Category: Politics

Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Fayssal Mikdad, said that practical steps would be taken to implement the agreements reached upon during President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Syria recently.

Mikdad held a press conference with his Iranian counterpart , Hossein Amir Abdollahian, in Tehran on Monday.

Mikdad added “We are satisfied with the developments in the region. Active diplomacy between its countries predicts well for their people, and those seek to obstruct these efforts must know that the Arab people are tired of US hegemony practices that seek to continue Zionist occupation of Arab lands.

Mikdad reiterated Syria’s support for the Palestinians and its condemnation of the crimes against humanity committed by the Israeli occupation against them.

“We support all initiatives for the return of Syrian refugees, but Western countries impede that goal under the pretext that conditions are not suitable,” Mikdad added.

Minister Mikdad stressed “US continues to plunder oil and deprive Syrians of their resources. Furthermore, separatist militias and Turkey are still depriving Hasaka citizens of water”.

“The US occupation must stop its crimes and its army must withdraw from the lands it occupies. The Syrian people will not tolerate this endlessly.” he stated.

“After Syria joined the Arab League summit, the US was shocked and began condemning the Arab countries for their decisions as members of the League. US wants to turn the wheel back, but our Arab brothers will not be subjected to Western blackmail.” Mikdad underlined.

Mikdad described Syrian-Iranian relations as strategic, adding these relations will gain achievements in the interests of both states.

Abdollahian, in turn, said “we discussed regional and international developments and stressed necessity of achieving stability and security in the region away from external interference.

“Iran condemns the repeated attacks of the Zionist entity on Syria, and this entity is the main source of destabilizing security and stability in the region,” Minister Abdollahian went on to say.

The Iranian top diplomat added “US occupation forces support the terrorists in Syria, and we call for their immediate exit from Syrian territory because this will help achieve security and peace in the region.

The Iranian Minister affirmed that his country will continue its efforts to support stability in the region and back Syrian people’s right in defending their country’s sovereignty and independence.

“Stability in the region would not be achieved without the stop of intervention by foreign states, the return of refugees and the removal of western unilateral measures.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Dr. Abdul Latif Rashid, President of Iraq, received Jassem Mohammed Al Budaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), at Baghdad Palace in the Iraqi capital.

The meeting discussed relations between the GCC and Iraq, means of further advancing them and coordination regarding regional and international issues of common interest.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

The twelfth edition of the Youth City 2030 will open tomorrow, Tuesday, for the first time at the state-of-the-art Exhibition World Bahrain in Zallaq.

The innovative annual event is being organized with the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) as the strategic partner of the month-long Youth City 2030.

Youth Affairs Minister Rawan bint Najeeb Tawfiqi welcomed youngsters to Youth City 2030, which is a key initiative aimed at training Bahraini youth and preparing them for the labour market and meet its requirements.

The 2023 edition of the Youth City 2030 provides 2,740 training opportunities in various fields, featuring through more than 100 training programmes, professionally designed to meet the needs of young participants.

The schemes aim to hone the participants’ skills, build their competences and provide with the necessary expertise in order to be able to integrate in the labour market and contribute to Bahrain’s development.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs steps up efforts to provide diverse and rewarding opportunities to train Bahraini youngsters, hone their skills, build their competences and tap into their creative potential.

This year’s edition features five main public centres – leadership and young entrepreneurship, media and entertainment, arts and culture, science and technology, sports and culture.

Each center will offer participants a variety of programmes that focus on technical, practical and creative aspects, and will be presented by qualified trainers.

The ministry has lined up programmes in the morning to target participants aged 9 to 14, while the evening period will be open for age groups 15 to 35.

The ministry has also provided buses to transport the participants to the city through four points across Bahrain: the ministry’s headquarters in the Seef region, Muharraq Pilot Youth Center, the Hamad Town Pilot Youth Center, and the Bahraini Scientific Center to achieve the goals of Sustainable Development.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, at his residence in Abu Dhabi.

His Majesty and His Highness reviewed the outstanding relations between Bahrain and the UAE, asserting keenness to further bolster those ties to serve development and prosperity of the two countries.

His Majesty the King extended his condolences to His Highness the President of the UAE and Al Nahyan family following the passing of His Highness Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammed thanked His Majesty King Hamad for his sincere condolences, sympathy and warm sentiments; which reflect the strength of the deep-rooted ties between Bahrain and the UAE and their peoples.

His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, His Majesty the King’s Representative for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs and National Security Advisor; His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports (SCYS), Chairman of the General Sports Authority (GSA) and President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC); and senior officials were present.

From the UAE, His Highness Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Shaikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Advisor for Special Affairs at the Ministry of Presidential Court, were present.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi stressed the importance of strengthening the GCC-Iraqi relations.

He made the statement during his meeting with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Fuad Mohammed Hussein today in Baghdad.

He said that a number of issues were discussed during the meeting, citing mainly GCC-Iraq relations, stressing the importance of further bolstering joint ties.

The two sides also reviewed the joint work plan between for the period (2019-2024) and the electrical interconnection project between the GCC countries and the Republic of Iraq were reviewed.

“This project is a fraternal message to the brotherly government and people of Iraq”, said Albudaiwi, noting that the stability of Iraq is a priority for the GCC countries owing to the brotherly ties and joint cooperation relations linking both of them.

He highlighted the GCC leaders’ call to cement cooperation with brotherly Iraq in all fields, stressing the importance of supporting Iraq in protecting the integrity and territorial integrity of its lands, its full sovereignty, Arab-Islamic identity, social fabric and national unity.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

The Sultanate of Oman and Mexico today celebrate the 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Anibal Gomez Toledo, Ambassador of Mexico to the Sultanate of Oman, hailed in a statement to Oman News Agency (ONA) the distinguished bilateral relations between the Sultanate of Oman and Mexico.

He stressed the keenness of the governments of the two countries to promote everything that would advance the bilateral relations to broader horizons in all spheres.

The ambassador said that there are areas of cooperation between the two friendly countries, including economic, cultural and investment fields.

He pointed out that the Sultanate of Oman enjoys a very important strategic location supporting trade between the countries of the world.

This unique location, the ambassador said, attracts the interest of the Mexican side to invest in Oman, which is represented in the presence of Mexican companies in the Sultanate of Oman, such as Octal.

There are continuous visits between the two countries, the last of which was paid a high-level delegation from Mexico last May during which bilateral meetings were held with the Omani side, the Mexican ambassador concluded.

Source: Oman News Agency

People’s Assembly affirmed that the Syrian Arab Army is more determined to preserve the safety, security and stability of the homeland, as its brave men sacrificed their lives and blood for the future generations to live a free, decent and dignified life.

On the occasion of the seventy-eighth anniversary of founding of Syrian Arab Army, the Assembly said in a statement that the role of Syrian Arab Army has begun from the battle of Maysalun then to confront the Zionist enemy on the land of Palestine, reaching the great victory in October liberation war and to break the legend of the Zionist army that it would never be defeated.

“On this occasion, we will never forget the honorable role of the army in today’s war against powers of evil and the international terrorism too,”

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani attended today a reception marking the Throne Day and the 24th anniversary of the accession of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to the throne.

The Moroccan Embassy in the Kingdom of Bahrain hosted the event, which was also attended by senior officials and members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Kingdom.

Dr. Al Zayani congratulated Moroccan Ambassador Mustafa Benkhayi and the embassy’s staff on this national occasion, hailing longstanding ties binding the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Kingdom of Morocco, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and HM King Mohammed VI.

He reiterated Bahrain’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, hailing the advanced level of diplomatic cooperation towards Arab, regional and international issues. He wished the Kingdom of Bahrain further development and progress.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

The preparations for the 18th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) began today at the OIC General Secretariat headquarters in Jeddah.

During the preparatory meeting, senior staff discussed and formulated recommendations to be presented at the Extraordinary Ministerial Session, which will address the recurrent incidents of burning copies of the Holy Quran in Sweden and Denmark. This virtual session is scheduled to take place tomorrow, on Monday, July 31, 2023.

The OIC Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Yousef bin Mohammed Al-Dubaie, delivered a speech during the meeting.

He emphasized the deep appreciation of the OIC towards the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Chair of the 14th Islamic Summit, and the Republic of Iraq for their initiative in convening this session.

The session aims to address the issue of burning copies of the Holy Quran, an issue of great importance to the OIC member states and the Islamic people.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

The Federal Judicial Council, chaired by Abdullah Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Council, has approved the UAE Attorney General’s proposal to establish federal prosecution entities specialised in economic crimes and money laundering.

The step aims to develop the UAE’s judicial system to keep pace with global economic shifts and introduce specialised judicial entities, further boosting the UAE’s financial stability and economic growth, reports WAM.

The creation of prosecution offices specialised in economic crimes and money laundering is a part of the transformative projects (government accelerators) on which the Ministry of Justice is currently working in coordination with the Federal Judicial Council to improve the professional and legal performance in the UAE.

The establishment of these entities also represents a first step towards investigating and cracking down on economic crimes and money laundering, including those that fall on economic interests such as corporate crimes, bankruptcy, regulation of competition, financial markets, intellectual property and trademarks, or that violate the UAE’s financial rights, such as customs evasion crimes.

The project’s significance lies in its role in protecting the national economy and reducing the impact of economic and financial crimes on the economy and society, as well as growing the UAE’s economy and enhancing its competitiveness as a global financial and business hub for investment and improving the efficiency and quality of criminal investigations.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

Osama bin Ahmed Khalaf Al-Asfoor, Social Development Minister, received Dr. Abdulkarim Al-Fardan, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Jidhafs Consumer Co-Operative Society, in the presence of board members.

The two sides discussed cooperation in the cooperative and consumer fields.

Al-Fardan reviewed Jidhafs Consumer Co-Operative Society’s investment projects, development achievements and future plans. He also highlighted its efforts to promote cooperative and social work.

The minister lauded the Jidhafs Consumer Co-Operative Society’s initiatives in the fields of voluntary and social work, affirming the role of such societies in supporting development projects through community partnership that benefits all social segments.

He stressed the importance of cooperation between the Social Development Ministry and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in improving the quality of institutional work and delivering the best services to the citizens.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it had shot down three Ukrainian drones during an attack on Moscow.

The ministry said on Telegram that “three Ukrainian drones launched an attack last night on Moscow, one of the drones was shot down, two were neutralized by electronic warfare systems” and crashed on the territory of a building complex.

It added, “Two buildings containing offices in Moscow were slightly damaged as a result of a night attack launched by Ukrainian drones, and there were no casualties or injuries, according to the mayor of the Russian capital.”

Source: National Iraqi News Agency