South Korea‘s top security advisor says U.S President-elect Donald Trump proposed an in-person meeting with President Yoon Suk Yeol a few times during their phone talks earlier this month.
National Security Advisor Shin Won-sik told a local broadcaster on Sunday that he had been present during the call and that Mr. Trump had taken the initial step of suggesting a face-to-face meeting to President Yoon.
Archiv: Diplomatie / diplomacy
Elon Musk Met With Iran’s U.N. Ambassador, Iranian Officials Say
Elon Musk, a close adviser to President-elect Donald J. Trump, met with Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations on Monday in New York in a session that two Iranian officials described as a discussion of how to defuse tensions between Iran and the United States.
The Iranians said the meeting between Mr. Musk and Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani lasted more than an hour and was held at a secret location. The Iranians, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss policy publicly, described the meeting as “positive” and “good news.”
Mahmoud Abbas Congratulates Trump, Calls for End of Palestinians’ Suffering
(November 6, 2024)
In the congratulatory cable, Abbas stressed his commitment to the Palestinian people’s pursuit of freedom, noting that his people will continue to fight for peace and its right to a country and the respect of their rights to exit and be treated with respect.
He laid out his hopes for the second Trump administration, saying: “We are confident that the United States will support, under your leadership, the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people.”
U.S., Europe are root cause of regional conflicts: Leader
(today)
„The only way to end the conflicts and wars in the region is to reduce the harmful influence of these countries,“ he added.
Ayatollah Khamenei reiterated that the presence of the U.S. and certain European countries is the primary cause of conflicts and wars in the region. „These countries falsely speak of peace, but if their harmful influence is diminished, the region will see the end of its conflicts. The nations here are capable of managing their own affairs and coexisting in peace.“
Khamenei concluded, „We hope, with God‘s grace and the determination of the Iranian nation, to work with other nations and reduce the influence of our enemies in this region.“
Iran‘s Pezeshkian says Tehran ready to work with world powers to resolve nuclear standoff
(September 25, 2024)
Iran is ready to end its nuclear standoff with the West, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, while calling for an end to Russia‘s war in Ukraine through dialogue.
Gaza crisis reveals ‘true nature’ of Israeli regime, Iranian President says
(September 24, 2024)
Recalling the “historic” 2015 nuclear deal, he noted that Iran, under the Joint Comprehensive Programme of Action (JCPOA), had agreed to the highest level of nuclear oversight in return for the recognition of its rights and the lifting of sanctions.
However, former US President Donald Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA represented a “threat-ridden approach” to politics, Mr. Pezeshkian added, stressing that unilateral sanctions targeted innocent people and weakened the Iranian economy.
“We are ready to engage with JCPOA participants. If JCPOA commitments are implemented fully and in good faith, dialogue on other issues can follow,” he said.
“We have the opportunity to transcend limitations and enter a new era, commencing with the acknowledgment of Iran‘s security concerns and cooperation on mutual challenges,” he said.
Reiterating the destructive impact of sanctions, he emphasized that Iran is ready to foster meaningful economic, social, political and security partnerships with its neighbours and global partners, “based on equal footing.”
Ahmed Attaf Visits USA to Defend Palestine’s Full UN Membership
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Community Abroad, Ahmed Attaf, is making a working visit, on Tuesday, to New York to participate in a series of ministerial meetings on the Palestinian issue, commissioned by the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, on the important horizon that awaits the Security Council regarding the file of the full membership of the State of Palestine in the United Nations, a statement by the ministry said.
China, Germany send strong message of mutually beneficial cooperation to stabilize world: Global Times editorial
The two sides not only had in-depth discussions on current China-Germany relations but also exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual interest, reaching consensus on issues such as the Ukraine crisis and the Palestine-Israel conflict. As China and Germany are respectively the second and third largest economies in the world, the consolidation and development of their relations carries significance that goes beyond the bilateral scope, and has a major impact on the Eurasian continent and the entire world, Xi said, calling on the two countries to view and develop bilateral relations from a long-term and strategic perspective, and work together to inject greater stability and certainty into the world.
Xi schlägt vier Grundsätze zur Lösung der Ukraine-Krise vor
Xi traf sich mit dem zu Besuch weilenden deutschen Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz in Beijing, und die beiden führenden Politiker tauschten sich in ihren Gesprächen eingehend über die Krise in der Ukraine aus.
Xi betonte, dass in der derzeitigen Situation alle Parteien zusammenarbeiten sollten, um den Frieden so schnell wie möglich wiederherzustellen, damit der Konflikt nicht außer Kontrolle gerate. Zu diesem Zweck schlug er vier Grundsätze vor.
Negotiations on Ukraine make no sense without Russia — Kremlin spokesman
Peskov emphasized that Russia is open to talks on Ukraine, but seeing as how Kiev has banned itself from negotiating, Moscow does not see any prospects for this. „President [Vladimir] Putin has repeatedly emphasized that we remain open to the negotiating process, as we prefer solving problems this way, but in an environment where these negotiations have been banned by Ukraine itself, we don’t see the horizon ahead at this point,“ he added.
On Wednesday, Swiss President Viola Amherd said that Switzerland will hold a conference on the so-called Ukrainian peace formula in the Burgenstock region in June 2024.
Hadash-Ta’al MKs Meet Jordan’s King, Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza
(05.03.2024)
Three Hadash-Ta’al lawmakers met Monday, March 4, with Jordan’s King Abdullah amid concerns that the Muslim holy month of Ramadan could amplify tensions in occupied East Jerusalem stemming from the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip. MK Ayman Odeh, the head of the parliamentary Hadash-Ta’al alliance, MKs Ahmad Tibi and Youssef Atawneh traveled to Amman and asked the Jordanian monarch to pressure Israel to ensure freedom of worship at the Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan and for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Speech by President Lula at the opening of the 37th African Union Summit
Our paths will meet again at the G20 Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, and at COP 30, in Belém. The presence of the African Union as a full member of the G20 will be of great value—but including more countries from the continent as full members is still also necessary. We have common agendas to defend.
It is unacceptable that a world capable of generating wealth in the order of USD 100 trillion dollars per year still harbors the hunger of more than 735 million people. We are creating the Global Alliance against Hunger at the G20 so as to promote a set of public policies and mobilize resources to finance them.
Around 60 countries—many of them in Africa—are coming close to financial insolvency, allocating more resources to paying external debt than to education or health. This reflects the obsolete nature of financial institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank, which often worsen crises that they should be resolving.
Lula meets African presidents, speaks of strong Global South
On a visit to Ethiopia, Brazilian President Luís Inácio Lula da Silva said Sunday (Feb. 18) that Brazil has a historical debt to Africa and advocated that the countries of the Global South step up their relations. He traveled to attend the 37th African Union Summit, which brought together heads of state and members of government from the 54 countries of the African continent. As a guest, President Lula took the opportunity to hold meetings and bolster bilateral ties.
Albares begins Middle East tour to promote regional de-escalation of the conflict
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, today begins a tour of the Middle East that will first take him to Lebanon, then to Iraq, where he will hold meetings at the highest level with the aim of boosting the chances of achieving a regional de-escalation that will result in greater stability in the area.
Iraq‘s MoFA: Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares Bueno is to arrive this evening for an official visit to Iraq. Bueno is set to hold meetings with Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid, and PM Al-Sudani.
Israel, Hamas Extend Gaza Truce as 11 More Hostages Are Freed
(Updated on November 27, 2023 at 4:18 PM EST)
Israel and Hamas agreed Monday to extend a cease-fire in their devastating war until Thursday morning, as 11 more freed hostages arrived in Israel.
The current halt — which began Friday after intense negotiations brokered by Qatar, with the help of Egypt and the US — was originally due to end Tuesday. It was the first since the conflict erupted in early October when Hamas attacked Israel, which retaliated by bombing Gaza and reducing much of it to rubble.
Biden administration privately warned by American diplomats of growing fury against US in Arab world
(10.11.2023)
“We are losing badly on the messaging battlespace,” reads a Wednesday cable from the US Embassy in Oman, citing conversations with “a wide range of trusted and sober-minded contacts.”
The robust US support for Israel’s actions is being seen, the cable warns, “as material and moral culpability in what they consider to be possible war crimes.”
The cable from the embassy was written by the second-highest US official in Muscat and sent to, among others, the White House’s National Security Council, the CIA and the FBI.
Mike Pompeo says State Dept has an ‚AOC, Rashida Tlaib wing‘ after leaked memo blasts Biden‘s Israel policy
(November 7, 2023)
MIKE POMPEO: I wish I could tell you I‘m surprised, but having led that organization, the State Department, this is the AOC, Rashida Tlaib wing of the State Department. These are classic appeasers who don‘t understand that the Israelis are acting in self-defense. They are taking out a terror threat that killed 1,400 of their citizens. They have not only the right to do it, but an obligation to do it.
Dissenting Memo From State Dept Criticizes Biden Response to Israel’s Attacks
(November 7, 2023)
It’s unclear how many staffers in the department signed on to the memo, or whether it has been altered or amended since it was leaked, Politico reported. Dissenting memos are not uncommon — indeed, the department encourages such commentaries, and has a Dissent Channel set up for them — but it’s unusual for dissenting memos to be released publicly. Other dissenting memos relating to Israel’s recent actions are reportedly being discussed within the department.
SA recalls diplomats in Tel Aviv over ‘untenable’ situation with Israeli ambassador
Ntshavheni said the position of Israel’s ambassador to South Africa, Eliav Belotserkovsky, “is becoming very untenable”, after Cabinet noted his continued “disparaging remarks… about those who are opposing the atrocities and the genocide of the Israeli government”.
“This is despite the condemnation of the previous ambassadors of Israel to South Africa, who were clear that the acts of the Israeli government are a repeat of apartheid and no different to the apartheid antics,” she said.
South Africa recalls ambassador and diplomatic mission to Israel and accuses it of genocide in Gaza
South Africa’s government has recalled Monday its ambassador and diplomatic mission to Israel in condemnation of the bombardment of the Gaza Strip, calling it a “genocide.”
The government also threatened action against the Israeli ambassador to South Africa over his recent remarks on the African country’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war. No further details were given about the remarks.
Fears of another Palestinian exodus reverberate across the Middle East
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said last week that a transfer of Palestinians from Gaza would likely be followed by a similar “expulsion of Palestinians from the West Bank to Jordan.” Jordan’s foreign minister later said such a move would be considered a declaration of “war.”
Commentators on Arab media outlets have warned that Israel may be planning to de-populate the Gaza Strip of Palestinians and even re-occupy it.
Turkey recalls envoy to Israel, ‚writes off‘ Netanyahu
Palestinian ally Turkey had been mending torn relations with Israel until last month‘s start of the Israel-Hamas war.
But its tone hardened against both Israel and its Western supporters — particularly the United States — as the fighting escalated and the death toll among Palestinian civilians soared.
Honduras recalls ambassador to Israel as it condemns civilian Palestinian toll in war
(November 3, 2023)
Bolivia’s government severed diplomatic relations with Israel on Tuesday, accusing it of carrying out “crimes against humanity” in Gaza. Chile and Colombia also recalled their own ambassadors to Israel as they criticized the Israeli offensive against Hamas militants.
Bahrain recalls ambassador from Israel amid escalating assault on Gaza
(November 2, 2023)
The statement from the government in Manama made no mention of cutting economic relations, although it did say that flights between the two countries were temporarily suspended.
Chile, Colombia, Jordan recall Israel ambassadors after Bolivia cuts ties
Chile, Colombia and Jordan announced Wednesday that they are recalling their respective ambassadors to Israel for consultations over Israel‘s bombardment of the Gaza Strip. These decisions come one day after the Bolivian government announced it was severing diplomatic ties with Israel, making it the first country to take such a step since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that killed 1,400 Israelis.
Women Wage Peace: Mission Statement
The movement Women Wage Peace functions on the basis of these ten principles:
1
All actions serve to further the two goals of the movement, a negotiated agreement ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with full participation of women in all aspects of peace making and ensuring security. Thus member(s) must present a rationale for every activity she/they wish to include in WWP’s yearly program.
2
We refrain from criticism including criticism of political leaders, and support positive action directed toward negotiation of a peaceful resolution of the conflict. This approach is based on the belief that action to further a political agreement is both possible and beneficial for the future of Israel.
3
We are non-partisan; the movement’s purpose is to create a consensus among the majority of Israeli citizens, regardless of their political affiliations or loyalties, in the belief that we all have common interests, desires and needs for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. We do not, therefore, support any political party or individual identified with any party and we do not campaign on behalf of any individual or party.
United States Electoral College: Contingent presidential election by House
If no candidate for president receives an absolute majority of the electoral votes (since 1964, 270 of the 538 electoral votes), then the Twelfth Amendment requires the House of Representatives to go into session immediately to choose a president. In this event, the House of Representatives is limited to choosing from among the three candidates who received the most electoral votes for president. Each state delegation votes en bloc—each delegation having a single vote; the District of Columbia does not get to vote. A candidate must receive an absolute majority of state delegation votes (i.e., from 1959 (which is the last time a new state was admitted to the union), a minimum of 26 votes) in order for that candidate to become the president-elect. Additionally, delegations from at least two thirds of all the states must be present for voting to take place. The House continues balloting until it elects a president.
The House of Representatives has been required to choose the president only twice: in 1801 under Article II, Section 1, Clause 3; and in 1825 under the Twelfth Amendment.
Five Americans freed in Iran prisoner swap land in US
The five Iranians released as part of the deal were mostly imprisoned in the US on charges that they violated US sanctions.
In a statement on Monday, US President Joe Biden welcomed the prisoner swap and said that the Americans would be reunited with their loved one „after enduring years of agony, uncertainty, and suffering“.
Five Americans detained in Iran walk free, released in deal for frozen Iranian assets
Five Americans detained for years in Iran walked off a plane and into freedom Monday, most arm-in-arm, as part of a politically risky deal that saw President Joe Biden agree to the release of nearly $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets owed by a third country, South Korea.
Afrika drängt Russland zu Wiederaufnahme des Getreidedeals
Südafrika und die Republik Kongo drängten zudem darauf, dass der Krieg in der Ukraine beendet und die afrikanische Friedensinitiative beraten wird. Der von afrikanischen Staats- und Regierungschefs vorgelegte Friedensplan verdiene Aufmerksamkeit, sagte der Präsident der Republik Kongo, Denis Sassou Nguesso, auf dem Russland-Afrika-Forum.
Russia urged to renew Ukraine grain deal at Africa summit
African leaders also used the second day of the summit to press Mr Putin to move ahead with a peace plan they are proposing to end the war resulting from Moscow‘s full-scale invasion of its neighbour last year.
The plan calls for Russia and Ukraine‘s sovereignty to be recognised, urgent peace talks and continued unhindered grain exports.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning’s Regular Press Conference on July 17, 2023
TASS: The Black Sea grain deal will expire today. Russia is yet to announce its final decision on the deal. Meanwhile, Russia has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with how the Russia-part of the deal is being implemented. What is your comment?
Mao Ning: China hopes that the deal will continue to be implemented in a balanced, full and effective manner. China put forward the cooperation initiative on global food security, and would like to have more communication and cooperation with parties on this to help build more international consensus and contribute to global food security.
Beijing expresses hope for grain deal extension – TASS
Beijing hopes that the Black Sea grain agreement will be extended, according to remarks by Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Monday, cited by TASS news agency.
“China hopes that the grain transportation initiative will continue to be fully implemented and is ready to work more closely with all parties to reach agreements on ensuring world food security,” she said.
Blinken holds presser at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing
Streamed live 6 hours ago
Secretary of State Antony Blinken holds a press conference at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
Xi meets Blinken in Beijing
(today)
Xi pointed out that the vast expanse of the Earth is big enough to accommodate the respective development and common prosperity of China and the United States. The Chinese, like the Americans, are dignified, confident and self-reliant people, Xi said, adding that they both have the right to pursue a better life. „The common interests of the two countries should be valued, and their respective success is an opportunity instead of a threat to each other.“
Xi said the international community is generally concerned about the current state of China-U.S. relations. „It does not want to see conflict or confrontation between China and the United States or choose sides between the two countries, and it expects the two countries to coexist in peace and have friendly and cooperative relations.“
Key points of Vladimir Putin’s meeting with African peace mission
Putin pointed out that the Russian side has never rejected negotiations with Ukraine. It was Ukraine that declared its unwillingness, which was cemented by Zelensky’s decree.
Putin also pointed out that the Ukrainian authorities have preliminarily signed the draft agreement with Moscow, prepared in March, 2022, in Istanbul; however, after Russian forces were withdrawn, Ukraine disregarded the document. The President presented the document, which includes 18 articles and appendixes, to the African leaders. The document included clauses on neutrality and guarantees of security.
„It also touches upon armed forces and other things. It was all written down – up to numbers of vehicles and personnel,“ Putin disclosed.
Ramaphosa meets Putin and presents 10-point plan to end war between Ukraine and Russia
Ramaphosa went on to outline a proposal that has been agreed upon by the seven countries involved in the mission:
– Both leaders must listen to one another;
– The war must be settled through negotiations and diplomatic means;
– There must be a de-escalation of conflict on both sides;
– The sovereignty of countries in terms of the UN Charter and internationally recognised principles should be recognised;
– There needs to be a guarantee of security for all the countries involved. This issue has been raised by all sides;
– The movement of grains across the Black Sea must be opened up to remove blockages so that commodities can reach markets;
– humanitarian efforts must be set up for those affected by the war;
– Prisoners of war must be released and children returned to Ukraine;
– There must be reconstruction of the destruction caused by the war; and
– Further engagements should be held to encourage more dialogue through the Africa Peace Mission.
17 June Putin holds talks with a delegation from African countries at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Saint Petersburg
South Africa‘s Ramaphosa, Zambia‘s Hakainde Hichilema and Comoros‘ Assoumani look much happier to be in Russia than they looked in Ukraine