https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:59:28 +0000 en-GB Middle East Monitor 30 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com 32 32 116394717 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-saudi-to-extend-oil-output-cuts-for-another-month/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 11:17:15 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657992 Saudi Arabia will extend a voluntary oil output cut of one million barrels per day for another month to include September, it said yesterday, adding it could be extended beyond that or deepened, Reuters reported. The kingdom's production for September will be around nine million barrels per day (bpd), the state news agency SPA cited an official source at the energy ministry as saying. "This additional voluntary cut comes to reinforce the precautionary efforts made by OPEC+ countries with the aim of supporting the stability and balance of oil markets," the source said. The cut may be "extended, or extended and deepened", he added, flagging the possibility of further market tightening. The decision came on the eve of a panel meeting from OPEC+, which […]]]> 657992 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-disappointed-with-us-palestine-turning-to-china-foreign-minister/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 17:49:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657944 As the Biden administration has been a disappointment for them, Palestine is "increasingly turning to China", said the Palestinian Foreign Minister on Thursday, Anadolu Agency reports. "Three years have passed since President [Joe] Biden's promises, but we have seen nothing other than financial support to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and hospitals in East Jerusalem," Riyad Al-Maliki told reporters at Foreign Ministry headquarters in the Occupied West Bank. China seeks to boost its presence in the Middle East Maliki expressed his country's frustration with the US position on Israel's violations, including its recent attacks in the northern West Bank city of Jenin. The Biden administration has been a disappointment, he said. READ: Israel far-right minister […]]]> 657944 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-somalia-suspends-chairwoman-of-national-athletics-federation/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 12:49:06 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657870 The Somali Olympic Committee announced, Wednesday, that it has suspended the Chairwoman of the Somali Athletics Federation for selecting an "unskilled" female athlete to represent the country at the FISU World University Games in China, Anadolu Agency reports. A statement issued by the Ministry of Youth and Sports said Sports Minister, Mohamed Barre Mohamud, had directed the Olympic committee to take the action against Khadija Aden Dahir. The Somali Athletics Federation said Dahir has been temporarily suspended and was accused of "national defamation". "It is clear to the Ministry that Nasra (Abukar Ali) is not an athlete, and that Mrs. Khadija committed an act of abuse of power and defamation of the nation," the Sports Ministry said. Mohamud apologised to […]]]> 657870 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-brazil-president-supports-accession-of-saudi-arabia-uae-to-brics/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 11:41:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657845 Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has expressed his support for more countries joining the BRICS group. Lula said in the capital, Brasilia, yesterday that he supports countries such as Argentina, Saudi Arabia and the UAE joining the group. BRICS, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is due to hold a summit in Johannesburg from 22-24 August. He also described the seven leading industrialised countries as a "club" that should not exist, considering that its form in terms of geopolitical affairs is outdated. The UK, US, France, Italy, Japan, Canada and Germany make up the group of Western industrialised countries, known as the G7. Some 22 countries have "formally" asked to join the BRICS group, while […]]]> 657845 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-somalia-outraged-at-sending-of-untrained-woman-athlete-to-major-sporting-event-in-china/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 13:46:03 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657389 Somali netizens in the country and abroad have criticised national sports authorities for nepotism and corruption in the selection process for sending woman athlete, Nasra Abukar Ali, to the ongoing 31st Summer World University Games in Chengdu, China, where she finished last in the 100-meter race, Anadolu Agency reports. Though no new records were set in the sports event, a video of a 20-year-old Somali sportswoman finishing the 100-meter race in 21 seconds went viral on social media, with netizens dubbing her the "worst athlete" in the game. Some Somalis took to social media to criticise the Ministry of Youth and Sports for sending an "untrained" athlete to a high-profile event. READ: Putin says Russia will provide free grain to […]]]> 657389 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-china-using-families-as-hostages-to-quash-uyghur-dissent-abroad/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 19:10:39 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657155 China is pressuring Uyghurs living abroad to spy on human rights campaigners by threatening families back home, the BBC reports. According to the report, China is pressuring Uyghurs living abroad to spy on human rights campaigners, researchers told the BBC. The Uyghurs, an ethnic Muslim minority group, have been subjected to widespread persecution in their home region of Xinjiang, China. To escape this oppression, many Uyghurs have sought refuge in various countries around the world. Dr. David Tobin at the University of Sheffield said that all Uyghurs living outside China are victims of transnational repression. "Research suggests this particular kind – controlling access to family members in the home country through video calls, in exchange for compliance overseas – is […]]]> 657155 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230729-asias-strategic-autonomy-how-the-new-era-could-shape-our-collective-identities/ Sat, 29 Jul 2023 11:30:40 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656406 In a recent speech, China's highest-ranking diplomat Wang Yi spoke of a "united Asia" and its need to develop a "strategic autonomy". In principle, Wang was not wrong; after all, a stable and prosperous Asia would benefit the region's peoples and deny Western meddlers the chance to exploit historical fault lines and sow the seeds of political division. Wang's language, although from the outside may seem simple and straightforward, is quite loaded with meaning. "No matter how blonde you dye your hair, how sharp you shape your nose, you can never become a European or American, you can never become a Westerner," Wang said, as cited by Chinese state media. In fact, common culture, beliefs and origins have historically served […]]]> 656406 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-at-un-security-council-china-seeks-end-to-cycle-of-violence-in-palestine/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 13:58:06 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656069 Expressing concern over the deteriorating situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, China has called for an end to "the cycle of violence" in Palestine, state media reported, Anadolu Agency reports. Pointing out Israel's recent military operation in Jenin, Zhang Jun, Beijing's top diplomat at the UN, said: "China condemns all violence against civilians in the Occupied Territories, and calls on all parties concerned to remain calm and exercise restraint, and avoid any unilateral actions that may aggravate tension." "The occupying party should earnestly fulfil its obligations under international law to prevent excessive use of force by the military and police, and prevent violations of the personal and property safety of the people in the Occupied Territories," he told a UNSC […]]]> 656069 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-china-newly-appointed-fm-wang-yi-meets-erdogan/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 18:05:26 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655273 Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, discussed Ukraine with his Turkish counterpart in Ankara and met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday during his first foreign trip since being appointed, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said, AFP reports. According to the report, discussions between Wang and Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, included the latest situation in Ukraine as well as the global financial system, the Turkish Foreign Ministry source said. The United States and several European countries have urged China to use its influence over Russia to seek an end to the war in Ukraine. Earlier this year, China published a 12-point peace plan, calling for the protection of civilians and the sovereignty of all countries to be respected. READ: 22 […]]]> 655273 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-qatar-beats-rivals-to-run-pakistan-airports/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 18:59:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655097 Qatar has manged to fend off competition from Saudi Arabia, UAE and China to secure a deal with Pakistan over the running of Islamabad Airport. The sale, via tender of a contract, to manage Islamabad Airport is nearing completion after consultations with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Ministry of Finance said Thursday. The Ministry said that Pakistan had begun outsourcing of operations at three major airports, and Islamabad was the first of these to be affected. Generating foreign exchange reserves for Pakistan's ailing economy is said to be the reason for the sale. In its statement, the Ministry said it had been unanimously agreed for the outsourcing of operations at Islamabad Airport to go ahead in order to improve […]]]> 655097 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-brics-endorses-the-defunct-two-state-compromise/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 15:09:43 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655015 The BRICS Summit in South Africa has given further unwarranted validation to the two-state compromise for Palestine-Israel. The Palestinian Authority's official news agency Wafa promoted the reaffirmation by international diplomacy as calling for "the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital." While BRICS is seen as an economic alternative – 22 countries have formally applied to join the bloc, while another 20 have expressed interest – its diplomacy for Palestine only promises more of the same defunct premises which have accelerated Israel's settler-colonial expansion on Palestinian territory. Economic inequalities may be addressed through BRICS, although the number of countries applying or expressing interest will inevitably veer the group away from the alternative economic policies which […]]]> 655015 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230722-algeria-president-country-applied-to-join-brics-offered-1-5bn/ Sat, 22 Jul 2023 09:02:54 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654442 Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced on Friday that his country had submitted a request to be a shareholder in the BRICS group to the amount of $1.5 billion. President Tebboune revealed, for the first time, the value of the contribution in an interview with China Central Television broadcast on Friday. Tebboune disclosed: "We officially applied to join the BRICS group, we sent a letter asking to be shareholder members of the bank… Algeria's first contribution to the bank will be $1.5 billion." The BRICS Bank, formerly referred to as the New Development Bank, is run by BRICS countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, with its headquarters in Shanghai, China. READ: Algeria President to pay 2-day visit to Turkiye The […]]]> 654442 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230721-south-africa-22-countries-officially-requested-to-join-brics-group/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 13:06:30 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654338 Some 22 countries have "formally" asked to join the BRICS group, while an equal number has informally expressed interest in joining the bloc, South Africa announced yesterday. BRICS, a bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is due to hold a summit from 22-24 August in South Africa and has previously hinted that it was open to expansion. South Africa's top diplomat in charge of relations with the bloc, Anil Sooklal,  told reporters in Johannesburg that 22 countries have officially asked to join the BRICS group while there was "an equal number of countries have informally expressed interest in becoming BRICS members … [including] all the major global south countries." READ: BRICS summit issues special resolution in favour of […]]]> 654338 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230721-brics-summit-issues-special-resolution-in-favour-of-palestine/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 11:35:50 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654329 The BRICS summit called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, the Wafa news agency reported. BRICS, a bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, issued a resolution following its conference in the South African capital, Pretoria, yesterday calling for the implementation of United Nations and UN Security Council resolutions related to the Palestinian issue, including Resolution No. 2334 on the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict within the framework of the two-state solution, by establishing a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. A delegation from the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), headed by Azzam Al-Ahmad, and senior Palestinian diplomat Salman Al-Harfi attended yesterday's session. On the sidelines of the conference, the delegation […]]]> 654329 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230718-china-xi-meets-algeria-tebboune-vows-to-deepen-exchanges-cooperation/ Tue, 18 Jul 2023 12:24:28 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=653300 China's President Xi Jinping, on Tuesday, hosted visiting Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, for bilateral talks in Beijing, pledging to "deepen exchanges and cooperation", Anadolu Agency reports. "Sixty-five years ago, China and Algeria were brought together by the common cause of opposing imperialism and colonialism and seeking national independence and liberation," Xi told Tebboune during the meeting held at the Great Hall of the People. "Since then, the two countries have helped each other through thick and thin and forged a friendship that has gone from strength to strength," he added, according to Hua Chunying, spokeswoman of China's Foreign Ministry. At Xi's invitation, Tebboune is making his first trip to Beijing since taking office in December 2019. The Algerian President arrived […]]]> 653300 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230714-jenin-palestine-an-ongoing-catastrophe/ Fri, 14 Jul 2023 14:30:21 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652310 Once again, the world has witnessed the escalation of violence, bombing, destruction and deaths perpetrated by the terrorist state of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories. This time it was against Jenin, one of the oldest Palestinian cities and one which is mentioned in the Old Testament. One of the largest Palestinian refugee camps is in Jenin, established by the UN in 1953 to house Palestinians expelled during the Nakba by Zionist militias. More than 24,000 expropriated Palestinians live in the camp, surviving and resisting the Israeli siege. Under the frayed pretext of "disarming terrorists", Israel directed an extensive military offensive into the Jenin refugee camp, mobilising more than 1,000 troops. This operation included a ground incursion that began on […]]]> 652310 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230714-irans-diplomatic-drive-raisis-focus-on-the-global-south/ Fri, 14 Jul 2023 07:55:35 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652188 It's been quite a busy year for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in terms of diplomatic engagement. In February he made an official state visit to China, where 20 agreements were signed, in addition to receiving pledges from President Xi Jinping to strengthen security and economic cooperation – more on that later. Beijing was also the venue where Raisi's administration agreed to resume diplomatic relations with regional rival Saudi Arabia the following month. In May, Raisi visited close regional ally Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and signed long-term cooperation agreements. During his visit, Raisi also symbolically prayed at the historic Umayyad Mosque, achieving a gesture that Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan once famously vowed to do in 2014 at the height of […]]]> 652188 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230712-russia-vetoes-extending-cross-border-aid-delivery-to-syria/ Wed, 12 Jul 2023 08:15:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651592 Russia yesterday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution aimed at extending cross-border aid delivery to Syria from Turkiye through the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing. The move blocks millions of residents of the area from accessing aid. Switzerland and Brazil had initially proposed the mechanism be extended for 12 months, but Russia insisted on only a six-month extension. On Tuesday, 13 Security Council members voted in favour of a compromise resolution drafted by Switzerland and Brazil to extend the mechanism for nine months. China abstained and Russia vetoed. In a rival resolution, Russia insisted on only a six-month extension, but that was voted down. Resolutions need nine votes to get through the Council and no veto by permanent members: Russia, China, […]]]> 651592 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230711-israeli-american-charged-with-trying-to-bypass-iran-sanctions-after-accusing-biden-of-corruption/ Tue, 11 Jul 2023 13:38:39 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651408 The head of a US think tank is currently on the run after being charged with being an agent of China and attempting to broker the sale of weapons and Iranian oil, Manhattan prosecutors announced yesterday. Gal Luft, a citizen of the US and Israel, is accused of having "agreed to covertly recruit and pay" a former high-ranking US government official in 2016, without registering as a foreign agent as required by law, to publicly support certain Chinese policies, federal prosecutors say. "As alleged, the defendant engaged in multiple schemes to evade sanctions and laws intended to protect our national security," Christie Curtis, FBI acting assistant director in charge, said in the press release. "The FBI is determined to defend […]]]> 651408 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230711-anti-bds-bill-to-shield-israel-gives-russia-ammunition-to-accuse-the-uk-of-hypocrisy/ Tue, 11 Jul 2023 13:28:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651406 A new bill introduced by the UK government, which is designed to shield Israel from boycotts, will have damaging consequences for the UK if the legislation went ahead in its current form, Number 10 was warned in a special legal advice. Britain will not only find itself in breach of its international commitments, the advice warned, efforts to grant Israel special protection will also give Russia "ammunition" to accuse the UK of hypocrisy. Details of the letter sent to Number 10 containing the legal advice was revealed yesterday by the BBC. The advice was issued by the foreign secretary's office. It suggests a significant cabinet split over the planned law, amid an already highly charged atmosphere over its contents. OPINION: Anti-BDS […]]]> 651406 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230710-countries-repatriating-gold-in-wake-of-sanctions-against-russia-study/ Mon, 10 Jul 2023 14:43:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651076 An increasing number of countries are repatriating gold reserves as protection against the sort of sanctions imposed by the West on Russia, according to an Invesco survey of Central Bank and sovereign wealth funds published on Monday, Reuters reports. The financial market rout last year caused widespread losses for sovereign money managers who are "fundamentally" rethinking their strategies on the belief that higher inflation and geopolitical tensions are here to stay. Over 85 per cent of the 85 sovereign wealth funds and 57 Central Banks that took part in the annual Invesco Global Sovereign Asset Management Study believe that inflation will now be higher in the coming decade than in the last. Gold and emerging market bonds are seen as […]]]> 651076 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230710-china-as-a-mediator-in-israel-palestine/ Mon, 10 Jul 2023 12:01:51 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651018 China's rise in the 20th century and its advancement in the 21st create what is called a realist security dilemma, and a power struggle in international relations, especially with the baton holder of superpower status, the United States. China's steady growth as an economic powerhouse and quest for lead status in science and technology poses a serious threat to the future of the US as the world's sole superpower. As China presents ever greater challenges to the US, it is pushing it to be a "tense hyperpower". The US has been enjoying superpower status since its late intervention in World War One. Its importance in world affairs increased during the Second World War, not least due to its acquisition of […]]]> 651018 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230709-recent-saudi-arabian-russian-supply-cuts-reflect-demand-concerns/ Sun, 09 Jul 2023 09:27:51 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650618 The recent decision by Saudi Arabia and Russia to extend existing crude oil supply cuts did not have the expected effect on prices, but analysts said the limited increase in prices reflects demand-based worries by investors, reports Anadolu Agency. Saudi Arabia, the world's largest exporter of crude oil, announced its intention Monday to unilaterally extend production cuts of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) through August, leaving the door open for further extensions. Russia followed suit with an announcement of a voluntary reduction of exports by 500,000 bpd in August, on top of the 700,000 bpd in place since March. Algeria later said it would also reduce output by an extra 20,000 bpd in August, bringing its total cut to […]]]> 650618 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230704-iran-becomes-full-member-of-shanghai-cooperation-organisation/ Tue, 04 Jul 2023 14:33:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=649636 Iran, on Tuesday, gained full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at the end of the 23rd summit of the SCO Council of Heads of States, Anadolu Agency reports. Tehran became the ninth member of the regional bloc. "The member states stressed the historical significance of the admission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the SCO as a full Member State," said the New Delhi Declaration issued at the end of the summit, released on Tuesday evening. The SCO members also noted the "importance" of signing the memorandum of obligations by Belarus to "achieve the status of an SCO member state". In his address to the summit, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, urged the SCO to grant Belarus full […]]]> 649636 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230701-key-figure-of-abraham-accords-reveals-purpose-behind-saudi-normalisation/ Sat, 01 Jul 2023 09:34:06 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=648720 Former Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat considers the normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia "an important goal, but not at any price," pointing out: "Israeli practises against the Palestinians do not determine Saudi Arabia's position on normalisation with Israel." Ben-Shabbat, who currently heads the Misgav: The Institute for Zionist Strategy and National Security, is one of the architects of the Abraham Accords that Israel signed with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Morocco. Ben-Shabbat wrote in an article, a copy of which was sent to Anadolu Agency on 30 June: "The normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia is a clear American and Western interest, through which the US will be able to distance Saudi […]]]> 648720 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230628-netanyahu-informs-us-congress-of-planned-visit-to-china/ Wed, 28 Jun 2023 13:28:13 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=647939 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday he informed members of the US House of Representatives of his planned visit to China, Anadolu Agency reports. "The projected visit will be Prime Minister Netanyahu's fourth visit to China; the American administration was updated one month ago," his office said in a statement. It did not, however, specify a date for the trip. The Israeli premier also reassured Congress that "the security and intelligence cooperation between the US and Israel is at an all-time peak, and emphasized that the US will always be Israel's most vital ally and irreplaceable ally." China has shown an active diplomacy and presence in the Middle East region in recent years which culminated earlier this year with successful […]]]> 647939 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230628-palestinian-foreign-minister-calls-israeli-settler-attacks-organized-state-terrorism/ Wed, 28 Jun 2023 13:24:19 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=647925 Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki has condemned recent attacks by Jewish settlers on occupied towns of the West Bank, describing them as "organised terrorism carried out by the State of Israel." Al-Maliki also accused the Israeli army of protecting the settlers, Anadolu Agency reports. "The army is protecting the settlers charged with terror, fear-mongering, killing and destruction in Palestinian lands," al-Maliki told Anadolu in an interview. He said the purpose of the attacks by Jewish settlers is "to remove Palestinians from their lands in order to spread the illegal settlement project." "The settlers' attacks on the occupied areas of the West Bank are carried out by the Israeli state. "This is organised terrorism," he added. Frustrated with the international community's approach, al-Maliki […]]]> 647925 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230627-netanyahu-says-invited-to-china-emphasises-us-as-israel-key-ally/ Tue, 27 Jun 2023 14:54:43 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=647678 Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he had been invited to China in an announcement on Tuesday in which he also emphasised that the United States remained Israel's key ally, Reuters reports. US President Joe Biden's administration was notified of the expected visit a month ago, the statement from Netanyahu's office said. Washington has been scrutinising Israeli commercial ties to its Asian big-power rival. China and the United States agreed this month to stabilise their intense rivalry so it does not veer into conflict but failed to produce any major breakthrough during a rare visit to Beijing by US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, also visited Beijing in June, where Chinese President Xi Jinping told him […]]]> 647678 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230626-china-says-dialogue-effective-way-to-unfreeze-iran-nuclear-deal/ Mon, 26 Jun 2023 12:34:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=647291 Signalling its support to "indirect talks" between Iran and the US over the 2015 nuclear deal, China on Monday said the "effective way" to resolve the issue was to hold dialogue, state media reported. "It is an effective way to resolve the issue to resume the full and effective implementation of the comprehensive plan (JCPOA) through dialogue and negotiation," said Mao Ning, spokeswoman of China's Foreign Ministry, Anadolu Agency reports. Mao said the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, was "a significant achievement of multilateral diplomacy". READ: Qatar set to strike second big LNG supply deal with China The US unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in May 2018, after which Iran gradually ramped […]]]> 647291 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230624-weighing-expansion-brics-increasingly-draws-membership-requests/ Sat, 24 Jun 2023 15:36:09 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646894 The BRICS group, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, continues to attract applications from numerous countries as it explores expansion opportunities, Anadolu Agency reports. Anadolu compiled the developments regarding the enlargement process of BRICS. Amid the search for a multipolar world, Brazil, Russia, India and China laid the foundations in 2009, with South Africa joining in 2010. BRICS, while criticising the unequal structures and resolutions of the Group of Seven (G-7) and the UN Security Council, calls for reforms in international structures and norms to establish a multipolar order. With a combined population representing nearly 42 per cent of the world's population, the BRICS countries control 18 per cent of global exports. The collective gross domestic product (GDP) of […]]]> 646894 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230621-majority-want-us-to-be-less-involved-in-middle-east-arab-youth-survey-finds/ Wed, 21 Jun 2023 08:55:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646105 Turkiye and China are stronger allies of the Arab world than the US and Russia, say 82 per cent of participants in the 15th annual Arab Youth Survey. The US exerts the most influence in the Arab world, say 33 per cent of the people asked, but two thirds say they would like the US to be less involved in Middle Eastern affairs. The survey, run by ASDA'A BCW, the region's largest communications consultancy, is made up of face-to-face interviews with 3,600 Arab citizens between the ages of 18 and 24. There are over 200 million youth in the Arab world, its largest demographic. For the twelfth year in a row, Arab youth (24 per cent) say the UAE is the country […]]]> 646105 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230620-qatar-set-to-strike-second-big-lng-supply-deal-with-china/ Tue, 20 Jun 2023 22:55:07 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646067 Qatar is set to secure a second large gas supply deal with a Chinese state-controlled company in less than a year, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. According to the report, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and QatarEnergy are expected to sign a 27-year agreement on Tuesday, under which China will purchase 4 million metric tons of LNG a year from the Gulf state, the report said, citing people briefed on the matter. QatarEnergy has said it plans to retain a 75 per cent stake in the North Field expansion, which will cost at least $30 billion, including construction of liquefaction export facilities. The report added that, as Beijing's ties with the United States and Australia, Qatar's two biggest LNG export rivals, are strained, Chinese national energy […]]]> 646067 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230620-uk-grants-special-protection-to-israel-in-new-anti-boycott-bill/ Tue, 20 Jun 2023 17:35:46 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646054 The UK government has introduced an anti-boycott bill which grants Israel special protection against public bodies from taking a moral and ethical stance against the racist and discriminatory practices of the apartheid state. Details of the bill proposed by the Tory Minister, Michael Gove, includes a special anti-democratic clause that blocks UK public bodies from ever sanctioning Israel while allowing for exceptions specified by the government. If passed, "The Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) bill will prohibit procurement and investment decisions made by public bodies that it says are "influenced by political or moral disapproval of foreign state conduct". It states that the government can "specify a country or territory" for which the bill "does not apply", meaning […]]]> 646054 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230619-russia-says-regional-free-trade-pact-with-iran-possible-by-year-end/ Mon, 19 Jun 2023 15:01:28 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645555 A free trade zone agreement between Iran, Russia and several countries that cover the vast Eurasian region, spreading from the borders of Eastern Europe to Western China is possible by the end of the year, Russia's TASS news agency reported on Monday. Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Alexei Overchuk, told the state TASS agency in an interview that talks between the Eurasian Economic Union – which comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia – and Iran are in their final stages. "We are moving forward," Overchuk said. "We very much hope that such an agreement can be signed by the end of the year." Both the region and Iran have taken on additional significance for the Kremlin after Western sanctions over […]]]> 645555 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230617-saudi-foreign-minister-arrives-in-tehran-amid-rapprochement/ Sat, 17 Jun 2023 14:15:46 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645291 Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Iran on Saturday amid a rapprochement between the two Middle East arch-foes, Iranian state TV said, Reuters reports. Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed in March, in a deal brokered by China, to end a diplomatic rift and reestablish relations following years of hostility that had endangered regional stability including in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. Iran officially reopened its embassy in Saudi Arabia on June 7. READ: Amnesty: 7 Saudi juvenile offenders facing imminent execution The kingdom broke ties with Iran in 2016 after protesters attacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran in retaliation for Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric. Bin Farhan is due to meet with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi […]]]> 645291 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230616-10th-arab-china-business-conference/ Fri, 16 Jun 2023 18:30:34 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645220 The Arab-China Business Conference was launched by China in 2013 as a long-term strategy to enhance cooperation and integration between Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It aims to upgrade infrastructure in the countries located on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), enhance connectivity between countries and facilitate trade. As China looks to build its geopolitical role in the region, having deeper economic and investment ties with the economies of the Arab countries is undoubtedly essential. The conference came amid growing commercial and diplomatic ties between China and Arab countries. In recent years, Chinese firms have built billions of dollars in infrastructure in Arab countries, and China is a significant source of manufactured goods in the region, as well […]]]> 645220 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230615-turkiye-foreign-policy-in-the-new-era/ Thu, 15 Jun 2023 18:30:05 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=644988 Turkiye is a middle power, and the transformation of the international system from the US-led unipolarity to a multi-actor centric multipolarity over the last decade is in its national interest. Assessing how Turkish foreign policy might evolve in the years to come with Hakan Fidan at the helm of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would be incomplete if the changing dynamics of the international system were not taken into account. Fidan as the core of Turkish foreign policy Fidan has been in the inner circle of foreign policy-making process since his appointment to the head of the National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) in 2010. He has played a critical role in shaping and implementation of various foreign policy decisions that were […]]]> 644988 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230615-saudi-arabia-foreign-minister-will-visit-iran-on-saturday-tasnim/ Thu, 15 Jun 2023 14:59:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645006 Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, will visit Tehran on Saturday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said on Thursday, Reuters reports. He is set to meet with Iranian officials, Tasnim said. Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed in March, in a deal brokered by China, to end a diplomatic rift and re-establish relations, following years of hostility that had endangered regional stability including in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. Iran officially re-opened its Embassy in Saudi Arabia on 7 June. READ: Is Saudi Arabia foreign policy finally emerging out of the American mantle?]]> 645006 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230615-tebboune-urges-acceleration-of-algeria-brics-accession-process/ Thu, 15 Jun 2023 14:49:30 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=644998 Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, has called for an acceleration of Algeria's accession process to BRICS, a bloc composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, Anadolu Agency reports. During a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Moscow on Thursday, Tebboune expressed his intentions regarding Algeria's potential membership in BRICS. He said, once Algeria becomes a member of BRICS, it would facilitate the process of switching to payments "not in dollars, not in Euros". Tebboune thanked Putin for the military cooperation, saying Russia's support is "crucial" for maintaining Algeria's independence in the current conditions. READ: BRICS foreign ministers pledge to build up New Development Bank "As for the geopolitical situation and relations here, we should touch on the Libyan […]]]> 644998 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230614-is-china-filling-a-us-shaped-void-in-the-middle-east/ Wed, 14 Jun 2023 18:02:40 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=644786 While in Saudi Arabia last week, America's top diplomat, Antony Blinken, went out of his way to assert that Washington is "not asking anyone to choose between the US and China". His words may have been quite general but, where he uttered them, gave a lot of context: Saudi Arabia, and more importantly, the Middle East. This is a region in flux, where relationships are changing and the scales of power apparently shifting. Blinken was the third senior US official to visit the Kingdom since March, when the world woke up to the news of a China-brokered deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran, an agreement viewed by many as Beijing's "diplomatic coup". When the deal was signed, Wang Yi, China's […]]]> 644786 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230614-xi-china-willing-to-help-foster-palestine-peace-making-with-israel/ Wed, 14 Jun 2023 15:48:52 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=644705 China is willing to play a positive role to help the Palestinians achieve internal reconciliation and promote peace talks with Israel, Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Palestinian counterpart in Beijing on Wednesday, Reuters reports. "The fundamental solution to the Palestinian issue lies in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital," Xi said, according to Chinese state media. Palestinians seek statehood in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Israel withdrew soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005, but continues to expand settlements in the West Bank and calls Jerusalem its eternal, indivisible capital. Peace talks that were brokered […]]]> 644705 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230614-us-losing-influence-in-middle-east-to-china/ Wed, 14 Jun 2023 09:42:35 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=644606 The US is losing influence in the Middle East to China, the Jerusalem Post reported on Wednesday. According to the analysis originally published on the Media Line, the US "has always had a complicated relationship" with the region. China, it is reported, stepped in "after years of US military intervention in the region and an ongoing cold war-like relationship" between Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and the administration of current US President Joe Biden. Beijing has apparently "stepped in to fill the regional diplomatic role that was once the exclusive domain of the United States." Dr Melinda McClimans, assistant director of Ohio State University's Middle East Studies Centre and co-author of the book Keys to […]]]> 644606 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230613-china-providing-parts-to-iran-drones-for-russia-invasion-report-reveals/ Tue, 13 Jun 2023 20:55:46 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=644582 The discovery of a Chinese component in an Iranian drone has implicated Beijing in Tehran's production and supply of armed combat drones to Russia, revealing the speed at which the UAVs are built and provided to Moscow during its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. According to the Wall Street Journal, investigators from the UK-based organisation, Conflict Armament Research (CAR), revealed to it the discovery of a newly-built Chinese part inside a downed Iranian Shahed-136 drone. It reportedly contained a voltage converter which was produced in China in mid-January this year, shipped to Iran, integrated and fitted into the UAV, and then transported to Russia in April. READ: Kuwait signs contract with Turkiye to buy $367m worth of drones That timeline gives the […]]]> 644582 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230613-china-offers-chinese-wisdom-over-palestine-peace-talks-to-fund-projects/ Tue, 13 Jun 2023 17:11:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=644568 China attaches great importance to the Palestinian issue and will continue to support peace talks, Foreign Minister, Qin Gang, told his visiting Palestinian counterpart in Beijing on Tuesday, offering to contribute "Chinese wisdom", Reuters reports. China has always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate rights, Qin also reportedly told Palestine's Riyad Al-Maliki, according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, is in Beijing on a three-day state visit in which he hopes to demonstrate that there is Chinese support for a Palestinian state, after failing to meet with American officials while in New York for the United Nations General Assembly last month. During what is Abbas' fifth visit […]]]> 644568 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230613-palestine-abbas-begins-state-visit-to-china/ Tue, 13 Jun 2023 10:11:09 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=644378 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas began a four-day state visit to China on Tuesday. This is his fifth official trip to the country, said the spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry in Beijing. Abbas is in China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, explained Hua Chunying. He is the first Arab state leader to be hosted by Xi this year, as China and Palestine mark 35 years of diplomatic relations. Beijing has described Abbas as "an old and good friend of the Chinese people." Xi last met Abbas in Riyadh in December at the first China-Gulf Council Cooperation summit, where he said that the China-Palestine friendship is "deeply cherished by their people." Last week, Wang Wenbin, a Chinese Foreign Ministry […]]]> 644378 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230612-iran-saudi-arabia-ties-what-comes-next-after-smooth-restart/ Mon, 12 Jun 2023 18:00:56 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=644162 Less than three months after agreeing to restore diplomatic ties, long-time regional rivals, Iran and Saudi Arabia, have recently taken another significant step toward full reconciliation. In the presence of senior officials from both sides, the Iranian Embassy in the affluent diplomatic enclave in north-western Riyadh was re-opened last week, seven years after it was locked down. A day later, Iran's Consulate-General and its permanent mission to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the port city of Jeddah were also re-opened. The Consulate-General in Jeddah had been active ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, but a formal re-opening took place on Wednesday in the presence of Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Alireza Begdali, and other officials. Although Saudi Arabia is […]]]> 644162 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230612-us-to-rejoin-unesco-to-compete-with-china/ Mon, 12 Jun 2023 14:16:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=644148 The United States has notified the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) of its intention to rejoin the international body nearly six years after withdrawing from the membership, Axios reported today. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay informed ambassadors of the member states that the US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Richard Verma, submitted a letter last week formalising the plan to rejoin. "This is the result of five years of work, during which we calmed tensions, notably on the Middle East, improved our response to contemporary challenges, resumed major initiatives on the ground and modernised the functioning of the organisation," explained Azoulay. "It is a strong act of confidence in UNESCO and in multilateralism." READ: China calls on […]]]> 644148 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230608-tensions-in-us-saudi-ties-cloud-blinken-visit-to-riyadh/ Thu, 08 Jun 2023 14:00:28 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=643460 A visit by the US Secretary of State to Saudi Arabia drew little Saudi media coverage on Thursday, at a time of soured relations despite a US push to defuse rows that have touched on oil prices, human rights and Riyadh's opening to Iran, Reuters reports. Antony Blinken was the second top US official to visit Washington's closest strategic ally in the Middle East in less than a month, following a 7 May trip by White House National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan. However, Blinken's meetings with Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman, the Kingdom's de facto ruler, and Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers were relegated to the inside pages of Al-Watan and Okaz, the two major newspapers in Saudi Arabia. Their front pages […]]]> 643460 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230607-us-imposes-sanctions-for-alleged-links-with-irans-ballistic-missile-programme/ Wed, 07 Jun 2023 14:47:42 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=643069 The US announced on Tuesday that it has imposed sanctions on a number of people and companies in Iran, China and Hong Kong on charges of supporting Tehran's ballistic missile programme. According to the US Treasury, the Chinese companies have sent centrifuges, non-ferrous metals that can be used for military purposes, and electronic equipment to government branches and private companies in Iran involved in manufacturing missiles. Those sanctioned include the China-based company Zhejiang Qingji, which has allegedly sold centrifuges and other materials to an Iran-based firm affiliated with the Iranian defence ministry. READ: Iran to access $24bn in frozen assets Also designated for sanctions were several executives at Qingji and the Hong Kong-based Lingoe Process Engineering Limited, which the US Treasury […]]]> 643069 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230607-timeline-saudi-iran-ties-a-history-of-ups-and-downs/ Wed, 07 Jun 2023 06:30:50 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=642957 Iran reopened its embassy in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, on Tuesday, Saudi media reported, months after the two regional rivals agreed to end years of antagonism under a Chinese-brokered deal. Protracted rivalry between the Middle East's leading Shia and Sunni Muslim-led powers has fuelled conflicts across the region, including wars in Yemen and Syria. China's role in the diplomatic breakthrough has shaken up dynamics in the Middle East, where the United States was, for decades, the main mediator, flexing its security and diplomatic muscles. 1979 – Iranian Revolution  Saudi rulers watch aghast as Iran's Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, a fellow dynast, is toppled by Shia Muslim clerics, seen in Riyadh as determined to export their Islamic Revolution. READ: Iran unveils first alleged […]]]> 642957