Day: March 15, 2023

Foreign Affairs and Emigrants House Committee, headed by MP Fadi Alameh, and the Lebanese-Spanish Friendship Committee, headed by MP Ghassan Hasbani, on Wednesday received a delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Spanish Congress of Deputies, chaired by its Chairman, Pau Mari-Klose, in the presence of Spanish Ambassador to Lebanon, Jesus Santos Aguado. Moreover, the Foreign Affairs House Committee, headed by MP Alameh, and the Parliamentary Defense, Interior and Municipal Affairs Committee, headed by MP Jihad Al-Samad, received a delegation of the Italian Senate, headed by the Chairman of Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Stefania Craxi, in the presence of Italian Ambassador to Lebanon Nicoletta Bombardieri. On emerging, MP Alameh said that discussions touched on an array of issues including the Syrian displacement, presidential entitlement, border demarcation, and gas.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

At least 11 people died and ten more remain trapped following a coal mine explosion in central Colombia, the governor of Cundinamarca department said Wednesday. The accident in the municipality of Sutatausa occurred due to an accumulation of gases that exploded after a worker’s tool caused a spark, Governor Nicolas Garcia told Blu Radio.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

Syrian Defense Minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas discussed with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu mutual cooperation in the military domain.

“The Syrian and Russian Defense Ministers held official talks on the latest developments in Syria and the military-technical cooperation between the two countries,” Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated on Wednesday.

The two sides underlined the importance of continued close cooperation; one that preserves the security and stability of Syria.

Shoigu extended condolence to the families of the victims and those affected by the devastating earthquake, asserting his country’s support to Syria.

“In the recent years, we have walked a long way, a huge distance in terms of liberation of Syrian territory from international terrorism. There is, of course, still a lot of work ahead, but most of this work has been done,” Shoigu said, according to the Defense Ministry.

General Abbas, for his part, hoped that the bilateral cooperation would continue to thrive in future, extending appreciation to the efforts of Russia in Syria.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)

Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Dr. Abdallah Bou Habib, on Wednesday received in his office at the ministry, a delegation of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headed by Mission Head Major General Patrick Gauchat. Discussions reportedly touched on the Organization’s work and its role in enhancing security and stability in southern Lebanon. Caretaker Minister Bou Habib also met with a Spanish parliamentary delegation, which included deputies from various Spanish parties, with whom he discussed an array of matters, including the aid provided by Spain to Lebanon, Spain’s participation within the UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon, the bilateral relations between the two countries and the Syrian displacement dossier.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Dr. Fayssal Mikdad, discussed with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, the foundations of bilateral cooperation and a number of issues of common concern.

“Lavrov and Mikdad discussed during their meeting a number of regional and international issues that received special attention from both sides, the most important of which are the changes taking place in the Middle East along with Syria’s restoration of its rights in the League of Arab States and other topics,” RIA Novosti quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement Wednesday.

According to the statement, Lavrov affirmed his country’s support for the positive changes taking place in the Arab world.

“We will continue to support this positive trend and positive feelings in the Arab world during the next ministerial meeting between the League of Arab States and Russia, which we plan to organize in the coming months.” Lavrov said.

He added that Russia, with the support of Syria and other Arab countries, has been working for many years to strengthen the concept of collective security in the Gulf region and adjacent areas, pointing out that there are many conflicts in the region, which have extended to a number of countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday, Nour News, which is affiliated with the Iranian top security body, reported. His visit to Abu Dhabi comes at a time of growing rapprochement between Iran and Gulf countries. Last week, Shamkhani took part in talks brokered by China that resulted in Saudi Arabia and Iran resuming diplomatic ties after they were suspended in 2016. News of the visit came as Saudi Arabia’s finance minister, Mohammed al-Jadaan, said that Saudi investment in Iran could happen ‘very quickly’ following last week’s agreement. Shamkhani’s trip to the UAE highlights growing ties between Tehran and Abu Dhabi since the latter sent an ambassador back to Iran in September, more than six years after the Gulf Arab state downgraded ties with the Islamic Republic. ‘Shamkhani will travel to Abu Dhabi on Thursday in response to an official invitation by his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss bilateral, regional, and international issues,’ Nour News said on Wednesday. ‘Top economic, banking and security officials will accompany the Supreme National Security Council secretary to the UAE,’ it added. Al-Jadaan, speaking at the first private sector forum of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, said Iran presented investment opportunities. ‘There are a lot of opportunities for Saudi investments in Iran. We don’t see impediments as long as the terms of any agreement would be respected,’ al-Jadaan said. Meanwhile China, which hosted the latest round of Saudi-Iranian discussions, on Wednesday announced the beginning of joint maritime drills in the Gulf of Oman with the Russian and Iranian navies. The exercises, which will go on until Sunday, are the fourth of their type since the three countries started such operations in 2019. The UAE downgraded its ties with Iran after Saudi Arabia severed its relations with Iran in January 2016 following the storming of the Saudi embassy in Tehran by Iranian protesters after Riyadh executed a prominent Shi’ite cleric. The UAE has business and trade ties with Iran stretching

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon