Latest news with #JointActionPlan
See - Sada Elbalad
3 days ago
- General
- See - Sada Elbalad
Arab League Convenes Workshop on Internal Displacement, Impact on Children
Mohamed Mandour The General Secretariat of the League of Arab States (Social Affairs Sector – Family and Childhood Department), in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is convening a regional workshop on internal displacement and its impact on children in the Arab region via an online platform. The workshop is held within the framework of the Joint Action Plan between the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States (Social Affairs Sector – Family and Childhood Department) and UNHCR for the period 2024–2025, which seeks to strengthen collaborative efforts to address internal displacement and its multifaceted consequences. The workshop is bringing together representatives from relevant national mechanisms in member states responsible for issues of asylum and displacement, along with experts and specialists in the field of childhood in the Arab region. The agenda includes a range of thematic discussions aimed at deepening understanding of international and regional legal frameworks governing the protection of internally displaced persons, with particular attention to the specific vulnerabilities and needs of displaced children. The programme also explores proposed interventions to improve their humanitarian and legal conditions. In addition, the workshop is featuring interactive sessions designed to build the capacities of member state representatives by fostering dialogue, exchanging best practices, and enhancing skills to effectively respond to the protection and assistance needs of internally displaced populations. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan
Indian Express
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Horrendous, no room for barbarity in democratic societies: Italy Dy PM Tajani on Pahalgam attack
Expressing concern over the 'horrendous' terrorist attack against tourists in Pahalgam, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has conveyed Italy's commitment against terrorism as 'unshakable' and willingness to cooperate in the fight against terrorism. On the rapport between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, Tajani, in an interview to The Indian Express, said it is 'undoubtedly based on a good chemistry, and on a similar approach: the pursuit of the national interest without ideological prejudices'. He referenced the hashtag '#melodi' and said he viewed promising complementarities at the root of the close ties between Italy and India. The Italian Deputy PM, who visited India on April 11 and 12, also spoke about the deliverables in cooperation across sectors, including defence. India just witnessed a terrorist attack in J&K's Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed. What is your comment? I was struck by the horrendous terrorist attack that took place in Pahalgam, targeting civilians, especially tourists. The Italian government and the whole country immediately expressed their closeness to the families of the victims, the people of India and your institutions. Italy's commitment against terrorism is firm and unshakable. This is also what PM Meloni conveyed to PM Modi in the conversation they had. We are ready to cooperate in the fight against terrorism. The principles of freedom and tolerance that uphold our democratic societies admit no room for barbarity. And this tragedy came just as the world was mourning the loss of Pope Francis. The Pontiff has also been a protagonist of international politics. What is his legacy and the message he leaves to world leaders? The importance of peace and the centrality of the human being. Until his last moment, in his last Easter homily, Pope Francis has continued to believe in and work for peace. He has always highlighted the suffering that war, all wars, inflict especially to the weakest ones, to women, to children. The message he leaves is that leading is serving. That the human being must remain at the centre, as he underscored at the Italian G7, talking about the potential but also the risks of artificial intelligence. As former President of the European Parliament, I also remember the importance he attached to the role Europe can play, especially in times of crisis. You just visited India. Let's talk about the bilateral relations: How are India and Italy proceeding on the roadmap agreed in November last year? My visit to Delhi was meant to give further impetus to many areas of cooperation identified in the Joint Action Plan signed by the two Prime Ministers only five months ago. Starting with political dialogue, of course. We focused also on economy – both trade and investments – space and defence, energy transition, culture, sport, science and technology. We put a special emphasis on innovation. My commitment is to strengthen and broaden our strategic partnership, also in the perspective of the IMEC initiative. The Indo-Mediterranean corridor is actually the contemporary version of the ancient trade route connecting Rome to India at the time of Emperor Augustus. Ours is a centuries-old friendship. What were the key takeaways from the visit? More than 700 delegates, almost 500 companies, over 400 B2B meetings. Italian companies announced new investments for 470 million euros. Governmental agencies – Investindia, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and SIMEST – signed an MOU to spur further investments. SIMEST, the joint stock company helping our enterprises grow abroad, opened an office in Delhi. It can now count on a 500 million euros line of financing dedicated to operations in India. Our export-credit agency SACE increased its 3 billion euros in guarantees for Indian buyers by additional 200 million euros. We will create 'Innovit Bangalore ', a centre to facilitate synergies between innovation ecosystems. We will propose an acceleration programme in India for start-ups. The business forum was such a success that we will repeat it soon. Together with Minister (Piyush) Goyal, we will deepen the economic dialogue in Brescia, near Milan, one of the most important industrial hubs in Italy. The Forum for Growth will involve companies from the two countries. Save the date: June 5th in Brescia. There were also some deliverables in the areas of science, sport and culture. We had a science dialogue between universities, research centres and Indian counterparts, including the best IIT, to explore complementarities in all the main scientific sectors. A Space Attache will be posted to our Embassy in Delhi and our governments will soon hold a bilateral space dialogue. A second Scientific Attache will also join the Italy team in India, operating from the Consulate General in Bengaluru. We have signed two agreements with your Ministry of Science. They will foster joint initiatives and mobility of researchers in key areas such as biomedical robotics, green energy, AI, quantum, and gene therapy, among others. I was pleased to highlight the great potential of further India-Italy dialogue in culture, sport, food and wine. Together with the Minister for External Affairs Dr Jaishankar, we unveiled Caravaggio's 'Magdalene in Ecstasy' at the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre in Delhi – the first time ever in India for a giant of universal art like Caravaggio. I also inaugurated the 'Mosaic' exhibition at the Humayun's Tomb Museum: an immersive journey through 2000 years of history and a fascinating display of ancient Roman mosaics. 'Fabrica' is another exhibition, at Crafts Museum, showcasing craftsmanship and innovation in the Italian textile sector. And sport, which is a key part of our culture. We launched the 'Common goal' initiative'. It will take coaches from the Italian football league Serie A clubs to teach football to children from underprivileged backgrounds in several cities in India. We have a collaboration programme (in the opposite direction) also in cricket. We brought starred chefs to highlight the candidature of the Italian cuisine to the UNESCO patrimony. Finally, the main Italian news agency announced the opening of ANSA-India, a portal dedicated to your country, and decided to open a full-fledged office in Delhi. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor was launched during PM Meloni's visit for the G20 summit in 2023. What's the update on IMEC, and the impact of the conflict in the Middle East? IMEC is for us a strategic and visionary project. It will make a crucial contribution to strengthening Indo-Mediterranean connectivity and trade, enhancing exchanges, investments and data flows. But it can also have a positive impact on the peace process in the Middle East. We have just nominated a special envoy for IMEC: Ambassador Talo, former Diplomatic Advisor to Prime Minister Meloni. And I intend to convene a Foreign Ministers' meeting in Trieste engaging the countries along the IMEC corridor. Italy had long been a defence partner, how has the defence relationship progressed in the last few years? Over the last two years, we witnessed an increase in the number of port calls. We have had four ships of our Navy stationed at Indian docks since 2023 and one more is due to arrive soon. In December last year, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy Urso visited Mumbai on the occasion of the port call of Nave Vespucci. In February this year, Undersecretary of Defence Perego was in Bengaluru for the AeroIndia defence fair. Direct contacts between defence companies are ongoing. The latest ones have unfolded at the Business Forum in Delhi and in the margins of the Joint Defence Committee in Rome, with the visit of your Secretary Defence. We intend to give continuity to this dynamic dialogue. Our Defence Minister also intends to visit India. The goal is to identify co-development and co-production projects, taking advantage of synergies between our defence industries. How do you see the US administration led by President Donald Trump's imposition of universal tariffs playing out in the world? We are not in favour of hasty reactions and escalation of measures. A trade war does not benefit anyone. This is our position within the EU, which has exclusive competence on tariffs and trade. Prime Minister Meloni's meeting with President Trump was a decisive step towards strengthening Italy's relationship with the US and resuming together a path of cooperation that will consolidate America's relations with all of Europe. The US is our ally and an indispensable partner. Our government is working for a concrete relaunch of relations with Washington. The issue of tariffs must be carefully addressed but without panic. We are convinced that the solution lies in negotiation and not in frontal opposition. market. How does the rapport between PMs Modi and Meloni impact the bilateral ties? The relationship between our leaders and governments is very good. It is undoubtedly based on a good chemistry, and on a similar approach: the pursuit of the national interest without ideological prejudices. Besides #melodi, at the root of the Italy-India close relationship I rather see structural and promising complementarities. We are both democracies, heirs to millenary-old civilisations. We are nations rich in culture and at the heart of a common region, the Indo-Mediterranean, set to become evermore integrated. Italy strongly supports the conclusion of the FTA. Especially nowadays, with high tariffs, the signature of the Agreement would be an important game changer for the cooperation between two important economic blocs like the EU and India, which can exploit all the unexpressed potential of their trade and industrial partnership. India is a strategic market for Italian companies and exports. But to reach the agreement, both sides need to show flexibility. Immigration is an issue in Italy, does that impact mobility of Indians to Italy? No, it does not. We precisely signed a bilateral agreement on mobility and migration with India to encourage the circulation of talent and avoid irregular migration, which benefits neither the countries of origin nor the countries of destination. In Italy, we host an important community of citizens of Indian origin, perfectly integrated in our economy and society. Our goal is to further improve the professional level of Indian integration of Indian talents, if they wish to come live and work in our country. The mobility agreement is the ideal tool to make it happen.
Leaders
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Leaders
GCC Secretary-General Receives Russian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Albudaiwi, met the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sergey Kozlov, in Riyadh. The meeting focused on enhancing Gulf-Russian relations within the framework of the strategic dialogue initiated in 2011. Discussions also addressed ways to accelerate the implementation of the Joint Action Plan (2023–2027) between GCC member states and the Russian Federation, building on the outcomes of the seventh joint ministerial meeting held in September 2024. That meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of GCC countries and the Russian Foreign Minister. Additionally, the two sides discussed the Secretary-General's upcoming participation in the 13th International High-Level Security Conference, set to be held in Moscow at the end of May, following an invitation from Sergei Shoigu, Secretary-General of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. Related Topics : GCC Sec-Gen Holds Talks with European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Vice-Chair Saudi Arabia Condemns Israeli Attack on Gaza Hospital GAFT Leads Saudi Delegation in GCC-Indonesia Free Trade Agreement Negotiations RSAF Takes Part in UAE-hosted Desert Flag Exercise Short link : Post Views: 17 Related Stories
Al Jazeera
10-02-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Why a China deal has set off a Cook Islands-New Zealand spat
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown is visiting Beijing this week to sign a strategic partnership agreement with the world's second-largest economy in the latest sign of China's expanding influence in the Pacific Islands region. But the proposed pact has shaken decades-old ties between the Cook Islands and New Zealand, neighbours that are set to mark 60 years of a free association agreement in 2025. That agreement has long given New Zealand influence over the Cook Islands, especially over its foreign policy. With tensions mounting, we break down what the proposed deal between China and the Cook Islands is all about, why New Zealand is upset and what this means for the region. What is the deal between the Cook Islands and China? Brown is set to sign a Joint Action Plan for Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China during his February 10-14 trip. Without elaborating on the plan, he has said the partnership would expand economic opportunities 'while ensuring our sovereignty and national interests remain at the forefront'. He added that details 'will be agreed upon' during his trip, which marks the first visit by a Cook Islands leader to China in a decade. The deal is expected to revolve around trade cooperation, climate, tourism, and infrastructure. Brown has emphasised that the deal does not involve security or defence matters. But the United States and its allies in the region, including Australia and New Zealand, have been wary of China's growing influence in the Pacific ever since Beijing signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands in 2022. That agreement allows for Chinese police presence on the islands, ostensibly for training the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, the closest the country has to an army. Does China already have a presence on the Cook Islands? China has been a key economic partner for the Cook Islands. According to the Sydney-based Lowy Institute think tank's database, the Cook Islands spent $517m of foreign aid between 2008 and 2022. New Zealand, with $219m, is the biggest contributor, but China, with $112m, is the second biggest source of the nation's foreign assistance – more than twice Australia's share. The US, meanwhile, has contributed only $95,000 to the Cook Islands over these 14 years. In the past, China and New Zealand have partnered to jointly help the Cook Islands develop a major water supply project through a tripartite agreement – the first such deal that Beijing had ever struck. Chinese financial assistance – along with aid from Australia and New Zealand – helped the Cook Islands host the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Meeting in 2023, according to the Pacific nation's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration. Last September, China and the Solomon Islands agreed to explore other projects – including the development of a multiuse transport hub in the Northern Cook Islands. Are the Cook Islands truly autonomous of New Zealand? The Cook Islands, a grouping of 15 islands and atolls in the South Pacific, became a British protectorate in 1888. New Zealand annexed the region in 1901 despite local opposition and remained in control until 1965 when the Cook Islands achieved self-governing status and entered a 'free association' agreement with Wellington. This arrangement allows the Cook Islands to manage their domestic and international affairs while relying on New Zealand for financial assistance and defence. Citizens of the Cook Islands hold New Zealand passports and are automatically New Zealand citizens. Additionally, nearly 100,000 people who identify as Cook Islands Maori live in New Zealand. While the Cook Islands is technically free to engage in its international agreements, its 'free association' agreement with New Zealand includes provisions for regular consultation on foreign policy, especially on security and strategic matters. According to New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Wellington has a constitutional obligation to respond to requests for assistance with foreign affairs, disasters and defence. A spokesperson for New Zealand's Foreign Ministry said it expected the Cook Islands government to fully consult Wellington on any significant agreements it planned to enter that could 'have major strategic and security implications'. Did tensions between New Zealand and the Cook Islands explode suddenly? No, they had been building up. With a population of 15,000, the Cook Islands introduced a proposal in December 2024 to establish its own passport system, although Brown said it would be more for identifying its citizens as Cook Islanders and 'not to be used as a travel document or anything like that'. However, New Zealand strongly opposed this move, warning that it could lead to full independence and the loss of automatic New Zealand citizenship for Cook Islanders. The proposal was ultimately withdrawn due to public and governmental pressure. 'New Zealand has bared its teeth,' Brown told Cook Islands News, a local publication, and had indicated that it was 'willing to punish Cook Islanders' over the passport proposal. 'The passport has to be off. We'll look at other ways to be able to recognise our own nationality as Cook Islanders,' he added. How has New Zealand reacted to the China deal? New Zealand has expressed concerns over the lack of transparency it says has surrounded the Cook Islands' agreement with China, arguing that such major international deals should be discussed beforehand. After Brown announced his trip, Winston Peters, New Zealand's deputy prime minister, told radio station Newstalk ZB: '[This] has blindsided both the Cook Islands people and ourselves.' Although Brown insists that the agreement is purely economic, New Zealand views it as an affront to the diplomatic arrangement of the two nations. 'First of all, a demand to have a separate passport, so to speak, which would be dramatic in terms of our constitutional arrangements, and also the coming visit to China,' said Peters, who is also New Zealand's foreign minister, speaking to Newstalk ZB. Is New Zealand locked in any other tensions in the region? Yes, it is. Last month, New Zealand officials said they were reconsidering all development aid to Kiribati after the abrupt cancellation of a planned meeting between New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Kiribati President Taneti Maamau. New Zealand contributed $58m in development aid to Kiribati between 2021 and 2024, according to official figures. 'The lack of political-level contact makes it very difficult for us to agree joint priorities for our development programme, and to ensure that it is well targeted and delivers good value for money,' a statement from Peters's office said. New Zealand will review all development cooperation with Kiribati as a result, it added. Peters said he was informed that Maamau could not accommodate him just a week before the planned meeting. Ruth Cross Kwansing, a member of parliament from Kiribati, denied her country attempted to snub New Zealand. In a Facebook post, she insisted that the cancellation of the meeting was due to changes in protocol. 'While New Zealand has every right to review its aid programme to Kiribati or any developing country, it is crucial that these kinds of decisions are based on genuine development processes and not used as a tool for political pressure,' she wrote on January 28. Tensions have risen since Kiribati signed a series of bilateral deals with China in 2019. Kiribati also severed ties with pro-West Taiwan the same year as a growing number of Pacific island nations gravitate towards Beijing. Why are the Cook Islands and other Pacific islands strategically significant? The Cook Islands, along with 13 other small Pacific nations, excluding New Zealand and Australia, hold strategic value due to their geographic location. They host a population of less than 13 million but cover 15 percent of the planet's surface. Scattered over vast stretches of the Pacific Ocean, these islands are critical for maritime routes, military positioning, and geopolitical influence. During World War II, the region was a battleground between Japan and the US, with airstrips and naval bases playing a key role in the Pacific theatre. China's engagement in the Pacific has largely focused on aid, investment, and infrastructure projects, including roads, schools, and clinics. But that assistance has grown dramatically, and after witnessing some cuts during COVID-19, has surged again – second only to Australia, and far ahead of New Zealand and the US. Amid criticism that it is trapping smaller nations in debt traps through loans, China has also switched to offering more grants, according to data from the Lowy Institute. What does this mean for the balance of power globally? The proposed China-Cook Islands strategic deal comes amid growing competition for influence in the region between China on the one hand, and the US, Australia, and New Zealand on the other. The Solomon Islands' security agreement followed its 2019 decision to drop recognition of Taiwan and instead acknowledge Beijing as the sole legitimate government of China. Similarly, Kiribati also switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China in 2019. Since then, China has funded various infrastructure projects in Kiribati, including road improvements and solar energy installations. In January 2020, Kiribati also joined China's Belt and Road Initiative. The US, meanwhile, has also tried to step up — setting up embassies in Kiribati, Tonga, the Cook Islands and Niue over the past two years.
South China Morning Post
07-02-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Cook Islands' new passport move, China deal leave New Zealand ‘blindsided'
New Zealand said on Friday it had been 'blindsided' by the Cook Islands' plans to sign a major agreement with China and issue its own passports. Foreign Minister Winston Peters said he had not been consulted on the moves by the Cook Islands, a small, self-governing Pacific nation that has a 'free association' with New Zealand. Wellington provides budgetary support and help on foreign affairs and defence to the former dependent territory, whose 17,000 people have New Zealand citizenship. 'Out of left field this has happened,' Peters said in an interview with radio station Newstalk ZB. 'First of all, a demand to have a separate passport, so to speak, which would be dramatic in terms of our constitutional arrangements, and also the coming visit to China,' he said. Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown said he will lead a delegation on a five-day state visit to China from Monday, and seal a Joint Action Plan for Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Beijing.
