Latest news with #Ministerial
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Saudi Arabia Says Israel Shows ‘Extremism' by Blocking West Bank Visit
Reuters Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, attends the Ministerial Committee Assigned by the Joint Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit on Gaza as they meet in Amman, Jordan, June 1, 2025. AMMAN, June 1 (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said the Israeli government's refusal to allow a delegation of Arab ministers into the occupied West Bank showed its 'extremism and rejection of peace'. His statement came during a joint press conference in Amman with counterparts from Jordan, Egypt and Bahrain, after they met as part of an Arab contact group that was going to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. 'Israel's refusal of the committee's visit to the West Bank embodies and confirms its extremism and refusal of any serious attempts for (a) peaceful pathway .. It strengthens our will to double our diplomatic efforts within the international community to face this arrogance,' the Saudi minister said. On Saturday, Israel said it would not allow a planned meeting on Sunday that would have included ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Palestinian Authority officials said. Bin Farhan's visit to the West Bank would have marked the first such visit by a top Saudi official in recent memory. An Israeli official said the ministers intended to take part in a 'provocative meeting' to discuss promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said blocking the trip was another example of how Israel was 'killing any chance of a just and comprehensive' Arab-Israeli settlement. An international conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, is due to be held in New York on June 17-20 to discuss the issue of Palestinian statehood. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the conference would cover security arrangements after a ceasefire in Gaza and reconstruction plans to ensure Palestinians would remain on their land and foil any Israeli plans to evict them. Commenting on blocking the visit, Israeli Arab lawmaker Ayman Odeh said the Arab foreign ministers' delegation aimed to end the Gaza war, enhance the Palestinian Authority's role, and support a Saudi-French U.N. initiative to set up a roadmap for a Palestinian state Odeh told Saudi state-owned Al Arabiya Television that the Saudi-French initiative could lead to broader international recognition of a Palestinian state, a move he said contradicts Israeli government policy. According to Odeh, the Israeli government seeks to undermine the Palestinian Authority because it views it as the 'nucleus of the Palestinian state.' He said Israel blocked the Arab foreign ministers' visit because it could have helped strengthen the Palestinian Authority. Israel has come under increasing pressure from the United Nations and European countries that favour a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, under which an independent Palestinian state would exist alongside Israel.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister says Israel blocking Ramallah meeting proof of ‘extremism'
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, attends the Ministerial Committee Assigned by the Joint Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit on Gaza as they meet in Amman, Jordan, June 1, 2025. REUTERS/Alaa Al Sukhni AMMAN - Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said the Israeli government's refusal to allow a delegation of Arab ministers to the occupied West Bank showed its "extremism and rejection of peace". His statement came during a joint press conference in Amman with counterparts from Jordan, Egypt and Bahrain, after they met as part of an Arab contact group that was going to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. "Israel's refusal of the committee's visit to the West Bank embodies and confirms its extremism and refusal of any serious attempts for (a) peaceful pathway .. It strengthens our will to double our diplomatic efforts within the international community to face this arrogance," the Saudi minister said. On Saturday, Israel said it would not allow a planned meeting on Sunday that would have included ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Palestinian Authority officials said. Bin Farhan's visit to the West Bank would have marked the first such visit by a top Saudi official in recent memory. An Israeli official said the ministers intended to take part in a "provocative meeting" to discuss promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said blocking the trip was another example of how Israel was "killing any chance of a just and comprehensive" Arab-Israeli settlement. An international conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, is due to be held in New York on June 17-20 to discuss the issue of Palestinian statehood. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the conference would cover security arrangements after a ceasefire in Gaza and reconstruction plans to ensure Palestinians would remain on their land and foil any Israeli plans to evict them. Israel has come under increasing pressure from the United Nations and European countries which favour a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, under which an independent Palestinian state would exist alongside Israel. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Daily Maverick
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin a crucial call for reform amid global uncertainties
Despite significant headwinds, a recent UN Ministerial meeting reflected broad backing for reformed peacekeeping. With the future of multilateralism hanging in the balance, the United Nations (UN) used this month's Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin to mobilise political support for peacekeeping while reinforcing the need for deep systemic reform. The meeting was attended by representatives from about 130 UN member states — 60 at ministerial level. Seventy-four countries pledged financial and other support to strengthen military and police units and other peacekeeping capabilities. Compared with past events, Berlin saw a substantial increase in participating countries and pledges made. At the 2023 Ministerial in Ghana, 91 member states participated, with 33 pledging contributions. While this year's pledges will help make UN peacekeeping more effective, their main importance is symbolic — confirming high-level political support for peacekeeping. Member states' broad backing for UN peacekeeping in the context of rising global threats sent a strong signal that peacekeeping is still relevant. Since 2016, the Peacekeeping Ministerial has been held roughly every two years. UN member states typically use the opportunity to commit to enhancing peacekeeping and the safety of mission personnel. This year's gathering attracted considerable public and media attention. Analysts characterised the mood at the UN as turning from bleak to catastrophic — mainly due to insecurity caused by a lack of political consensus and immense financial challenges for multilateral crisis management. Some of the UN's peacekeeping missions such as those in Sudan, Mali, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Lebanon have struggled to end conflicts and address the shifting demands of host nations and local populations. Support for missions from the UN Security Council (UNSC), host nations and regional actors has also been inconsistent, making operations difficult. The most recent United States (US) plan to reduce funding, if not entirely defund, peacekeeping exacerbates the UN's pre-existing funding crunch. This challenge stems from an overreliance on US funding, although delayed disbursements and accumulated arrears also play a role. While several conflict situations warranted deployments, notably in Sudan, the UN Security Council has not authorised a new peacekeeping mission since 2014. According to a recent report from the Center for International Peace Operations, the number of UN peacekeeping personnel worldwide had dropped to 67,715 in 2024, compared with its peak of 111,900 in 2015. The UN currently has 11 active peacekeeping missions, three fewer than in 2015. Demonstrating political support is critical, considering the uncertainties about the UN's future role in addressing conflicts. US President Donald Trump's second term ushered in an era of ambivalent US engagement in peacekeeping. The country has been signalling that it may not fund UN peacekeeping, but 'at the same time, US officials have pushed for reform', points out Daniel Forti, Senior UN Analyst for the International Crisis Group. Forti told ISS Today that US officials emphasise 'longstanding priorities for peacekeeping reform, such as performance, efficiency, and accountability, while their diplomats at the UN partake in discussions about mission mandate renewals and budget negotiations'. Washington's dissonance on the issue was evident in Berlin. 'The US did not issue any pledges at the Berlin summit,' Forti said. 'This was an unusual, but perhaps not unexpected, decision.' He said the US, which 'convened the original Leaders' Summit on Peacekeeping in 2014 and is still one of the co-chairs of the current Ministerial format, has made pledges at all previous conferences (including two convened during Trump's first term)'. But now, 'parts of the current administration appear to dismiss UN peacekeeping in its entirety'. Besides making the political case for peacekeeping, the Berlin meeting reinforced that reform is vital. This has been an ongoing theme in discussions on addressing peacekeeping's political, operational and financial challenges. The 2024 Pact for the Future reinforced the need for reform, and member states have requested a review of all forms of UN peace operations. A recent Global Alliance for Peace Operations report underlines that member states and partners should seize this moment to reform peacekeeping without losing the essential features that ensured its past effectiveness. Germany's Foreign Affairs Minister Johann Wadephul affirmed this at the Ministerial, saying peacekeeping should 'adapt to a changing international environment'. He said several changes should be considered, including realistic and flexible mandates, a modular approach, clear transition and exit strategies, local ownership and the implications of diminishing resources. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres underlined, all these suggestions must be buttressed by political support as 'Peace operations cannot succeed (without) a political solution.' This includes investments in securing peace processes and agreements, and using existing conflict prevention and mediation mechanisms. The outcomes of the Ministerial will feed into the review of UN peace operations planned for 2025 and 2026. However, the main challenge is converting broad political support for peacekeeping into tangible diplomatic actions and policies. As International Crisis Group head Comfort Ero recently wrote, it is unclear whether member states have 'figured out how the UN can adapt its peacekeeping and peacemaking efforts to address today's unsettled political and security environment'. These challenges must be taken up in the Security Council, where firm commitments from member states to implement reform are needed. Expanding the debate to other platforms, such as the UN General Assembly, would coalesce support, especially around political solutions as part of peacekeeping. Ultimately, the reform of peace operations requires a broad coalition involving UN member states, regional actors and civil society. DM
See - Sada Elbalad
14-04-2025
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
Foreign Affairs Council: press remarks by High Representative Kaja Kallas ahead of the meeting
Basant Ahmed Good morning, We are gathered here in Luxembourg for the Foreign Affairs Council, and we have many, many topics on the agenda. And then afterwards we also have the High-Level Political Dialogue with Palestine. First, of course, we start with Ukraine. We see the deadliest attacks in this war, civilians are being killed. And, it is already one month into this period where Ukraine agreed to unconditional ceasefire. We have not seen that from the Russian side. What is clear is that we need to support Ukraine more, and I am happy to see that we already have two thirds of my ammunition initiative together. But of course, we need to do more. This year, European countries have already committed to €23 billion, which is more than last year, but we also need to put the pressure on Russia, so that they would stop this war. Then, we have the Western Balkans. We had a very good dinner yesterday, talking and discussing with our Western Balkan friends. We see the tensions rising and we definitely need to move with the enlargement process because this is something that is really tangible. And we really need success stories here. Then, we discuss Africa. We have the [European Union -] African [Union] Summit coming, and we have the Ministerial before. So, we prepare for that: how we can engage more with Africa to really grow our geopolitical power. Then, afterwards we have the High-Level Political Dialogue with Palestine, where we are going to discuss a lot of issues. But before that we also have the discussion on the Middle East, whether to go forward with the relief of Syrian sanctions, what is happening in Gaza. We are the biggest donors of humanitarian aid to Gaza. What more can we do to stop this really appalling loss of life there. Q&A Q. Yesterday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the next Chancellor of course, renewed his offer to send Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine in response to the Sumy attack. He also said it needs to be coordinated among European allies. So, what do you think would be the right decision? Of course, every Member State is giving what they can give, but I think the message is very clear. We need to do more, so that Ukraine can defend itself and the civilians do not have to die. Q. What kind [inaudible] the EU is willing to take today? Of course, we are going to discuss but right now I think we have to put the pressure - the maximum pressure - on Russia to really end this war because it takes two to want peace, it only takes one to want war. And we see that Russia really wants war and all those who want the killing to stop should put the maximum pressure on Russia. Thank you. 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 Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Videos & Features Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. Reem Ganzoury Wins Miss Arab Africa Title (VIDEO) 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 Arts & Culture Arwa Gouda Gets Married (Photos)
Al-Ahram Weekly
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Egypt chairs Second Ministerial Meeting of the Khartoum Process on Wednesday - Foreign Affairs
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Abdelatty, is set to chair the Second Ministerial Meeting of the Khartoum Process on Wednesday, 9 April, as part of Egypt's current leadership of the process since April 2024. Launched in November 2014 at its first ministerial conference in Rome, the Khartoum Process — also known as the EU-Horn of Africa Migration Route Initiative — aims to promote dialogue and regional cooperation on migration between the Horn of Africa and Europe. Its core focus includes combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling through concrete joint initiatives. According to a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, the conference seeks to underscore the significance of the Khartoum Process as a platform for enhancing international cooperation on migration through a comprehensive approach that reflects the priorities of countries on both shores of the Mediterranean. The ministry noted that this year's conference is the first opportunity to assess progress since the process was launched 2014. It also aims to establish an institutional framework to guide emerging areas of focus developed over the past decade while fostering inclusive participation, balanced dialogue among stakeholders, and bilateral cooperation projects. Egypt previously held the presidency of the Khartoum Process at its inception in 2014 and resumed the role in April 2024, succeeding Germany. During its current term, Egypt has prioritized tackling the root causes of migration and reducing irregular migration through a broad, coordinated approach. It has also promoted the exchange of expertise and best practices among member states. In parallel, the country has emphasized the importance of burden-sharing in supporting host countries dealing with large refugee and displacement populations. The statement also spotlighted displacement and climate-related challenges, presenting relevant initiatives launched during its COP27 presidency. The Khartoum Process includes 40 member countries, along with the European Commission, the African Union Commission, and key international organizations such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
