.

During his meeting with the Chinese ambassador to Iraq, Cui Wei, and his accompanying delegation, Tamim indicated Iraq’s sincere desire to develop bilateral relations and benefit from the Chinese development experience, by attracting large companies to invest in various regions of the country, and in all fields.

For his part, Wei expressed his country’s readiness to support the Iraqi government’s efforts in the development field and to achieve economic partnership with Iraq, in accordance with the common interests between the two countries, stressing the Chinese government’s interest in implementing the provisions of the framework agreement, and preparing all related measures that contribute to advance moving forward implementation.

During the meeting, which was attended by the Director General of International Cooperation, Dr. Saher Abdel-Kadhim, and a number of senior officers in the Ministries of Planning and Foreign Affairs, according to a statement by the Ministry of Planning, mechanisms for activating and implementing the provisions of the framework agreement between Iraq and China were discussed, in line with the priorities of the government program, and the directions of the Iraqi government, to advance the reality of the services situation, especially in the field of schools, hospitals, electricity, and other service sectors.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

The President of the Republic, Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid, affirmed keenness to build balanced relations with all countries in the region, in a manner that consolidates security and stability.

A presidential statement stated that the President of the Republic received, today, Tuesday, at the Peace Palace in Baghdad, Safia Al-Suhail, on the occasion of her assumption of her duties as Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

According to a presidential statement, at the outset of the meeting, the president assigned the ambassador to send his greetings to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and his wishes to the Saudi people for continued progress and prosperity.

The President of the Republic stressed, according to the statement, the importance of strengthening relations in accordance with common interests and in a way that returns to mutual benefit and consolidates the foundations of constructive cooperation between Iraq and the countries of the region, indicating keenness to build balanced relations with everyone and in a way that establishes security and stability, expressing his wishes to the Ambassador for success in her work.

In turn, Al-Suhail appreciated the president’s directives, his interest, and his keenness to enhance diplomatic performance in a way that strengthens Iraq’s relations with brotherly and friendly countries.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Capital Governor Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa chaired the meeting of the Coordination Council.

He stressed commitment to following up on various development projects aimed to developing services and working with the various concerned authorities to delivering services.

The panel discussed a report submitted by the Al-Eker Charitable Association highlighting the service and social needs of the village, including dilapidated houses, infrastructure development, road and the construction of walkways and pavements.

The meeting also focused on a study to construct a port for fishermen in the area, and rehabilitating Al-Maameer School to be a preparatory school for Al-Aker and Nuwaidrat.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

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Bahrain’s Ambassador to Belgium, Head of Bahrain’s Mission to the European Union Abdulla bin Faisal bin Jabr Al Dosari presented his credentials to the Hague-based Director General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fernando Arias

The ambassador commended the role of the organization for the Prohibition to prevent the spread and use of chemical weapons and to destroy existing ones in order to enhance global security and create a world free of chemical weapons.

He stressed Bahrain’s commitment to implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention through the establishment of its national committee in 2011 and the enactment of legislation banning weapons of mass destruction of all kinds.

He underscored the importance of continuing concerted efforts aimed at making the Middle East a region free of weapons of mass destruction.

Arias commended Bahrain’s cooperation with the organization and its positive stances in various international forums, wishing the Ambassador success in his duties in order to enhance international security and stability.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

The third Bahrain International Conference on Data Science will kick off on July 6 under the patronage of Shura Council Chairman Ali bin Saleh Al Saleh.

The International Artificial Intelligence Group will organise the event in the presence of officials and keynote speakers.

Themed “Data and Artificial Intelligence”, the conference will feature technical research papers on AI Ethics, Impact of ChatGPT AI Conversations, AI Applications in Business, Machine Learning Challenges, Big Data and NLP.

President of the Conference and Group Chairman Dr. Jassim Haji, expressed gratitude to the patron for supporting several AI conferences and events over the past years.

Source: Bahrain News Agency