Jordan News Updates
Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Rahi, on Monday received in Bkerki, Caretaker Minister of Information, Ziad Makary, and Caretaker Minister of Telecommunications, Johnny Corm, as well as Lawyer Boutros Frangieh.
Discussions reportedly touched on national matters and the country’s general political situation.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
The Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, Hamid Naeem Al-Ghazi, received the head of the Sunni Endowment Office, Mishaan Al-Khazraji, and his accompanying delegation.
During the meeting, Al-Ghazi stressed ‘the importance of the roles played by endowments, including the Sunni Endowment, in strengthening the foundations of national unity, by adopting moderate discourse that enhances the values of tolerance in society.’
For his part, Al-Khazraji praised the role of the General Secretariat of the Coordinating Council of Ministers, its cooperation with the Sunni Endowment Office, and the expansion of the scope of cooperation in many important areas that support the role of the Endowments in building a strong and cohesive national society.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Beirut on May 2nd 2024 together with President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides.
They will head to the Grand Serail for a meeting chaired by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, then to Ain el Tineh for a meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
During the proceedings of the 11th International Cooperative Conference for Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East, and North Africa in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, attended by representatives from 52 countries, the Lebanese delegation, headed by the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Abbas Hajj Hassan, strongly denounced the aggressive actions carried out by Israel in the Gaza Strip.
The delegation called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urged for prompt assistance to be provided to over 800 cooperatives in occupied Palestine, as advocated by representatives of the International Cooperative Alliance.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani received, today, at his residence in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, the Chairman of the French company Total Energies, Patrick Pionet.
The Prime Minister’s Media Office stated: ‘During the meeting, the projects implemented by the company in the energy sector and other sectors attached to it were discussed, especially in the associated gas sector, oil and solar power generation station, as the Chairman of Total Energies confirmed that their company is hoped to the first phase of the solar electricity project will be completed during the next year, and the first phase of the associated gas investment project will be completed during the same year, with a production capacity of 50 million cubic feet, out of the design capacity of 300 million cubic feet.
The meeting also discussed the possibility of benefiting from the water of desalination projects, scheduled to be launched in Basra, in the oil projects in which Total Energies operates.
The Prime Minister affirmed that all
requirements for the success of Total Energies in its work are provided, especially since the government is working to develop the investment environment and improve its reality through supportive laws, in addition to the importance that the company’s projects represent for Iraq.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency
Head of the Azm Alliance, Engineer Muthanna Al-Samarrai, received Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, and his accompanying delegation, today, Sunday, at his headquarters in Baghdad.
The Alliance statement stated that during the meeting, many important issues related to the current situation in Iraq were discussed, and the importance of moving forward with the process of electing a new speaker for the House of Representatives, as an important and fundamental step towards enhancing political stability, and the necessity of making joint efforts to ensure the implementation of this process in a transparent and democratic manner that reflects the will of the Iraqi people.
They also stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation and coordination between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government, and maintaining coordination in order to resolve the outstanding files, and the necessity of supporting the efforts of the Iraqi government in its steps to implement the go
vernment program and the terms of the political agreement .
Source: National Iraqi News Agency
Prime Minister Najib Mikati received today the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, who is currently on a one-day official visit to Lebanon, in the presence of Caretaker Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Minister, Abdallah Bou Habib.
Discussions focused on bilateral relations between Lebanon and Bahrain, the situation in the region, and the agenda of the upcoming Arab summit in Bahrain.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
The Russian Federation confirmed that it will provide everything in its power so that the Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights, foremost of which is the establishment of their Palestinian state.
A statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Iraqi Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Qahtan Taha Khalaf, met with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, President Putin’s Special Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Mikhail Bogdanov, in the building of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
During the meeting, according to the statement, they discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance them in a way that serves the interests of the two friendly peoples, and push them towards the development of economic and trade fields, especially after the successful visit made by Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani in October of last year.
According to the statement, the ambassador stressed the necessity of supporting the Palestinian cause in international forums, es
pecially in the Security Council, appreciating Russia’s position in support of the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state with Al-Quds as its capital.
For his part, Bogdanov pointed out that Russia has been and continues to support the Palestinian people and will provide everything it can, given that it has a permanent membership in the Security Council, in order for the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate rights, foremost of which is the establishment of their Palestinian state.
Bogdanov also praised the efforts of the Iraqi embassy in Moscow to strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation and develop relations between the two countries at various levels.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency
Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani received, at his residence in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, today, Sunday, the CEO of Vertical Future, which specializes in agricultural technology and vertical farming, Jimmy Burrows, on the sidelines of his participation in the World Economic Forum.
Al-Sudani expressed his desire to cooperate with the international company and transfer technology in the agricultural sector to Iraq, which faces the challenges of climate change and suffers from a large water scarcity that has caused an increase desertification in its areas. He indicated that agriculture constitutes a priority in the government program, and the government has taken several measures and steps to develop the agricultural sector and entering of modern methods in agriculture and irrigation, in addition to supporting farmers and the private sector concerned with agriculture, which represents one of the pillars of the Iraqi economy.
For his part, the CEO of Vertical Future expressed his readiness to be present
in Iraq, and to cooperate in the field of supporting Iraqi agriculture with modern technology, and to exploit the areas of land available for agriculture and increase its production.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency
French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné said, during a press conference he held at the Pine Palace in conclusion of his visit to Lebanon, that “the crisis has gone on for a long time and we are avoiding a regional war in Lebanon…We call on all parties to exercise restraint, and we reject the worst scenario in Lebanon, which is war.”
Séjourné pointed out that “it is in no one’s interest for the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel to expand, and Resolution 1701 must be implemented in full.”
He added: “UNIFIL forces play a decisive role to avoid the worst scenario, and all parties must allow UNIFIL to carry out its full tasks.”
“France will continue to support the Lebanese army alongside our partners, and the return to stability requires its redeployment in the south,” Séjourné went on.
He stressed that “Lebanon needs reforms, and we will continue to work to get Lebanon out of its crisis.”
The French Foreign Minister announced that “without an elected president, Lebanon’s national team will not be inv
ited to the negotiating table.”
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon