Tuesday’s developments come a day after the UAE and Bahrain on Monday gave parliamentary approval to their respective normalization agreements with Israel…reports Asian Lite News
Following the September 15 US-brokered normalization deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the two countries have signed four agreements on Tuesday during the first high-level visit from the Gulf state to Tel Aviv
This will be first time that Israel signs such agreement with an Arab country, The Times of Israel reported.
The treaty was signed during high-level meetings and a ceremony in Tel Aviv attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and two senior UAE ministers.
This is also the maiden visit of a high-level delegation from the UAE to Israel.
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 20, 2020
Under the new visa exemption agreement, citizens of both the UAE and Israel will be allowed to enter the countries without having to apply for a visa first.
However, it will enter into force only after it is ratified by both countries, a process that will require a vote in the Israeli Parliament or Knesset.
Earlier on Tuesday, Etihad Airways Flight EY9607, the first commercial shuttle from the UAE to Israel, landed at the Ben-Gurion International Airport outside of Tel Aviv.
The flight came a day after the two countries agreed to enable 28 weekly direct flights between their territories.
The flight arrived without passengers but later ferried an Israeli travel and tourism delegation to Abu Dhabi.
Israel currently has normalization agreements with four Arab countries, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain and the UAE, but so far only the latter has agreed to allow Israelis to visit without a visa.
The US is also yet to sign a visa exemption agreement with Israel.
Tuesday’s developments come a day after the UAE and Bahrain on Monday gave parliamentary approval to their respective normalization agreements with Israel.
Sheikh Mohamed also gave directions to rename Al Ma’arid Street, one of the capital’s key roads, in honour of the President…reports Asian Lite News
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has directed to build a mosque named after Indonesian President Joko Widodo, in Diplomatic Area in Abu Dhabi.
Sheikh Mohamed also gave directions to rename Al Ma’arid Street, one of the capital’s key roads, in honour of the President.
The directives come as recognition and appreciation of the Indonesian President’s close friendship with the UAE and his efforts in strengthening the relationship between the two countries in many areas, including economy, commerce and development.
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, inaugurated on Tuesday President Joko Widodo Street, in a ceremony coinciding with the anniversary of Widodo’s election as President of Indonesia.
President Joko Widodo Street is located in the heart of Abu Dhabi’s central business district. Main landmarks of the street include Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, ADNEC, home to leading international events, conferences and exhibitions attended by experts from around the world, and headquarters of prominent companies, businesses, and government entities. The street is strategically located in Diplomatic Area, which hosts many foreign embassies in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE.
In an official visit to Abu Dhabi early 2020, President Widodo and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed attended the signing of 16 agreements and memorandums of understanding between various entities and institutions in the UAE and Indonesia, to enhance mutual cooperation in various areas, including education, health, energy, ports, environment, and Islamic affairs and endowments.
Between 2013 and 2020, the UAE provided Palestinians with more than US$840 million, $218 million of which was allocated to UNRWA…reports Asian Lite News
Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, has affirmed during her meeting with the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, that the UAE was one of the first countries to provide support to UNRWA.
Moreover, the minister underscored that the UAE believes in the role that UNRWA plays in improving the lives of Palestinian refugees and stressed that the UAE’s long-standing, historic, and unwavering commitment to the Palestinian people contributes to maintaining regional security and stability.
Furthermore, she emphasised the need for cooperation, particularly against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which requires additional efforts to support approximately 5.6 million Palestinian refugees throughout the Middle East.
Al Hashemy praised the tireless efforts of the UNRWA Commissioner-General and staff to ensure that the agency continues to serve Palestinian refugees.
Between 2013 and 2020, the UAE provided Palestinians with more than US$840 million, $218 million of which was allocated to UNRWA, $166 million to the education sector, and $19 million to humanitarian assistance and social services-oriented programs in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.
The UAE is chairing the current session of the UNRWA Advisory Committee and aims to focus during its 2020-2021 presidency on key areas such as the digitisation of education; empowering women, girls, and youth; and environmental sustainability.
Afghanistan's Abdullah Abdullah meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. (Photo Credit: twitter.com/DrabdullahCE)
Rouhani said that he hoped the peace efforts will work in Afghanistan’s favour and insisted on the implementation of joint economic plans between the two countries…reports Asian Lite News
Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, met Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who pledged his countrys support for an enduring and acceptable peace for the people of Afghanistan, an official statement.
According to the statement issued by Abdullah’s office, the meeting took place on Monday, reports TOLO News.
Rouhani said that he hoped the peace efforts will work in Afghanistan’s favour and insisted on the implementation of joint economic plans between the two countries, the statement said.
On his part, Abdullah spoke of recent developments in the peace efforts, the ongoing negotiations in Doha, and stressed Afghanistan’s will to achieve permanent peace with dignity.
He appreciated the “principled” stance of Iran in supporting the Afghan peace efforts and called for the continuation of support, the statement said.
Tehran, May. 27, 2020 (Xinhua) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani addresses the opening session of Iran’s new parliament in Tehran, Iran, on May 27, 2020. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz/IANS)
Abdullah further he supports the effort to implement economic plans for the two countries and said that doing such could provide the foundation for peace and further regional cooperation.
The top Afghan official reached Iran on Sunday on a two-day visit, reports TOLO News.
His trip came amid ongoing peace negotiations between delegates from the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban.
The peace negotiation officially started on September 12. But direct talks are yet to begin due to disagreements on procedural rules.
Before this trip, Abdullah had also visited Pakistan and India where he discussed the Afghan peace process.
Iran has repeatedly urged regional cooperation for the security of the Gulf region, noting foreign military presence as the cause of insecurity in the region….reports Asian Lite News
Iranian Defence Minister Amir Hatami said that Iran is ready to sign “military and security” agreements with the Gulf states.
Pointing to the importance of the Gulf security, Hatami on Monday said any threat in the region, following normalization of ties between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, will trigger Iran’s “direct and clear response”, Xinhua news agency reported.
Iran has repeatedly urged regional cooperation for the security of the Gulf region, noting foreign military presence as the cause of insecurity in the region.
The decision comes after the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Sunday announced that the UN Security Councils (UNSC) arms embargo against Tehran has been terminated in line with the 2015 landmark nuclear deal.
“As of today, all restrictions on the transfer of arms, related activities and financial services to and from the Islamic Republic of Iran, and all prohibitions regarding the entry into or transit through territories of the UN Member States previously imposed on a number of Iranian citizens and military officials, are all automatically terminated,” Press tv quoted a Ministry statement as saying.
The longstanding UN ban on the sale of arms from/to Iran is terminated under the terms of the UNSC Resolution 2231.
“As of today, the Islamic Republic may procure any necessary arms and equipment from any source without any legal restrictions, and solely based on its defensive needs, and may also export defensive armaments based on its own policies,” the statement said.
The Ministry also made it clear that “the lifting of arms restrictions and the travel ban were designed to be automatic with no other action required”.
By visiting Islamabad and New Delhi, Abdullah Abdullah is positioning himself to step in as soon as the opportunity arises. This is not a process that is likely to reach fruition before the end of the year…writes Saeed Naqvi
Donald Trump with Robert O’Brien
President Donald Trump and his National Security Adviser, Robert C. O’ Brien are aching to announce troop withdrawal from Afghanistan as a last-minute sweetener for the American voter, rather like floral touches in an Indian wedding. Gen. Mark A. Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is probably looking at life beyond Trump, unless there is a second coming. He is talking of ending the Afghan war “responsibly”, which means “not in a hurry”.
When President Barack Obama had set firm deadlines for withdrawal, I made an extensive survey of the country for the Observer Research Foundation. I had concluded that the US is “not leaving Afghanistan today; it is not leaving it tomorrow.” A super power enters a major theatre with one set of interests but, over a period of time, develops multiple compelling interests.
Why would a country, which is directly involved in 14 shooting wars in various parts of the globe, walk away from its longest war ever without any identifiable gain. Withdrawing empty handed would be an admission of defeat. Since this is not on the cards, the only conclusion one can draw is that a plan for the future is not being disclosed for now.
US involvement in Afghanistan has been a great tragedy, but its frequent false starts in a rush to the exit door and announce withdrawal, is material for a spoof by someone like Michael Moore. Take for instance the peace agreement the US signed with the Afghan Taliban on February 29 in Doha. So eager was US negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad to flourish a peace agreement just when the election campaign in the US was picking up that he would have inserted into the agreement anything the Taliban wished. Read the title headline of that agreement: it is patently absurd.
President Ashraf Ghani
“Agreement for bringing Peace to Afghanistan between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan which is not recognized by the United States as a state and is known as the Taliban and the United States of America.” The fragility of the agreement is transparent in the pulls and counter pulls that have obviously gone into the headline. There is unbridgeable distance on the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s role, for instance. The Taliban will not talk to Ghani whom they describe quite brazenly as a US “toady”.
Ghani deludes himself if he imagines he is being “firm”. He is coming across to the world at large as a leader with a very thick skin. New Delhi wishes to keep appearances. In the trapeze act, South Block does not wish to be seen loosening the clasp of Ghani’s hand mid-air. The zero-sum game with Pakistan may operate as a factor but, in deference to realism, not a defining one.
If New Delhi is seen to be digging in for Ghani, it will only find itself embarrassed down the line because it is clear as daylight that intra Afghan talks will not move unless Ghani steps aside. By visiting Islamabad and New Delhi, Abdullah Abdullah is positioning himself to step in as soon as the opportunity arises. This is not a process that is likely to reach fruition before the end of the year. So, no confetti on election eve.
One of the advantages the US extracts from its position of being a superpower is to keep making mistakes almost willfully without any fear of being called to account. It is almost a forgotten story that in December 2001 NATO, helped by Russia, Iran, India and the Northern Alliance headquartered in the Panjsher valley defeated Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Punjsher was also the operational headquarters for the Tajik hero Ahmad Shah Masoud. So strong was Masoud’s opposition to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, that he travelled extensively to acquaint various international fora of the danger that Al-Qaeda and Taliban posed to Afghanistan. His address to the European Parliament in the summer of 2001, months before 9/11 was historic by any yardstick.
Afghanistan’s Abdullah Abdullah meets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi iin New Delhi
Complete silence on this speech of Masoud’s is surprising. His forces had picked up chatter about a possible Al-Qaeda action in the American mainland. He was speaking in Brussels. On September 9, precisely two days before September 11 (9/11) two Arabs, disguised as journalists, visited him in his hideout near the Tajik border for an interview. Their passports, it was revealed much later, had been forged in Brussels. These “journalists”, while saying goodbye to Masoud, detonated their vests. All three died instantly. Two days later, the twin towers came down in New York. Is there nothing here that deserves investigation?
Maybe not before the US elections, but is the curtain about to be brought down on US involvement? Whether Trump or Joe Biden wins the election, China, Russia, and Iran are likely to remain America’s adversarial concerns.
A little over a year ago, just when US military involvement in Syria was winding down, one common chatter was about Jabhat al Nusra and its variants being flown to newer theatres of action. Russia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Morgulov Igor Vladimirovich told a high-powered conference in New Delhi, with Zalmay Khalilzad in attendance, that militants were being flown from Syria to Northern Afghanistan. “Only the Afghan government and the US controls the Afghan air space.” The blame cannot be placed at any other door. Khalilzad mounted a token protest but nothing more.
U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad during the talks in Doha
The following Friday Iran’s Supreme leader, Ali Khamenei was more specific: Daesh groups were being flown to Afghanistan. The distinguished chronicler of the West Asian scene, Robert Fisk of the Independent made similar allegations. The allegation fitted neatly into the thesis that militants, trained to kill, cannot be sent to the slaughterhouse. They have to be deployed in other theatres where they are proximate to Muslim population into which militancy has to be injected to stir up the Islamic cauldron — Xinxiang, the Caucasus and a handful of Sunni enclaves in Iran.
(Saeed Naqvi is a senior commentator on political and diplomatic issues. The views expressed are personal. He can be reached on saeednaqvi@hotmail.com)
Sunday’s event also coincided with the 13th anniversary of the October 18, 2007 attack on the homecoming procession of late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Karachi that killed more than 200 people…reports Hamza Ameer
Just two days after its debut power show, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance comprising 11 of the country’s opposition parties, staged its second public rally in the port city of Karachi.Hamza Ameer Reports
The rally was held on Sunday evening at the Bagh-i-Jinnah, where leaders of the opposition parties shared the stage and called on people to intensify the anti-government movement, which they said would soon yield fruit in the ouster of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The gathering was addressed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who has been appointed as the alliance’s first phase chief, among others.
However, former Prime Minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif was not given the opportunity to give an address the rally through video link, like he did during the PDM’s first power show on October 16 in Gujranwala city.
Sunday’s event also coincided with the 13th anniversary of the October 18, 2007 attack on the homecoming procession of late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Karachi that killed more than 200 people.
The speakers lashed out at Prime Minister Khan for lacking the mandate to rule the country and for what they called sheer bad governance, causing serious hardships to the countrymen due to the ruined state of the economy.
“We would not become afraid of threats of imprisonment by the incumbent puppet rulers of the country. In the past also, we have not been frightened by the Karsaz bomb blasts,” said Bhutto-Zardari.
“The incompetent and ineligible Prime Minister had to be sent packing as during his regime, innocent citizens were being killed and incidents of enforced disappearances continued. Ailing citizens were unable to buy medicines due to sheer price-hike.
“Economy of the country had been ruined during the present government owing to the sheer inefficiency of the present rulers,” he added.
The PPP Chairman said the current rulers assumed power not by votes but on the directions of someone else, hinting towards the powerful military establishment.
“The movement of the PDM was aimed at restoring sovereignty of the people in the country in accordance with the Constitution. “
In her address, Maryam Nawaz said that Khan’s responsive speech to Gujranwala public gathering showed that he was under immense pressure and had become mentally upset.
“Every word of the speech of Imran Khan and his body language had shown that he had become afraid and people wanted to see the same frightened Imran Khan. Imran Khan’s latest speech had shown that he lacked training to conduct in a graceful manner while being under pressure.
Pakistan PM Imran Khan
“On the one hand, the electronic media had been banned from covering the speech of Nawaz Sharif via video-link but on the other hand, it seemed that Imran Khan had secretly listened to the former premier’s speech” she added.
The PML-N Vice President said the incumbent government instead of fulfilling its promises to build houses and give employment to the people, had rendered people jobless and they had also been deprived of their livelihood.
“The PDM’s movement would continue till the time the supremacy of Constitution and law would be fully restored along with the independence of the media and judiciary.”
Akhtar Mengal, Chairman of the Balochistan National Party, slammed the government for failing to bring any respite, relief to the families of the missing persons of his province, who he said had been continuing with their protest drive.
“Gas and electricity had become expensive in the country but the lives of people of Balochistan had become too cheap and many of them mercilessly killed without any sin.
“Such a democratic order should be restored in the country where smaller nationalities of the Federation were given maximum autonomy as had been promised to them at the time of the creation of Pakistan,” he added.
Meanwhile, JMaulana Fazlur Rehman said the struggle of the alliance against the government would continue until complete democracy is restored in the country.
“The present rulers lacked both aptitude or eligibility to rule the country. The government had done compromise on the Kashmir issue in total disregard to the sacrifices by the Kashmiri people,” he added.
The PDM is now scheduled to hold its third rally in Quetta on October 25, which will be followed by the fourth in Peshawar on November 22, fifth in Multan on November 30 and the last one in Lahore on December 13.
Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister Tien Chung-kwang said that with the government’s New Southbound Policy, India is a good place for Taiwanese businesses to build production bases, given its democracy, ample human resources and strategically important location….reports ATUL ANEJA
Tsai Ing-wen. (Photo: Twitter/@iingwen)
Taiwan has launched its “new southbound policy”, which is looking at setting up large scale production bases in India, in tune with a surge in the New Delhi-Taipei engagement.
India and Taiwan, a global hi-tech heavyweight, are rediscovering each other after China threatened the two with war. India’s tighter ideological bonds with fellow democracies and its sharper strategic focus on the Indo-Pacific region, following the Covid-19 pandemic, is adding fresh ballast to growing New Delhi-Taipei ties.
With the government’s New Southbound Policy, India is a good place for Taiwanese businesses to build production bases, given its democracy, ample human resources and strategically important location, Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister Tien Chung-kwang said on Friday as quoted by Taipei Times.
Resentment over China has been rising in India, not just because of a decades-long border conflict, but also because of China’s aggressive expansion in South Asia, its bullying of other countries and its dissemination of Covid 19, Tien said on Friday in Taipei on the sidelines of a Taiwan-India Parliamentary Friendship Association event. “The wind is beginning to blow” in Indian society, he observed, pointing out that Taiwan’s success in containing the pandemic and medical aid, in sharp contrast with China, has not gone unnoticed in India.
With ties with China souring following the border standoff in Ladakh, Indian elites are showing visible inclination to pivot towards Taiwan as a strategic source of hi-technology and investments.
India’s new representative to Taiwan, Gourangalal Das, said at the event that Taiwan’s unique position in global supply chains can be leveraged to serve India’s aspiration to emerge as the next key global manufacturing hub, at a time when new supply chains following the pandemic are emerging.
With an eye on decoupling from China, trade ministers from India, Australia and Japan, last month, decided to study establishment of new supply chains that do not include China.
Das highlighted that India’s start-up ecosystem, focusing on software can fuse with Taiwan’s strengths in hardware.
Besides, smart agriculture, precision medicine, skills training and industrial automation offer great opportunities for collaboration.
Analysts say that India and Taiwan can also partner each other in the development of new energy vehicles. On Friday, Taiwan’s electronics giant Foxconn Technology and local carmaker Yulon Group were teaming up to supply components and services for 10 per cent of the world’s electric cars between 2025-2027.
Taiwanese academics are also pointing to the possibility of a trilateral partnership in key areas, which also includes the United States. The warming ties between Taiwan, India and the US herald new opportunities for Taiwanese businesses, especially in the electronics industry, Taiwan Asean Studies Center director Kristy Hsu was quoted as saying at the event.
Separately, in an interview with India Today on October 15, Taiwan’s foreign minister, Joseph Wu signalled Taiwan’s readiness to look at the Indo-Pacific Quad initiative led by India, Australia, Japan and the United States.
Taiwan has traditionally had good relationships with the US, Japan and Australia – which are involved in the dialogue – while ties with India are “getting better and better,” he said.
“Therefore, we certainly hope that Taiwan can start thinking about how we can work with all these countries that are taking part in the Quad discussions”.
Taiwan’s leadership is taking to social media to reach out directly to Indian citizenry, signalling a well-timed soft-power push. On October 14, President Tsai Ing-wen took to Twitter to appreciate support of Indian netizens for backing Taiwan during tensions with China in the Taiwan strait.
“#Namaste to our friends from #India!” Tsai tweeted. “Your warm regards remind me of fond memories from time spent in your incredible country, your architectural marvels, vibrant culture & kind people are truly unforgettable.” She also shared her pictures that had been taken during her previous visit to the Taj Mahal. A day later she was in full flow in praise of Indian cuisine. ” #Taiwan is lucky to be home to many Indian restaurants, & Taiwanese people love them. I always go for chana masala and naan, while #chai always takes me back to my travels in #India, and memories of a vibrant, diverse & colourful country. What are your favourite Indian dishes?” she tweeted.
The offensive is aimed at eliminating IS militants and establishing permanent military outposts in the area to prevent the return of extremist militants in the future…reports Asian Lite News
Iraqi security forces launched an offensive to hunt down extremist Islamic State (IS) militants in one of their major hideouts in Salahudin Province, a provincial police source said.
Iraqi army and police forces, backed by Iraqi and US-led coalition aircraft, pushed in the morning into Jazrat Ganous, an agricultural area covered with dense plants near the town of Shirqat, some 280 km north of the capital Baghdad, Mohammed al-Bazi told Xinhua on Monday.
The offensive started with a heavy aircraft and artillery bombardment to pave the way for the troops to build a bridge over the adjacent Tigris River to hunt down the extremist militants and destroy their hideouts, al-Bazi said.
As one of the most important strongholds in northern Salahudin, Jazrat Ganous area connects IS militants with neighbouring Nineveh Province via a desert land that also extends westward to the Iraqi-Syrian border, according to the police source.
The offensive is aimed at eliminating IS militants and establishing permanent military outposts in the area to prevent the return of extremist militants in the future, al-Bazi noted.
The vast rural areas in Salahudin have witnessed intense activity by the IS militants during the past months despite repeated military operations to hunt them down.
The security situation in Iraq has been improving since Iraqi security forces fully defeated the IS militants across the country late in 2017.
However, IS remnants have since melted in urban areas or deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.
The Ukrainian passenger plane was hit by Iranian missiles after taking off in Tehran on January 8, killing all 176 on board. Iran said its forces “accidentally” shot the plane down…reports Asian Lite News
Iran and Ukraine began a new round of talks over the issues of the Ukrainian passenger plane that crashed over the Iranian space earlier this year, official IRNA news agency reported.
The three-day meeting in Tehran, co-chaired by Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Mohsen Baharvand and Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgheniy Yenin, will focus on technical, judicial and legal aspects of the incident, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.
Iran “is transparent over the incident and has nothing to hide in this regard,” Baharvand was quoted by IRNA as saying on the first day of the meeting.
Iran is determined to “take fair steps and pay compensation to the families of victims,” he added.
On Saturday, Baharvand said Iran “will try to conclude the negotiations (over the issue) in the shortest time possible.”
The Ukrainian passenger plane was hit by Iranian missiles after taking off in Tehran on January 8, killing all 176 on board. Iran said its forces “accidentally” shot the plane down.
On July 24, an international team in Paris completed preliminary investigative analysis of the data extracted from the black boxes of the plane.
On August 22, Touraj Dehqani Zangeneh, head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, announced Iran’s readiness to pay compensation pertaining to the Ukrainian passenger plane accident.
