The aftermath of BRICS expansion: The West will warn its Arab Allies who joined the Bloc

The aftermath of BRICS expansion: The West will warn its Arab Allies who joined the Bloc

    Monday, September 04, 2023   No comments

BRICS membership expanded, and with that expansion comes benefits and responsibilities. Among them is closer economic cooperation among member states. This would mean that Russia, the hardest hit country by Western sanctions, and Iran, the second longest hit country by Western sanctions will be able to trade without fear of Western limits. Tow of the Arab nations that joined BRICS recently, Saudi Arabia and UAE, will feel the heat from their Western allies. It already started.

Officials from the US, UK, and EU are planning to “jointly press” the UAE into halting shipments of goods to Russia that "could help Moscow in its war against Ukraine,' according to western officials who spoke with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

Several US and European officials started a trip to the Gulf monarchy on 4 September “as part of a collective global push to keep computer chips, electronic components, and other so-called dual-use products” away from Russia.

Western envoys also traveled “jointly and separately” to countries such as Turkiye and Kazakhstan to pressure authorities into preventing western dual-use products from reaching Russia.

Despite ongoing pressure from the west, Abu Dhabi has not enforced sanctions imposed on Russia, instead deepening cooperation with the Kremlin. Nonetheless, the Gulf nation has condemned the invasion of Ukraine at the UN several times, and an Emirati official told the WSJ that the country enforces UN-imposed sanctions on Russia.

The official added the Gulf state is monitoring the export of dual-use products and is committed to protecting “the integrity of the global financial system.”

In response to the position taken by the UAE, US officials publicly labeled the UAE "a country of focus" earlier this year as they look to clamp down on Russia's ties with independent nations.

Dubai, in particular, has reaped the benefits of the Emirati government's neutrality, as Russian nationals have become the largest buying group of real estate in the luxurious Emirate, which has also become a hub for Russian oil traders.

The new pressure campaign from the west comes less than two weeks after the UAE was officially invited to join the Russian and Chinese-led BRICS+ group of nations. The expanded bloc also pledged to help Africa develop its local economy through investments by member states who have the cash and loans from the New Development Bank (BRICS bank). UAE, a country with cash that need to be invested, is taking advantage of this new opportunity.

The UAE pledged $4.5 billion in clean energy investments for the African continent on 5 September during the second day of the three-day African Climate Summit held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

“We will deploy $4.5 billion … to jumpstart a pipeline of bankable clean energy projects in this very important continent,” Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, the head of state-owned renewable energy firm Masdar and the Emirati national oil company ADNOC, told attendees on Tuesday.

“If Africa loses, we all lose,” warned Jaber, adding that the investment aims “to develop 15 GW (gigawatts) of clean power by 2030” and “catalyze at least an additional $12.5 billion from multilateral, public and private sources.”

Jaber, who is also president of the upcoming COP28 climate summit to be hosted by the UAE, said a consortium including Masdar would help achieve the clean power goals and stressed that a “surgical intervention of the global financial architecture that was built for a different era” is needed, urging institutions to lower debt burdens.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IREA), Africa’s renewable generation capacity was 56 GW in 2022. Despite possessing an abundance of natural resources, just 3 percent of energy investments worldwide are made in Africa.

The three-day climate summit in Nairobi has attracted heads of state, government, and industry, including UN head Antonio Guterres, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, and US climate envoy John Kerry.

“Renewable energy could be the African miracle, but we must make it happen,” Guterres told the summit on Monday. He also addressed the member states of the G20 to “assume your responsibilities” in the battle to combat climate catastrophe.

Kenyan President William Ruto said trillions of dollars in “green investment opportunities” would be needed as the climate crisis accelerates.

“Africa holds the key to accelerating decarbonization of the global economy. We are not just a continent rich in resources. We are a powerhouse of untapped potential, eager to engage and fairly compete in the global markets,” Ruto said.

Abu Dhabi sealed a deal with Egypt in June to build Africa's largest wind farm as the nation looks to rapidly expand the use of clean energy abroad and at home, where it operates three nuclear power reactors. The UAE also has three of the world's largest and lowest-cost solar plants. 

This focus on clean energy is part of the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative.

The development of renewable energy sources has recently become a priority for Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, which plans to source 50 percent of its energy requirements from renewables by 2030.

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Days before a meeting between Putin and Erdogan in Sochi, Russia starts delivering grain to 6 African countries without charge

Days before a meeting between Putin and Erdogan in Sochi, Russia starts delivering grain to 6 African countries without charge

    Friday, September 01, 2023   No comments

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced the start of work to deliver grain to 6 African countries free of charge. This comes after a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in the capital, Moscow, on Thursday, to discuss President Vladimir Putin's initiative to export one million tons of grain to poor countries.

Lavrov added - in a speech at the Moscow Institute of International Relations today - that work on the supply of grain to 6 African countries has already begun, explaining that Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Eritrea, Mali, Somalia and Zimbabwe will receive 50,000 tons of grain for free in the coming months.

"You will also pay the relevant expenses," the Russian foreign minister added.

Putin announced on July 27 that his country would provide grain free of charge to 6 African countries within 3 or 4 months, after Moscow suspended work on the grain transportation agreement with Ukraine across the Black Sea.

Lavrov discussed with his Turkish counterpart - during talks that took place between them in Moscow yesterday - Putin's initiative to export one million tons of grain to Turkey for later transfer, with the participation of Qatar, to poor countries.

Moscow withdrew in July from this important agreement for global food supplies, and criticized in particular the obstruction of its grain exports due to Western sanctions.

"We reiterated our conviction that the resumption of the agreement will allow for the restoration of stability," Fidan said during a press conference with his Russian counterpart.

He added that the grain deal is of vital importance to global food security, considering that a package of proposals prepared in cooperation with the United Nations constitutes an appropriate basis for resuming the initiative.

For his part, Lavrov demanded guarantees from the West that his country would also be allowed to export grain and fertilizer without hindrance. Moscow will be ready to return the grain deal, which it withdrew from in mid-July.

It is noteworthy that dozens of commercial ships have been stuck in the ports of Ukraine on the Black Sea since the start of Russia's war on this country on February 24, 2022, and some ships carrying grain were allowed to cross, according to an agreement mediated by Ankara and the United Nations, but Moscow suspended it in mid-July.

The meeting between Ministers Lavrov and Fidan aims to prepare for a meeting between Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi the day after tomorrow, according to the Kremlin today.

Saudi Arabia informed us that the Jeddah meeting was held to convince everyone of the futility of negotiations without Moscow, and there will be no joint G20 declaration that does not express our position and the roadmap for normalizing Syrian-Turkish relations under study. ~ Lavrov 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Saudi Arabia had notified Russia that the Jeddah meeting was held to convince everyone of the futility of negotiations without Moscow.

Lavrov said in this regard: “Our Saudi friends told us that they want to host another meeting in this way in Jeddah,” adding that this is done only in order to convey an idea to the Western participants and Ukraine itself that any discussions are completely hopeless without the participation of Russia.

Lavrov added, during a speech he delivered to students and faculty at the Russian Diplomatic University, on the occasion of the start of the academic year: “Moscow has learned of the appeal made to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Anthony Guterres, to send his representatives to online working group meetings on the “peace formula” that he put forward. Vladimir Zelensky".

In this context, Lavrov stressed that this is unacceptable, saying: “I saw Mr. Guterres in Johannesburg, on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, and I frankly told him that this violates all the principles of the secretariat’s work, because according to the Charter, it should be neutral and should not be To receive instructions from any government.”

Lavrov said that the draft roadmap for the normalization of Syrian-Turkish relations is under study, and that contacts are under way to reach a generally acceptable situation.

Lavrov added, in a speech he delivered at the Moscow Institute of International Relations on the occasion of the start of the academic year in Russia, “We handed over the draft road map on the normalization of Syrian-Turkish relations to all our colleagues in June of this year. It is now under study, and contacts are underway regarding it.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan yesterday in Moscow, where they held discussions on a number of issues, including the resumption of the grain deal, bilateral relations, the Syrian file and the Ukrainian crisis.

It is worth noting that, in December of last year, Russia hosted the first talks in 11 years between the defense ministers of Turkey and Syria, and last May it hosted a quartet meeting that included the foreign ministers of Syria, Turkey, Iran and Russia, in an effort to remove the differences between Damascus and Ankara.

On the other hand, he announced, today, Friday, that his country will not agree to adopt the declaration of the “G20” summit unless it reflects Russia’s position on global crises.

Lavrov pointed out that "the West raises the issue of Ukraine in every event of the G20, although the role of the G20 is initially supposed to make decisions regarding the stability of global financial and economic processes."

Lavrov said, speaking at the Moscow State University of International Relations, on the occasion of the start of the new academic year: “If you have decided to rewrite the powers of the “twenty”, and you want to deal with international crises, then we have presented our document that lists the conflicts that still exist and their roots are linked to the wars that they sparked. The West, if they really want to, let us discuss everything, but this would duplicate the work of the United Nations and undermine the original role of the G20.

Lavrov stressed, by saying: "In any case, there will be no joint declaration in the name of all members that does not express our position, there will be no such declaration."

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Macron admits the Western dominated global order is being challenged, calls for revised strategies

Macron admits the Western dominated global order is being challenged, calls for revised strategies

    Monday, August 28, 2023   No comments

In his annual address to French ambassadors, French President Emmanuel Macron admits the Western dominated global order is being challenged, calls for strengthening of France's diplomatic on Monday.

Macron stated that: "The situation in the international arena is becoming more complicated, which threatens the risk of weakening the West and, in particular, Europe. We need to take a sober approach to this, without falling into excessive pessimism ... There is a revision of the world order, its principles, various forms of its organization, where the West has occupied and occupies a dominant position.”

France needs to consolidate its diplomatic strategies as the international context has become more “complex”, Macron told French ambassadors at a meeting in Paris on Monday.

“Our international order is being challenged,” said Macron. “War has returned to European soil, anti-French sentiment is rife, fueled by anti-colonialism or a perceived anti-colonialism that a double standard is being employed,” he said.

“We need to be clear, without being excessively pessimistic,” he said, citing the rise of “new forms of protectionism” and democratic backsliding due to a rise in illiberal powers.

Faced with these risks, Macron said France’s diplomatic efforts should focus on security policy in the context of the war in Ukraine and in bolstering European independence and strategic interests.

The French president also stressed the need to “avoid partitioning the world” over the Ukraine war, at a time when many countries from the Global South have refused to condemn Russian aggression. We must “avoid a narrative that claims, ‘this is Europe’s war, it doesn't concern us’”, he said.

France also seeks to be a “trusted partner” on the geopolitical front, “our diplomatic efforts should keep it simple. We should protect our interests. We should also stand for our principles and our values, which are universal,” said Macron.

 

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Qatar in talks with Algeria to invest in petrochemical projects in the North African Country

Qatar in talks with Algeria to invest in petrochemical projects in the North African Country

    Thursday, August 24, 2023   No comments

According to an Elkhabar Daily report published on 18 August, Qatar is currently in talks with the Algerian government to construct a chemical power plant for Algiers in a bid to kick-start a potential partnership with state-run petroleum corporation Sonatrach.

Qatari news agency Doha News disclosed that Algerian Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, met with the Qatari ambassador Abdul Aziz Ali Al-Nama in Algiers on 17 August to discuss the construction project details.

Arkab revealed to Elkhabar Daily that "Sonatrach is ready to work with Power International to achieve that project, which is part of Algeria's strategy to develop the industrial sector."

This recent development comes after Algeria implemented reformed hydrocarbon regulations designed to entice investors, improve processing mechanisms, and establish a longitudinal vision for the North African country that will boost the national economy and increase employment.

The report further disclosed that the next meeting between Qatar and Sonatrach will be organized in September. In addition, Qatar's ambassador to Algiers emphasized that numerous Doha-based companies are highly interested in investing in integral projects in Algeria, specifically in the sectors of exploration, manufacturing, research, and the petrochemical industry.

Sonatrach generates nearly $2 billion in sales annually and employs around 3,000 people. Sonatrach's petrochemical programs have also led several petrochemical construction projects, as well as consolidating partnerships with Turkiye, TotalEnergies, and a UK-Chinese consortium.

Since 2022, Qatar has sought to bolster relations with countries residing outside of the West Asian region in an attempt to diversify its economy and to alleviate the impact of the global energy crisis instigated by the imposition of western sanctions against Russia.

Last week, Qatar began its construction of 500,000 residential units in the northwestern Nigerian state of Kaduna as part of its Mega Economic City project.

Furthermore, Qatar and India reached the final stages of their Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) agreement earlier this month, which would see Doha providing New Delhi with 1 million metric tonnes of LNG per year.

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Media Review, BILD: Russia, Türkiye and Qatar are preparing a new agreement to replace the grain deal

Media Review, BILD: Russia, Türkiye and Qatar are preparing a new agreement to replace the grain deal

    Friday, August 18, 2023   No comments

 Russia, Türkiye and Qatar are preparing a new agreement to replace the grain deal, BILD,  reports.

The media leaked memos between the Foreign Ministry and the embassies of Russia and Turkey from July 21 to August 8.

The letters say the Kremlin informed Erdogan in advance of its withdrawal from the grain deal. The new agreement considers the supply of Russian grain to poor countries, mainly Africa. Türkiye will act as an organizer, Qatar as a sponsor of supplies.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan asks Russia to resume the previous grain deal, so that grain is also supplied from Ukraine. Ankara also proposes to act under the auspices of the UN.

The deal is expected to close this weekend in Budapest. It is reported that the head of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov is flying to Budapest, where Erdogan is also going.

The Century Project.. Algeria announces the completion of a road linking its borders with Tunisia and Morocco

The Century Project.. Algeria announces the completion of a road linking its borders with Tunisia and Morocco

    Sunday, August 13, 2023   No comments

Algeria announced, on Saturday, the completion of the “East-West Highway,” which starts from the country’s western border with Morocco and reaches its eastern border with Tunisia, with a length of 1,216 km.

This came during the inauguration of the Algerian Prime Minister, Ayman bin Abdel Rahman, the last section of the road that connects the city of Daraan (Al-Tarif Governorate in the far east) with the Tunisian border at a distance of 84 km, according to state television.

Thus, Algeria has completely completed the completion of this road, which began to be built at the beginning of the new millennium and was called the “Project of the Century”.

According to official figures of the Algerian government, the total cost of the road exceeded 13 billion dollars, and it was supposed to be completed in 2012.

The project experienced delays due to technical and administrative problems, and at that time a corruption case erupted, known as the “scandal of the century,” and the trials ended in 2015 with the Algerian judiciary issuing prison sentences and financial fines against those involved.

And the Algerian authorities relied on the immediate exploitation of every section of the road that was prepared, until it was completely completed, on Saturday.

Bin Abdul Rahman called for activating road maintenance networks and ensuring that it is suitable for vehicle traffic.

The last section of the road allows for an increase in the volume of trade exchanges with Tunisia, in addition to ensuring the smooth movement of people between the two countries.

The "giant road" is located within an economic and commercial integration scheme drawn up by the Union of Arab Maghreb States, to link the land of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, but the differences between Algeria and Rabat and the closure of the land borders between them since 1994 prevented the completion of the road scheme.

And the Algerian Prime Minister, Ayman bin Abdel Rahman, inaugurated the last section of the road, which connects the city of Daraan (Al-Tarif Governorate in the far east) with the Tunisian border, at a distance of 84 kilometers, and thus Algeria has completely completed the completion of this road, which began construction at the beginning of the new millennium, and was named with the "Project of the Century".

The Algerian Prime Minister said that Algeria "now has the longest road network on the continent, with a distance of 141,000 km, of which 9,000 km are highways, according to international standards."

Bin Abdul Rahman called for "activating road maintenance networks and ensuring that it is suitable for vehicle traffic." The last section of the road allows for an increase in the volume of trade exchanges with Tunisia, in addition to ensuring the smooth movement of people between the two countries.

In this regard, bin Abd al-Rahman said that this road is "the artery of the economy, and we are working with an economic approach to endorse development and end isolation," pointing out that "although the Dhara'an section was completed by foreign institutions, the project involved many competencies and hands." qualified Algerian worker.

The East-West Highway is of paramount importance, in terms of the economic, developmental and social dimension, and its completion means the complete opening of the motorway that connects 17 northern Algerian states, out of 58 states, that make up the Algerian Republic, and also connects Algeria with other Arab countries.