Author: Dr Arif

Türkiye and Somalia have reached an oil and gas cooperation agreement for the Horn of Africa, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has stated, in the latest step in strengthening ties between the two countries. “We signed an intergovernmental agreement and memorandum of understanding with Abdirizak Omar Mohamed, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of Somalia, to enhance our cooperation in the field of oil and natural gas in Somalia’s onshore and offshore blocks,” Bayraktar wrote on social media platform X. Abdirizak Omar Mohamed was in Istanbul for the deal. “We aim to strengthen Turkey’s presence in the Horn of Africa with…

China: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has wrapped up his official visit to China. During this visit, Sharif stressed enhancing business-to-business (B2B) cooperation, assuring Chinese investors of all-out facilitation and foolproof security in Pakistan and highlighting bilateral trade and investment potential in areas such as technology, industry, agriculture, mining, steel, textiles and renewable energy. Lauding the Chinese model of development and vowing to replicate it in Pakistan, Sharif said, “I will go back to Pakistan with this resolve…we will follow this model of great economic transformation in Pakistan.” His pledge was accompanied by the signing of 32 memorandums of understanding, billed as a “historic…

Azerbaijani: Azerbaijani Ambassador to India and the Kingdom of Bhutan, Elchin Huseynli, presented his credentials to Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Azernews reports. The King of Bhutan congratulated Ambassador Huseynli on his appointment and wished him success in his endeavors. He highlighted the reforms implemented in Bhutan and the progress made in protecting biodiversity and the environment. Ambassador Huseynli announced that Azerbaijan would host the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in November. He also mentioned that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had sent a letter inviting the Bhutanese King to attend the…

BEIJING – Chinese and Malaysian authorities held the 5th joint working group meeting on cooperation in preventing and combating transnational crime in Beijing on Thursday. Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong co-chaired the meeting with Saifuddin Nasution Bin Ismail, minister of home affairs of Malaysia. Wang said that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China will work with Malaysia to strengthen high-level exchanges, deepen practical cooperation on law enforcement and security, and promote the building of a China-Malaysia community with a shared future. It is hoped that the two sides will…

BEIJING – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Special Envoy of Cuban President and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, on Thursday in Beijing. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China and Cuba are good friends who trust each other, good comrades who share the same vision, and good brothers who share weal and woe, adding that the two sides reached an important consensus on jointly building a China-Cuba community with a shared future. China speaks highly of Cuba’s adherence to truth and defiance of…

Turkey: Türkiye and China have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on tourism cooperation. Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy met with his Chinese counterpart, Sun Yeli on June 5 in Istanbul. Following their meeting, the two ministers signed the MoU on tourism cooperation, outlining collaborative plans for tourism investment, promotion and marketing, program exchanges, as well as the preservation and promotion of both nations’ cultural heritage. Ersoy and Sun vowed to enhance cooperation based on mutual benefit. “We wish to establish much closer relations between Türkiye and the People’s Republic of China, both culturally and in the…

BEIJING – China’s total goods imports and exports expanded 6.3 percent year on year in yuan terms in the first five months of this year, official data showed Friday. The country’s exports rose 6.1 percent year on year in the January-May period, while imports climbed 6.4 percent, according to the General Administration of Customs. From January to May, the country’s foreign trade in goods stood at 17.5 trillion yuan (about 2.46 trillion U.S. dollars). Exports reached 9.95 trillion yuan, while imports hit 7.55 trillion yuan. In May alone, the foreign trade grew 8.6 percent to 3.71 trillion yuan. Source: China’s…

Moscow/ St. Petersburg: Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia is open to constructive dialogue for global peace, and development. He made these remarks while speaking at the 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, SPIEF24, that began on Wednesday in Russia’s second-largest city, St. Petersburg under the theme of “The formation of new areas of growth as the cornerstone of a multipolar world,”. Representatives of more than 130 countries and regions are attending the forum. The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is being held on June 5-8, 2024. Russia is open to constructive dialogue for Peace, Development: Russian President Vladimir Putin…

Azerbaijan: The Mangystau region of Kazakhstan has proposed boosting the supply of consumer food products from Azerbaijan, Azernews reports. Nurdaulet Kilybay, head of the Mangystau region, presented this proposal during a meeting with Elchin Mammadov, the Consul General of Azerbaijan in Aktau. “I’d like to propose some collaboration options. Instead of waiting for high-level official meetings, let’s initiate joint projects and foster bilateral relations through mutual agreements. As you know, the Mangystau region lacks a variety of fruits and vegetables and mostly relies on imports. Therefore, I suggest that companies in Azerbaijan explore opportunities to enhance the supply of food…

·         Tehran to Host Moscow Format Contact Group Meeting for Peace, Stability, Development in Afghanistan ·         Russian President Vladimir Putin, Emphasizes Building Relations with Afghanistan ·         Moscow Supports Afghanistan Joining SCO, Says Russian Envoy By: Muhammad Arif ·          Islamabad: Tehran, the capital of Iran, will be hosting the Moscow Format Contact Group meeting on Afghanistan on Saturday (June 8) in Tehran, said Zamir Kabulov, the Russian President’s special envoy for Afghanistan, reported TASS, Russian news agency on Tuesday. Kabulov stated that representatives from Russia, China, Iran, and Pakistan will participate in this meeting. “Moscow Format’s Contact Group…