Latest news with #CarnegieEurope
The National
25-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Gamble or game changer? Macron's 'cry of alarm' for Palestine
France's decision to recognise Palestinian statehood in September has been widely hailed by experts as a historic turning point, one that could prompt other western countries to follow suit. By dispatching a letter to the Palestinian Authority confirming a September deadline, French President Emmanuel Macron hopes to leverage outrage over the situation in Gaza for a push to Palestine statehood recognition. Supporters argue it may pressure Israel to seek a political settlement to the Gaza war and pave the way towards peaceful coexistence with Palestinians. The timing of Mr Macron's announcement – amid growing fury over mass starvation in Gaza and reports of the Israeli military killing hundreds of people at aid distribution points – appears calculated to trigger a domino effect. However, the move also risks diplomatic friction and potential isolation, particularly in relation to the United States. 'He is attempting to leverage the current high level of public outrage to continue to pressuring UK, Japan, Canada and the Europeans to join him in his recognition,' Rym Momtaz, editor in chief of Carnegie Europe think tank's Strategic Europe blog told The National. Former French ambassador Michel Duclos described it as a 'cry of alarm' and a 'gesture of protest against unacceptable Israeli behaviour. 'If we hadn't done it, we risked arriving at a point of no return, where a Palestinian state is no longer viable, and losing all credibility with the Global South,' he said. The US has issued a strong rebuke. 'This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th,' said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday − echoing an argument made hours earlier by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. In a symbolic vote this week, the Knesset approved plans to annex the occupied West Bank, where violence against Palestinians at the hands of Israelis is on the rise. Yet US and Israeli criticism is unlikely to worry France much, analysts say. 'France is focused on being a catalyst for a durable day after solution that provides for the preservation of the rights of the Palestinians and also prevents any more terrorist attacks against Israel,' Ms Momtaz said. 'The truth of the matter is that only Macron's initiative provides the beginning of a solution to disarm Hamas.' Macron's shift French-US relations have been historically tense over the Middle East. In 2003, French opposition under then foreign minister Dominique de Villepin to the US invasion of Iraq yielded the so-called 'freedom fries' backlash, which saw the US Congress menus drop the term French fries. This show of irritation by Washington boosted France's reputation in the Middle East. 'As de Villepin used to say, we're an old country. We're unfazed,' Mr Duclos, who was deputy permanent ambassador of France at the UN at the time, said. 'Knowing Macron, he certainly spoke to Trump before making any announcement.' In his early years in office, Mr Macron, who was first elected in 2017, largely avoided significant involvement in the Israel-Palestine conflict, despite France's long-standing support for a two-state solution. Now, his move echoes earlier bold diplomatic interventions. In 1982, in his first speech in front of the Israeli parliament, president Francois Mitterrand took a significant political risk by calling on Israel to negotiate with the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, despite it being labelled at the time as terrorist entity by Israel. Mr Macron has increasingly sought to strengthen ties with the Global South, appearing sensitive to accusations of Western double standards in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Speaking in Singapore in May, Mr Macron said that recognising Palestine was a 'moral duty'. In July, he invited Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to be the guest of honour at the Bastille Day military parade in Paris. Nonetheless, Mr Macron has often shied away from direct criticism against Israel. A few months after the start of the Gaza war, France declined to join calls by Ireland and Spain to review the European Union's relations with Israel − a review that was conducted one year later, this time following Dutch pressure. More recently, Mr Macron endorsed Israeli strikes on Iran, despite the fact that they were illegal under international law. 'When Israel attacked Iran, I thought he would do what [former president Charles] De Gaulle did in 1967 [the 1967 Arab-Israeli War], or Chirac in 2003, and say that it's the country that attacks first that must be blamed,' Mr Duclos said. Instead, French missiles positioned in Jordan intercept Iranian drones headed for Israel. Win-win politics French diplomats have framed Palestinian recognition as a win-win solution that is not about sanctioning Israel, but about supporting its right to live in peace with its neighbours. Responding to Mr Rubio, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, wrote on X: 'Hamas has always rejected the two-state solution. By recognising Palestine, France proves this terrorist movement wrong. It supports the side of peace against that of war.' These arguments appear to have fallen on deaf ears among Israeli and US leadership, which are expected to boycott the conference in New York later this year on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, where Mr Macron will formalise his decision. France would become the first among the powerful Group of Seven countries to recognise Palestine, with hopes that others, most likely the UK, will follow. 'The idea is to have a maximum knock-on effect,' Mr Duclos said. What will happen next remains an open question, with critics pointing at a risk of further radicalisation of Israel's leadership, an expulsion of Gazans and an annexation of the West Bank – effectively erasing the territorial basis for a Palestinian state. France hopes to further strengthen the Palestinian Authority, so that it can take over Gaza once the ceasefire is over. Some in France, such former ambassador to the US, Gerard Araud, have argued that recognising Palestinian statehood gives Palestinians more political rights to fight back in front of courts such as the International Court of Justice. 'What Palestinians need most of all is to be protected by the law,' Mr Araud told radio France Inter. 'France is like a voice in the desert, telling other Western countries that they need to act now. It's not sure France will be heard.'
Iraqi News
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Armenia PM to meet Erdogan on ‘historic' Turkey visit
Istanbul – Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was in Istanbul Friday for a rare visit to arch-foe Turkey, in what Yerevan has described as a 'historic' step toward regional peace. Armenia and Turkey have never established formal diplomatic ties, and their shared border has been closed since the 1990s. The visit follows an invitation from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who will host Pashinyan at Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace at 1500 GMT, Erdogan's office said. Analysts said Pashinyan would make the case for speeding up steps towards normalisation with Turkey in a bid to ease Armenia's isolation. Relations between the two nations have been historically strained over the World War I-era mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire — atrocities Yerevan says amount to genocide. Turkey rejects the label. Ankara has also backed its close ally, Turkic-speaking Azerbaijan, in its long-running conflict with Armenia. 'This is a historic visit, as it will be the first time a head of the Republic of Armenia visits Turkey at this level. All regional issues will be discussed,' Armenian parliament speaker Alen Simonyan told reporters. 'The risks of war (with Azerbaijan) are currently minimal, and we must work to neutralise them. Pashinyan's visit to Turkey is a step in that direction.' – Normalisation – An Armenian foreign ministry official told AFP the pair would discuss efforts to sign a comprehensive peace treaty as well as the regional fallout from the Iran-Israel conflict. On Thursday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was in Turkey for talks with Erdogan, hailing the Turkish-Azerbaijani alliance as 'a significant factor, not only regionally but also globally.' Erdogan repeated his backing for 'the establishment of peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia'. Baku and Yerevan agreed on the text of a peace deal in March, but Baku has since outlined a host of demands — including changes to Armenia's constitution — before it will sign the document. Pashinyan has actively sought to normalise relations with both Baku and Ankara. 'Pashinyan is very keen to break Armenia out of its isolation and the best way to do that is a peace agreement with Azerbaijan and a normalisation agreement with Turkey,' Thomas de Waal, a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe told AFP. The main thing blocking normalisation with Turkey was Azerbaijan — a close ally of Ankara, he said. 'Turkey has a strategic dilemma here: on the one hand it wants to stay loyal to Azerbaijan; on the other, opening the Armenian border makes it a bigger player in the South Caucasus,' he said. – Pashinyan concession – Opening the border would help the economy in eastern Turkey, diminish Russian influence and likely improve Ankara's ties with Washington and the West, among other things, he said. 'Pashinyan by himself won't make this happen, it's only when it moves higher up the Western agenda with Turkey that you might see change.' Earlier this year, Pashinyan said Armenia would halt its campaign for international recognition of the 1915 mass killings of Armenians as genocide — a major concession to Turkey that sparked widespread criticism at home. He has visited Turkey only once before, for Erdogan's 2023 inauguration. At the time he was one of the first foreign leaders to congratulate him on his re-election. Ankara and Yerevan appointed special envoys in late 2021 to lead a normalisation process, a year after Armenia's defeat in a war with Azerbaijan over then then-disputed Karabakh region. In 2022, Turkey and Armenia resumed commercial flights after a two-year pause. A previous attempt to normalise relations — a 2009 accord to open the border — was never ratified by Armenia and abandoned in 2018.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Raisina Chronicles: A public square for global dialogue and debate
In their editors' note to Raisina Chronicles: India's Global Public Square, S Jaishankar and Samir Saran write: 'The imperative of dialogue in polarised times is self-evident. And it has gained salience precisely because the promise of globalisation has been visibly broken.' The publication of the book celebrates the tenth anniversary of the Raisina Dialogue, an international conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics that has been convened in Delhi since 2016. This platform, which brings together heads of state, government officials, policymakers, diplomats and leaders of intergovernmental organisations, along with business leaders, media persons, experts from the development sector and members of civil society, is a collaboration between the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and the Government of India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Therefore, it is fitting that the volume is edited by Rajya Sabha member Mr Jaishankar, who has been India's External Affairs Minister since May 2019, and ORF President Mr Saran, who is the Curator of the Raisina Dialogue. The book is valuable for readers interested in international relations and public policy as fields of study and practice. The language used here seems accessible enough for seasoned and early-career professionals, as well as students. Moreover, it is a useful resource for people who watch television shows like Barbara Hall's Madam Secretary, David Guggenheim's Designated Survivor and Deborah Kahn's The Diplomat for the high-octane drama and are curious about how politicians and diplomats build alliances and resolve conflicts in real life. It is divided into seven sections: (1) Changing Realities: Shifts in the World Order; (2) Shared Visions: Unbreakable Bilateral Ties; (3) New Opportunities: European Future in the Indo-Pacific; (4) Guards of Honour: Forging a More Secure World; (5) Viral World: Outbreaks, Outliers and Out of Control; (6) Unblurred Vision: Development with a Difference; and (7) At the Helm of Power: India, Raisina and the New Way Forward. Each section features reflections by speakers from various countries who have participated in the Raisina Dialogue and have rich insights to offer about key priorities in specific geographies and across the world. Rosa Balfour (Director, Carnegie Europe) and Zakaria Al Shmaly (Research Analyst, Carnegie Europe) acknowledge the European Union's 'blind spots', particularly its limited engagement with the 'Global South', and the need to understand critiques of its migration and asylum policy that treats white Christian and brown Muslim refugees differently. Kwame Owino (CEO, Institute of Economic Affairs) and Jackline Kagume (constitution, law and economy programme head at the Institute of Economic Affairs, Kenya) point out that Sub-Saharan Africa is 'the least embedded in global economic affairs and commerce' and advocate for 'access to regional and global markets' to ensure prosperity for countries represented by the African Union. The book addresses subjects such as democracy, climate finance, maritime security, gender equality, soft power, vaccine equity, public-private partnerships, and terrorism. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, for instance, calls terrorism 'a cancer that needs to be faced through wide international cooperation'. With Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announcing his readiness for a neutral investigation into the Pahalgam terror attack, it remains to be seen how this international cooperation pans out, and whether it amounts to more than lip service. Mohammed Soliman (director, strategic technologies and cyber security program at the Middle East Institute, Washington, DC) compliments 'India's growing voice in world affairs' for making the Raisina Dialogue 'a critical pathway for conflicting parties to utilise'. He writes, 'Not many global capitals have the diplomatic pull to host Israel, Iran, the Palestinians, and the Arab states under one roof to debate the most contentious regional and global issues'. Amrita Narlikar (president and professor, German Institute for Global and Area Studies) points out that the Raisina Dialogue 'is more inclusive and more diverse' than the Munich Security Conference and the World Economic Forum. What makes it stand out is not only 'its location in a democratic nation in the Global South' but also the decision to 'enable the participation of the interested public' rather than having closed-door meetings. This congratulatory tone pervades the book. While it reinforces the significance and impact of the Raisina Dialogue for multiple stakeholders, there is hardly any reflection on challenges encountered over the last 10 years and areas of improvement that have been identified either by the organisers or the participants. Introspection and feedback are crucial for growth. The other contributors to the volume range from United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Rwandan President Paul Kagame to former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen J Harper, Former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director David Petraeus, and Mexican Minister of Economy Marcelo Ebrard. The absence of voices from India's own neighbourhood — Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Myanmar, Afghanistan, China, and the Maldives — is quite conspicuous. Since the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has failed to help members settle disputes, the Raisina Dialogue could serve as a forum to have some of those conversations.
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Former Gen Secy of banned outfit Jamaat-e-Islami condemns Pahalgam terror attack
Jamaat-e-Islami 's former General Secretary Ghulam Qadir Lone , a banned outfit, condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir , saying that the indiscriminate killing of tourists was done without any religion in mind, and such terrorists just look to disturb the peace of the region. Condemning the killing of innocent tourists , he told that such attacks should be resisted and protested against. "The thing is that there is a lot of injustice in the world, this is the rude face, where the people who do not want to fight, just came for seeing the place, it is a shameless act to attack them, it is a crime. However much this (terror attack) is resisted against is less," he told ANI. LoP Rahul Gandhi, CM Rekha Gupta seen together at Prerna Sthal on BR Ambedkar's birth anniversary 5 5 Next Stay Closed captions (1) OFF Playback speed 1x Normal Quality Auto Back 360p 240p 144p Auto Back OFF English US Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Now Playing LoP Rahul Gandhi, CM Rekha Gupta seen together at Prerna Sthal on BR Ambedkar's birth anniversary 00:55 Now Playing 'Still have lot of cricket left in them': Cricketer Chris Gayle backs Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli 02:41 Now Playing Global Tech Summit | Carnegie Europe Director Rosa Balfour calls US' tariff policies 'suicidal' 02:52 Now Playing Did Prada Just Make the Smartest Move in Luxury Fashion with a $1.37B Versace Deal? 02:13 Now Playing N Nagendran appointed as Tamil Nadu BJP Chief, K Annamalai congratulates 02:34 Now Playing Trump's physical examination 'goes well,' says US Prez, 'took cognitive test unlike Biden' 03:00 Now Playing White House's ultimatum to non-citizens: Register in 30 days or face consequences 00:57 Now Playing 'Kissing My A**': Trump mocks world leaders begging for trade deals at GOP fundraiser 03:00 Now Playing Trump's tariffs: 'India values its strategic partnership with USA, says MEA 02:23 Now Playing I'm Sanjay, not the one from Mahabharat: RBI chief on further rate cuts 01:34 Now Playing 'Deport yourself or…': SCOTUS greenlights Alien Enemies Act, Trump admin warns illegal gangs 03:00 Now Playing Slowdown in US economy could weigh on Info Edge in short term; traders can go short 01:31 Now Playing 'Bad day for Iran..': Trump says Iran would be in 'great danger' if direct talks fail 02:02 Now Playing Security heightened in West Bengal's Howrah as several devotees visit temples 01:02 Now Playing West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari claims 'Original Hindus don't vote for Mamta...' 02:33 Now Playing Brazil: Heavy rains cause floods in Rio de Janeiro; residents left with 'no time to save anything' 01:23 Now Playing Bibi-Trump to reunite; Netanyahu reveals reciprocal tariffs, hostages, Gaza on agenda 02:32 Now Playing Zelenskyy makes bold statement, fires Putin, questions Russia, US 'They want to attack…' Ukraine's 01:53 Now Playing US markets record second day tumble as China retaliates to Trump tariffs 02:24 Now Playing 'Efforts needed…': Kremlin calls for measures to mitigate economic impact of US tariffs on Russia 02:51 Now Playing 'Jhukunga nahi': Mallikarjun Kharge's Pushpa-style retort To BJP, demands apology from Anurag Thakur 00:55 Now Playing Ghibli ArtWork History | How To Make It? | ET AI 00:49 Now Playing Big Putin 'shocker' to Trump: US busts Russian network sending weapons, stolen grain to Yemen rebels 01:59 Now Playing 'Our ally US, will devastate our economy': Congress' Rahul Gandhi slams Trump's tariffs on India 01:23 Now Playing PNB Housing Finance looking good buy on dips stock after recent breakout: Shitij Gandhi 01:46 Now Playing MacBook Air M4 Quick Review | Value Champ | TechPulse 00:56 Now Playing Florida to hold special elections to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz, will GOP retain majority? 02:07 Now Playing Luigi Mangione Case: Pam Bondi tells prosecutors to seek death penalty for CEO murder 02:16 Now Playing Sunita Williams on India from space: 'A glowing web of lights, framed by the Himalayas' 02:40 Now Playing Myanmar earthquake: India sends 442 tonnes of relief material to quake-hit nation 02:34 Now Playing US CENTCOM prepares to carry out strikes on Houthis days after Signal chat leak 02:04 Now Playing Poland and Sweden launch joint 'air policing mission'; keeping NATO strong 02:42 Now Playing Iran retaliates to Trump's Bombing threat: 'We are ready with missiles' 02:14 Now Playing Trump says TikTok deal to come in before April 5 deadline: 'Have a lot of potential buyers' 02:25 Now Playing Mexican forces seize 1.8 tonnes of drugs in massive sea bust; 5 detained 02:25 Now Playing NSA Mike Waltz at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland: 'POTUS is absolutely serious...' 02:12 Now Playing 'Bad things are going to happen to Iran if..': Trump on Iranian drones being used to kill Ukrainians 01:16 Now Playing Russia returns 5 Ukrainian children after Qatar mediation; Big move amid Moscow-Kyiv ceasefire talks 02:00 Now Playing 'It's embarrassing': NSA Waltz takes 'full responsibility' for leaked Signal chat about Yemen strike 02:06 Now Playing Chinese firms luring fired Fed workers, suggest Reuters investigative reports 02:40 Now Playing The controversy of currency notes at Judge Varma's house: SC releases Footage 02:03 Now Playing Jessica Aber: Biden appointee ex-US attorney, who resigned when Trump took office, found dead at 43 01:18 Now Playing Ukraine's Capital Kyiv hit by Russian drone attack; two dead, dozens evacuated 02:06 Now Playing Xiaomi 15 Unboxing | Leica Camera 00:57 Now Playing Kim Jong Un says North Korea will keep supporting Russia, state media reports 01:31 Now Playing Russia claims to shoot down Ukraine's warplane, 1100 Ukrainian drones downed 02:05 Now Playing Trump on Suni-Buch not getting overtime after 9 months in space: 'Will pay them out of own pocket' 01:35 Now Playing Samsung Galaxy A56 5G Unboxing | Galaxy AI 00:57 Now Playing ACLU Attorney Lee Gelernt condemns Trump's 'unreviewable power' under 'Alien Enemy Act' 02:08 Now Playing Legendary American boxer George Foreman passes away at 76 03:00 by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Breaks His Silence: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo Jamaat-e-Islami was declared an 'Unlawful Association' by the Centre in 2019, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterating the policy of zero tolerance against separatism and terrorism . Since the ban, Lone said that they have formed a panel to hold talks with the security agencies and has renounced militancy. "I was part of Jamaat since 1968, I have been its general secretary. When a ban was put on Jamaat then we had set up a panel to talk with the agencies of India, and we had said that that we are not with the militancy, I am a secretary of that panel," he said. Live Events Underlining that such attackers don't have a religion, he said that such people should be punished accordingly and not be associated with. "We should understand that these people have no religion, it is these people who want to disturb the peace in the region. We should not befriend them, or think that they have a reason for this, there is no reason for this," he said. The terrorist attack which took place on Tuesday has sent shock waves across the country, especially within the local community, which has called for a shutdown. Following the terror attack, security forces have launched search operations on Wednesday to track down the terrorists responsible. Security has been heightened since the attack, with visuals from the area showing the streets deserted in the usually bustling tourist area. Many organisations have also called for a Jammu bandh following the attack.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Some world leaders invoke Trump to justify political crackdowns
Analysts argue that US President Donald Trump's upending of political norms has emboldened autocratic leaders around the world to pursue crackdowns on human rights and democracy. Some leaders have explicitly invoked Trump's return to power as justification for their moves: After Hungary's parliament voted this month to ban an annual LBGTQ+ Pride parade, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government said the changes in Washington meant the 'American boot' had been lifted off Hungary's chest and that events like Pride no longer enjoyed US protection. Serbian authorities cited Trump's claims of fraud at USAID to launch raids against pro-democracy civil society groups. Georgia's government similarly used the USAID aid freeze to vow to pursue new restrictions against media and civil society, including a proposed ban on foreign funding for media. Other leaders have not openly cited Trump, but analysts see clear links between their actions and Trump's rule: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is betting that Trump won't challenge the jailing of a top rival, while some have drawn comparisons between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent efforts to oust critics in this government and Trump's prioritization of loyalists for key posts. Donald Trump's domestic policies and statements are 'providing cover for a fresh chill on freedom of expression [and] democracy' globally, The Washington Post argued. The director of Carnegie Europe said the accelerated pace of democratic crackdowns in several countries following Trump's return to power show that 'autocrats and would-be autocrats' are 'much more connected in their policies and goals than we have been assuming.' These leaders are 'sniffing the change in the geopolitical air, and reckoning they're on the cusp of a new era,' Politico Europe's opinion editor wrote. Critically, they are looking to each other for inspiration to enact new rules or find new ways to cement power. Experts worry the next phase of the lurch toward autocracy will borrow from Donald Trump's expansionist vision. 'Conquest is back,' an expert declared in Foreign Affairs, arguing that if Washington helps negotiate a Ukraine peace deal that gives Moscow part of Ukrainian territory, 'other powers may be more tempted to wage wars of conquest.' That would alter an accepted post-World War II norm that overt invasions of sovereign territory would elicit widespread, US-led pushback, The Guardian wrote. 'It was advertised that the US didn't do conquest. What is clearly changing is this the first time since [the 19th century] when there is a conversation about whether the US does do conquest or not,' a UK-based international security expert said. Leaders who align with Donald Trump's worldview will no longer be able to accuse malicious foreign actors from the West for fomenting anti-government protests in their countries, Bloomberg noted. Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose actions to suppress political opposition have barely invoked Western criticism, will have 'nobody but himself to blame' for public pushback. Meanwhile, European populists like France's Marine Le Pen and Italy's Giorgia Meloni who — while aligning with Trump's brand of national conservatism — also support Ukraine, are in a bind over Trump's overtures to Russia, The Economist wrote, and their factions find themselves divided over how to deal with the US president.
