Latest news with #BureauofNearEasternAffairs
Ya Biladi
3 days ago
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Boulos visit to Algiers draws response from MSP, silence from Polisario
Massad Boulos, senior advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump on African affairs, made a high-level visit to Algeria on July 26 and 27. In Algiers, he was accompanied by Joshua Harris, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. While the American delegation did not publicly address the Western Sahara issue following meetings with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the Sahrawi Movement for Peace (MSP) welcomed U.S. involvement in efforts to resolve the conflict. «The MSP welcomes the United States' engagement in seeking a solution to the Western Sahara conflict», Hach Ahmed Bericalla, the MSP's secretary-general, told Yabiladi. «From his first term, President Trump has emphasized that achieving peace and stability in North Africa hinges on reconciliation between the two principal regional powers, Morocco and Algeria. The MSP appreciates the U.S.'s dedication to finding a peaceful, just, and lasting resolution to the conflict, as well as the potential role they can play as guarantors of this solution», he added. «We responded to this visit because the MSP represents a third way. We aim for a peaceful resolution to this issue and maintain independence in our decisions». Meanwhile, the Polisario Front chose to remain silent. Media outlets affiliated with the group merely relayed an Algerian Press Service (APS) dispatch covering the meeting between Massad Boulos and Algeria's Foreign Minister, Ahmed Attaf. In the aftermath of the visit by Trump's special advisor for Africa, the Polisario's general secretariat met on Monday, July 28, to «review internal and external issues».
Biz Bahrain
18-07-2025
- Business
- Biz Bahrain
Bahrain, US and UK sign Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA)
As part of the official visit of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to the United States of America, the Kingdom of Bahrain and the US signed the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA). The agreement was signed on behalf of Bahrain by Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United States; on behalf of the United States of America by Maura Namdar, Senior Official at the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the US Department of State; and on behalf of the United Kingdom by Lucy Ferguson, Minister Counsellor for Foreign Policy, Security and Development at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid said that the C-SIPA agreement sets the groundwork for building stronger security cooperation and supporting prosperity in the Middle East. He emphasised that the agreement embodies the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Excellency President Donald Trump of the United States of America, towards achieving peace, stability, and prosperity for the countries and peoples of the region and the world. The agreement further expresses the current regional reality, which aspires to peace, prosperity, development, and cooperation by establishing normal relations between all the countries of the region. The ambassador commended the efforts of HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister to strengthen cooperation between Bahrain and the United States. He highlighted His Royal Highness's ongoing commitment to building a solid and strategic partnership that serves the shared interests of both nations. The ambassador emphasised that these efforts not only support progress and prosperity in Bahrain and the United States, but also contribute positively to the well-being of people across the region and the wider international community. Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid also commended the trilateral signing by Bahrain, the US, and the UK, on the accession of the UK to the C-SIPA agreement. He noted that the UK's accession represents a strategic milestone in consolidating regional security, stability, and prosperity and in enhancing international partnerships founded on common principles and values. The ambassador welcomed the UK's accession to the agreement, describing it as a multilateral framework that unites countries to strengthen regional security, enhance collective deterrence against external threats, and deepen cooperation in trade, science, and technology to enhance peace and prosperity in the Middle East. This shift from a bilateral to a multilateral agreement opens the door for other countries with shared goals to join. He expressed Bahrain's hope that more nations will become members, benefiting all citizens in the region and promoting broader cooperation, growth, and prosperity. BNA(R)
Middle East
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Middle East
OPEN// FM urges restoring calmness, consolidating Gaza ceasefire
CAIRO, April 8 (MENA) - Foreign and Emigration Minister Badr Abdelatty underlined the importance of restoring calmness, consolidating the Gaza ceasefire deal and ensuring the implementation of its three stages. He also highlighted the importance of delivering humanitarian and medical assistance to Gaza and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinians. He stressed Egypt's rejection of forced displacement of the Palestinians. He made the remarks during a meeting on Tuesday with Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus and Tim Lenderking, a Senior Bureau Official in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the US State Department. The meeting took place on Tuesday on the fringe of the Middle East-America Dialogue Summit (MEAD) in Abu Dhabi. The talks tackled the Egyptian-US strategic partnership for over four decades and means of enhancing bilateral cooperation for the best interests of both sides, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Tamim Khallaf said. The two sides also exchanged views on the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in light of the dangerous Israeli escalation in the occupied Palestinian territories. Abdelatty reviewed the Gaza reconstruction plan which was endorsed by the Arab and Islamic counties and backed by the European Union, Japan and other key international players. He referred to Egypt's keenness on hosting the international conference on Gaza reconstruction in tandem with the United Nations and the Palestinian government. He voiced hope to enhance coordination with the US administration to work on realizing the aspired just peace in the Middle East. The foreign minister stressed the importance of finding a political path for reaching a final Palestinian-Israeli settlement in accordance with the international legitimacy to establish an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem (Al Quds) as its capital. The meeting tackled also the latest developments in the Middle East, especially in Lebanon, Syria, Libya, Sudan and Yemen. The meeting underlined the importance of protecting navigation in the Red Sea. (MENA) M N E/R R N
Arab News
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Saudi deputy FM meets US official in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia's Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Saud Al-Sati received Timothy Lenderking, senior bureau official at US State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, and his accompanying delegation, in Riyadh on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's Deputy Minister for Consular Affairs Ali Al-Yousef received Dutch Ambassador to the Kingdom Hans Peter van der Woude in Riyadh on Wednesday. During the meetings, all sides discussed various topics of common interest, the Foreign Ministry wrote on X.
The National
13-02-2025
- Politics
- The National
Marco Rubio heading to Middle East as Trump pushes Gaza displacement plan
When US Secretary of State Marco Rubio embarks on his first trip to the Middle East this weekend, he will do so without his regional team at the State Department fully assembled and as tension flares over President Donald Trump's plans for Gaza. The trip comes as Mr Trump attempts to build regional support for the US take control of the Gaza Strip and permanently displace more than 2 million Palestinians in the territory to neighbouring countries. Mr Rubio, who will be on his second foreign trip as Secretary of State, is expected to 'promote US interests in advancing regional co-operation, stability and peace' as part of President Trump's broader 'America first' agenda. 'The trip will centre on freeing American and all other hostages from Hamas captivity, advancing to phase two of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and countering the destabilising activities of the Iranian regime and its proxies,' the State Department said in a statement. But questions over Gaza's future and how serious Mr Trump is about taking control of the enclave are bound to come up. Without a full team in place at the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Mr Rubio's preparations could be hampered, though the seasoned politician may be unfazed by that. 'If the staff isn't fully co-ordinated and working together, it works against him,' said Aaron David Miller, a former long-time Middle East analyst at the State Department. 'But Marco Rubio, actually, of all the President's appointments, probably has the most foreign policy experience and when it comes to the international scene he'll be fine.' On Wednesday, Mr Trump nominated Joel Rayburn to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, a position formerly held by Barbara Leaf. Mr Rayburn is a veteran diplomat with years of experience in the region. From 2018 to 2021, he served as US special envoy for Syria. He also served as senior director for Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon on the National Security Council during the beginning of Mr Trump's first term. Tim Lenderking, another veteran diplomat, is currently the highest-ranking official at the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee is yet to be confirmed as the next US ambassador to Israel, but Mr Trump has still to announce a nominee for envoy to Saudi Arabia. The US ambassador to the UAE, Martina Strong, previously appointed by Joe Biden, is remaining in her post. While the State Department waits for the Senate to confirm Mr Rayburn, Mr Rubio will visit Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE at a time when the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appears at risk of collapsing. It is, however, unclear what Mr Rubio's role will be in the Middle East as other members of the Trump administration take the lead on crucial issues. Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy for the Middle East, has already criss-crossed the region several times and has been widely credited with helping to push the ceasefire and hostage deal between Hamas and Israel over the line, before the new administration had even taken over. 'The White House has been the controlling influence on most issues, certainly on almost all Middle East issues,' Mr Miller said.
