Latest news with #ArabLeague
Times of Oman
17 hours ago
- General
- Times of Oman
Oman participates in Arab-Chinese Experts Meeting on Libraries and Information in China
Nanjing: The Sultanate of Oman is taking part in the sixth session of the Arab-Chinese Experts Meeting on Libraries and Information, held in Nanjing, China, from during 26-30 May 2025 under the theme: "Trends in National and Central Libraries in the Age of Artificial Intelligence." The meeting falls within the executive program of the Arab-Chinese Cooperation Forum for 2024–2026, under the patronage of the General Secretariat of the Arab League and the National Library of China, and is hosted by the Propaganda and United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China's Jiangbei New District Committee, with the participation of the Jiangbei Library. Oman's delegation from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth participated in the third session of the meeting, which discussed 'Cooperation and Partnerships: Building Collaborative Networks, Exchanging Expertise, and Developing Skills and Competencies in AI for Arab and Chinese Libraries." The participation aimed to strengthen strategic partnerships in the field of libraries and information, exchange expertise in utilising AI technologies, and support joint knowledge development efforts between Arab countries and China. This contributes to effective integration and communication between cultural and library institutions. Additionally, the meeting sought to establish platforms for professional exchange and cooperation between Arab and Chinese libraries, encouraging joint initiatives that enhance competencies and foster a culture of innovation in the library sector based on trust and mutual benefit. The event saw broad attendance, with 21 representatives from 10 Arab League member states alongside delegates from 17 Chinese libraries, reflecting shared interest in strengthening cooperation to address the challenges and opportunities posed by the digital revolution in the library sector.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Donald Trump steals Xi Jinping's favourite foreign policy
FOR AN ECONOMIC and military giant, China is strangely drawn to pint-size diplomacy. Though it is a bully in its backyard, China is cautious farther from home. In such hotspots as the Middle East, it is transactional, self-interested and focused on business deals. China often acts like a middle power, as if competing in the same league as Turkey or the United Arab Emirates. This approach has survived the rise of Xi Jinping, the most powerful Communist Party chief in decades. At home Mr Xi talks of returning China to global pre-eminence and of building world-class armies to smash any foe. To foreigners Mr Xi frames his country as a peace-loving giant. When Chinese trade missions set off down the ancient Silk Road, they did not seek to conquer new lands, Mr Xi declared in 2023. He was addressing trade partners gathered to mark the first decade of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a big Chinese lending and infrastructure scheme. Chinese travellers 'are remembered as friendly emissaries leading camel caravans and sailing ships loaded with goods', said Mr Xi. Even in regions stalked by sectarian violence, ethnic hatred and religious extremism, Chinese leaders propose prosperity as a cure-all. In 2016 Mr Xi told the Arab League: 'Turmoil in the Middle East stems from the lack of development, and the ultimate solution will depend on development.' The use of force has brought disaster to the region, Mr Xi went on. Happily, he said, China could offer trade, technology and infrastructure to help Arab governments pursue reforms without jeopardising stability. Scholars in China praise this as 'Chinese wisdom' and a source of diplomatic strength. Because China is all about business, they aver, their country can sign energy and construction contracts with opposing sides in a civil war, as happened some years ago in Libya. Pragmatic China can play mediator between such foes as Iran and Saudi Arabia, which restored diplomatic relations after China-hosted meetings in 2023. A new book, 'China's Changing Role in the Middle East. Filling a Power Vacuum?' by Chuchu Zhang of Fudan University, offers a useful survey. At times it is boosterish, for instance when it glosses over the large role that Iraq and Oman played in brokering that Saudi-Iranian rapprochement. But it is commendably frank about narrow interests that sometimes guide Chinese diplomacy. In the book a former Chinese ambassador explains why, just over a decade ago, his country vetoed several UN Security Council resolutions to impose sanctions on Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria for the alleged use of chemical weapons against its people and other acts. In the ambassador's telling, China vetoed Western-drafted resolutions so it would be taken seriously in the region, arguing: 'If we hadn't, China would have been excluded from any negotiations concerning Syria or other Middle Eastern issues'. Ms Zhang reports that 'as an inward-looking power' China's 'biggest interest' in Syria's civil war was the presence of hundreds, possibly thousands, of Uyghur militants from China's far-western region of Xinjiang, fighting alongside Islamist rebels. Praising Mr Assad for combating terrorism, Chinese officials called on outside powers to 'abandon the fantasy of regime change' in Syria. China's default response to hard problems is to call for mediation, and to suggest that meddling by an arrogant, hegemonic West is the root cause. Chinese envoys blame American sanctions for the death of civilians, for instance in Iran during the covid-19 pandemic. Time and again they condemn outside powers for trying to impose Western-style democracy. Officials boast that Chinese investments and deals come without political conditions. Sceptics would add that China favours opaque contracts that allow rulers to enrich themselves. It is a stingy aid donor, pledging $2m in 2023 to UNRWA, the UN agency that assists Palestinians—less than the contribution from Iceland (population 400,000). Now, though, Chinese leaders face an American president as transactional as they are, and just as scornful of overseas aid. If anything, Mr Trump sounds more contemptuous of predecessors who toppled dictators in freedom's name. In Saudi Arabia on May 13th Donald Trump praised Gulf Arab rulers for 'forging a future where the Middle East is defined by commerce, not chaos; where it exports technology, not terrorism.' This progress was achieved without lectures from Westerners, Mr Trump went on. 'In the end the so-called nation-builders wrecked far more nations than they built, and the interventionalists were intervening in complex societies that they did not even understand themselves,' he said. Transactional China meets its match In February Mr Trump halted graft investigations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, blaming the law for erecting 'excessive barriers to American commerce'. Though Mr Trump loves economic coercion, his special envoy, Ric Grenell, has claimed that his boss frets that 'sanctions penalise American companies'. Mr Trump's challenge comes at a painful time for China. Its economy is slowing, leaving less money to invest overseas. BRI lending peaked a decade ago and debts are now coming due across the developing world. As a security provider, China is an also-ran in the Middle East. America makes advanced weapons and world-beating semiconductors and airliners, selling billions of dollars-worth during Mr Trump's visit. China is not out of the game. It remains a huge energy buyer. It has green technologies to sell. It offers an alternative for leaders eager to hedge their bets. Bluntly, though, its values-free foreign policy has been swiped by a richer rival. Its response will be revealing. If China's commitment to peace through development is sincere then it can stick with pragmatism and deal-cutting. If China's real aim is to shove America aside, then watch out. Mr Trump has given China cause to amp up the ideology, and push harder. Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines to 100 year archives.
Egypt Today
a day ago
- Business
- Egypt Today
FM delivers message from President Sisi to his Mauritanian counterpart
CAIRO – 27 May 2025: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has expressed aspiration to develop bilateral relations with Mauritania in all fields, said Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration Badr Abdelatty during a meeting in Nouakchott, delivering a written message from President Sisi to his Mauritanian counterpart Mohamed Ould Cheikh El-Ghazouani. During the meeting, Abdelatty conveyed the greetings of Sisi to his Mauritanian counterpart, appreciating the deep relations between the two countries. He expressed his aspiration to develop bilateral relations and elevate them to the level of strategic partnership in all fields, especially economic ones. The top diplomat praised Mauritanian support for Egyptian nominations in various regional and international forums, particularly the nomination of Dr. Khaled El-Enany for the position of Director-General of UNESCO, as he is the official candidate of both the Arab League and the African Union. Abdelatty said Egypt was ready to cooperate with Mauritania in all sectors, achieving a qualitative leap in bilateral cooperation. He highlighted the launch of the Egyptian-Mauritanian Economic Forum on the sidelines of the joint committee meeting, expecting it to give a strong impetus to joint investments in all fields, especially that it brought together major Egyptian companies and businessmen. He also pointed to a number of joint projects in Mauritania, in which Egyptian companies are expected to achieve a qualitative leap. Abdelatty praised the role played by Mauritania under the leadership of al-Ghazouani and its contribution to enhancing stability and security in the Sahel region. He reiterated Egypt's support for Mauritania's efforts to combat terrorism in the region by supporting and strengthening bilateral cooperation. Abdelatty reviewed Egyptian efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian aid. The two sides exchanged views on a number of regional issues, including the situation in Libya, Sudan, Syria, and Lebanon. For his part, el-Ghazouani asked that his greetings be conveyed to President Sisi, praising the relations and historical ties binding the two countries and peoples. He also commended Egypt's pivotal role in establishing peace and stability in the Middle East region.
Arab News
a day ago
- Business
- Arab News
Can Lebanon succeed in disarming Hezbollah when Israeli troops still hold territory?
LONDON: Lebanon's armed forces say they have taken control of several villages near the border with Israel that had long been held by the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia. But behind these official declarations is a more complicated reality — and a fragile peace that may not hold. On April 30, the Lebanese army announced it had dismantled more than 90 percent of Hezbollah's military infrastructure south of the Litani River, near the Israeli border. The operation followed a ceasefire in late November between Israel and the militia. That same day, President Joseph Aoun told Sky News Arabia that the army had deployed across 85 percent of southern Lebanon. He emphasized that efforts to remove weapons not under state control were taking place nationwide, although the 'priority is the southern part of the country' — Hezbollah's stronghold. 'The army, despite its limited resources, is deployed across the entire Lebanese territory, inside the country as well as at the east, north, northeast, and south borders,' Aoun said. About two weeks later, at the Arab League Summit in Baghdad, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reaffirmed Lebanon's commitment to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 — the framework for the current truce. But enforcing that commitment comes with its own set of challenges. 'The president and prime minister's affirmation of Lebanon's monopoly on force is a step in the right direction,' Fadi Nicholas Nassar, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Arab News. 'But its promise fades the moment Hezbollah's open defiance goes unchallenged.' He said the ceasefire offered a prime opportunity to disarm Hezbollah, which continues to resist full disarmament during Israel's ongoing occupation of parts of Lebanon. 'The ceasefire agreement that ended the war must be framed, not as a de-escalation, but as a decisive window for Lebanon to complete Hezbollah's disarmament — anything less risks another military confrontation Lebanon cannot afford,' he added. Israel continues to occupy five hilltop positions it deems strategic, despite a Feb. 18 deadline for withdrawal. Aoun said this has prevented the Lebanese army from fully deploying along the border. Aoun said Lebanon had asked the US and France, the ceasefire's guarantors, to pressure Israel to pull out. In a recent interview with Egyptian channel ON E, he said Israel's occupation of the five sites is a major obstacle to border control. 'We are in constant contact with the US to urge it to pressure Israel,' he said, stressing that Lebanon is seeking a durable truce — not normalization of ties. While Hezbollah has avoided further escalation, its deputy leader Naim Qassem said in February that Israel must withdraw completely, saying 'there is no pretext for five points nor other details.' 'Hezbollah has taken serious hits,' Nassar said. 'It's lost much of its arsenal and key figures in its leadership, both vital to its ability to adapt and survive.' Despite this, 'it's still a disciplined, ideologically driven force that can threaten to derail the progress unfolding across the Levant,' he added. The recent conflict was triggered by the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 240 were taken hostage. After Israel retaliated by launching airstrikes and ground incursions against Gaza, Hezbollah began rocket attacks on Israel from the north. By autumn 2024, the cross-border exchanges had escalated into full-scale war. Over the course of the conflict, Israeli airstrikes killed more than 3,800 Lebanese, injured about 15,700, and displaced nearly 1 million, according to Lebanese health authorities. The World Bank put Lebanon's economic losses at $14 billion. Hezbollah, meanwhile, suffered heavy losses to its leadership, fighters, weapons, and public support. A ceasefire was reached on Nov. 27, brokered by Washington and Paris. Anchored in UN Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war, the deal called for Israel's full withdrawal and for Hezbollah to relocate fighters north of the Litani River and dismantle all military sites in the south. However, six months on, Israel still occupies Jal Al-Deir and Jabal Blat in Bint Jbeil district, Labbouneh and Alma Al-Shaab in Tyre, and Hamames Hill and a newly built outpost along the Markaba-Houla road in Marjayoun. An Israeli military spokesperson said their troops 'need to remain at those points at the moment to defend Israeli citizens, to make sure this process is complete and eventually hand it over to the Lebanese armed forces,' Reuters reported. The UN high commissioner for human rights raised the alarm in April over the increase in Israeli offences since the ceasefire began. At least 71 civilians have been killed and critical infrastructure destroyed, according to a preliminary OHCHR review. Aoun also reported nearly 3,000 Israeli ceasefire breaches. Meanwhile, Israel said at least five rockets, two mortars, and a drone have been launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel since the ceasefire. 'Israel should stop carrying out strikes in Lebanon immediately,' David Wood, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, told Arab News. 'The whole point of the ceasefire deal was to empower the Lebanese army to exert control over all Lebanese territory, to the exclusion of Hezbollah.' He said that continued Israeli attacks risk undermining state authority and bolstering Hezbollah's narrative. 'Israel's continued attacks on Lebanon, even as the army makes progress on implementing the agreement, threaten to undermine the state's authority,' he said. 'Especially in areas facing constant assaults, locals might increasingly view Hezbollah's armed resistance as their only effective defense against Israeli aggression.' While Hezbollah has cooperated with army efforts south of the Litani, it refuses to disarm elsewhere until Israel leaves Lebanese soil. Hezbollah chief Qassem insists only his forces can defend Lebanon. 'Lebanese officials are satisfied that Hezbollah is cooperating with the disarmament process in the area south of the Litani River, which is next to the Lebanese-Israeli border,' Wood said. 'However, Hezbollah refuses to surrender its weapons in the rest of the country, at least until Lebanon's various political factions have entered into dialogue concerning a new national defense strategy.' Disarmament is a key demand from the US, Qatar, and other foreign donors. But Lebanese authorities prefer dialogue to confrontation, wary of igniting civil conflict or scaring off badly needed investment. 'Lebanon's new president and government have made clear that, when it comes to Hezbollah's disarmament, they prefer cooperation over confrontation,' Wood said. 'They want to achieve the state's monopoly over arms yet also avoid a potentially dangerous clash between the Lebanese army and Hezbollah.' Last month, Aoun said the decision to limit the monopoly on weaponry to the state 'has been made' and will be carried out 'through dialogue, not force.' Still, international pressure on Lebanon is mounting. 'Lebanon faces growing pressure — chiefly from the US, Israel, and some of Hezbollah's domestic opponents — to accelerate the disarmament process, even without Hezbollah's approval,' Wood said. Last week, Morgan Ortagus, the deputy US special envoy to the Middle East, said Lebanon has 'more work to do' to fully disarm Hezbollah, despite making more progress in the past six months than in the previous 15 years. 'We in the US have called for the full disarmament of Hezbollah. And so that doesn't mean just south of the Litani. That means in the whole country,' Ortagus told the Qatar Economic Forum. Aoun, however, cautioned against moving too quickly. He reiterated in his interview with Egypt's ON E that Hezbollah's disarmament should proceed through dialogue, not confrontation. Makram Rabah, an assistant professor at the American University of Beirut, said the army is not expected to 'engage in a physical clash with Hezbollah.' Even so, he warned, the state must stop clinging to the notion that disarmament depends solely on Hezbollah's cooperation. 'The government should stop promoting the idea that disarming Hezbollah requires dialogue — that it only requires coordination with Hezbollah for them to hand over their weapons,' Rabah told Arab News. 'If they refuse to do so, they will have to deal with Israel.' He said Lebanese authorities are failing to meet their obligations under Resolution 1701. 'The president of the republic was elected on a platform of establishing full sovereignty, and up until now, he has failed to do so.' Elaborating, Rabah said the core problem lies in the government's reliance on consensus — a strategy, he argued, that plays directly into Hezbollah's hands. 'It's clear that Hezbollah's weapons — which are Iranian in nature — have exposed and devastated Lebanon,' he said. 'Once the government starts acting like a real government, there will be no justification for Israel to maintain a physical presence in Lebanon. 'Israel's continued airstrikes serve as a reminder to the Lebanese authorities that they are failing to do their job,' he added, stressing that 'it's not a question of capability — it's a question of will. 'Frankly, I don't think the Lebanese leadership is even serious about confronting the issue, because they expect Israel to handle it for them. And that, ultimately, is deeply damaging to Lebanon as a sovereign state.'
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First Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Syria's terrorist-turned-president al-Sharaa is on a diplomatic roll but has a troubling task ahead
For the time being the decks are in Ahmed al-Sharaa's favour, but delicate and uneasy calm, divergent expectations, and external powers could stabilise, destabilise or balkanise this ancient land due to lack of political will, credibility and wily craft read more Perhaps for Ahmed al-Sharaa, aka al-Jolani, displacing Assad with exemplary speed may not have been as important as his being embraced by President Donald Trump during his visit to Riyadh this month (May 8-10). Of course , this was done at the behest of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), whose welcome to al-Sharaa, by extending the Arab embrace, has been strategic and far-reaching. Other Arab states have followed suit as reconstruction of Syria affords significant opportunities. Decimated Iranian Shia influence in Syria, courtesy of Israeli decisive action against its proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah, is indeed symptomatic and opportunistic for the major Arab Gulf powers. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It has been easier to let al-Sharaa occupy the chair and affection vacated by Bashar al-Assad at the Arab League, who was brought back into the Arabian fold, as he tried to broadly establish his control over Syria with the help of Russia and Iran as well as being a conduit for Iranian connections and influence to Lebanon through Syria. In this war of influence, Iranians, followed by Russians, have lost a great deal, which was dictated by their own strategic distractions. Winners have been Turkey, Arab Gulf states, the US and Israel, and possibly ISIS. Israel lost no time in decimating and destroying Syrian military and navy and air power while occupying the strategic Golan Heights, which it does not intend to return. That could surely be the continuing bitter bone of contention between Tel Aviv and Damascus. Even though the new Syrian regime is keen to reduce its external challenges by following a pragmatic foreign policy. Al-Sharaa's pragmatic and smart diplomacy, after his meeting with President Trump, was on play, and it is surmised with some credibility that Syria could be the next country to become part of the Abraham Accords. President Trump has been very keen that Saudi Arabia normalises diplomatic ties with Israel, which have been predicated and made conditional by Riyadh on the establishment of a viable Palestinian state along with the 'Two State Solution'. A disenchanted Trump has reportedly warned Israel that continued military operations in Gaza could jeopardise American support. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In fact, Trump heard this demand in all his interactions with the Arab leaders and also expressed his dismay with PM Netanyahu for breaching the ceasefire and creating an untenable humanitarian disaster in Gaza while intending to occupy it and displace the Gazans, thereby creating a rift with its two peace treaty partners, ie, Egypt and Israel. This was further accentuated as the Turkey-Israel complex and competing regional dynamics became far more volatile and incendiary both in the context of Palestine, Gaza and Syria. Turkey is a NATO ally of the US, and Trump seems to have some fondness for Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while he is disenchanted by Benjamin Netanyahu, and he asked both of them to patch up and sort out their differences as far as the situation and direct potential conflict in Syria are concerned. Their technical teams have met in Baku twice, but the potential for a flare-up is still very real. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Even as geopolitical and geo-economic contestations continue to play out in Syria, the domestic challenges for interim President al-Sharaa remain very real. As per the UN, restoring the country's services, shattered by 14 years of conflict, is essential amid widespread food insecurity and crippled health services, as the Tishreen Dam's damage has restricted water and electricity for over 400,000 people. The humanitarian situation remains critical, with nearly 15 million Syrians requiring health services, 13 million facing acute food insecurity, and over 620,000 displaced amid harshest conditions. Pursuant to Trump's decision, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued Syria General License (GL) 25 to provide immediate sanctions relief for Syria in line with the president's announcement for the cessation of all sanctions on the war-ravaged West Asia nation. A quick lifting of promised sanctions and immediate relief and humanitarian assistance as well as relief from Caesar's Act would alleviate the suffering of Syrians to some extent. The Americans have also officially lifted the personal sanctions on President al-Sharaa and his interior minister, Anas Khattab (until recently the chief of intelligence agencies). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The European Union agreed to lift all sanctions on Syria and plans to release the first economic aid to them. Even China signed some MoUs for cooperation, including between the Land and Sea Port Authority for investments in the Hasiyah Industrial Zone and Adra Zone outside Damascus. It's time for India also to engage with the new government by providing direct humanitarian assistance for the people of Syria lest the acrimonious India-Türkiye relations have a lasting impact. De facto authorities' vision for Syria's future as a 'positive contributor to the promotion of international peace and security' and their will 'to build friendly relations based on mutual respect' could be a good starting point. It is imperative that a genuine, broad-based national dialogue conference be arranged to establish a transitional government to oversee national processes, including the drafting of the constitution and the holding of elections. These will be tested as they move forward. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD For the time being the decks are in Jolani's favour, but delicate and uneasy calm, divergent expectations, and external powers could stabilise, destabilise or balkanise this ancient land due to lack of political will, credibility and wily craft. A lot also depends on al-Sharaa as to how inclusive an approach he is able to muster and implement in order to accommodate diverse interests, extremists and militia groups, extreme conservatives vs moderates and modernists and women's empowerment. A difficult task indeed, but if he has been able to wash off his old affiliations with ISIS and al-Qaeda rather cleanly, he will have to find a tabula rasa for his Syrian dream in sync with regional and global expectations. The author is the former Indian Ambassador to Jordan, Libya and Malta and is currently a Distinguished Fellow with Vivekananda International Foundation. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
