The Syrian and Chinese presidents sign a strategic cooperation agreement

The Syrian and Chinese presidents sign a strategic cooperation agreement

    Friday, September 22, 2023   No comments

On Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad signed the Syrian-Chinese strategic cooperation agreement.

Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed that Beijing is ready to develop cooperation with Syria and jointly defend international justice under conditions of instability.

During his meeting with his Syrian counterpart, in the Chinese city of Khanzhou, Xi said that China and Syria are moving towards announcing the establishment of strategic partnership relations, adding that this will be an important turning point in the history of bilateral relations in the face of unstable international situations.

Xi confirmed that Syria is one of the first countries to establish relations with the new China, adding that it was one of the countries that proposed a draft resolution to restore China's seat in the United Nations.

The Chinese President stressed that Syrian-Chinese relations have withstood changes in international situations for 67 years, and the friendship between the two countries remains solid over time.

The Chinese President also announced his country's keenness to continuously make joint efforts to exchange firm support between the two countries and enhance cooperation between them to defend international justice and peace.

In turn, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stated that his country looks forward to China's constructive role in the international arena and rejects all attempts to weaken this role.

Al-Assad expressed his happiness at visiting China, which stands with the just causes of peoples, based on the legal, humanitarian and moral principles that form the basis of Chinese policy in international forums and which are based on the independence of countries and respect for the will of the people.

Al-Assad pointed out that this visit is important in its timing and circumstances, as a multipolar world is forming today that will restore balance and stability to the world, and it is the duty of all of us to seize this moment for the sake of a bright and promising future.

The Syrian President thanked President Xi and the Chinese government for what it did to stand by the Syrian people in their cause and suffering, wishing the Chinese people more scientific, civilizational and humanitarian victories.

Yesterday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in a press conference: “We believe that President Bashar al-Assad’s visit will lead to a deepening of mutual political trust and cooperation in various fields between the two countries, and the advancement of bilateral relations to new heights.”

The Syrian President arrived at Khanzhou Airport in China yesterday, Thursday, in his first official visit to the country in nearly two decades, at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.

In 2021, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Damascus on an official visit to enhance cooperation between China and Syria. This was the first visit by a high-ranking Chinese official since the start of the war on Syria.

Chinese media. often reflecting the thinking of Chinese leaders, suggest that China's investment in Syria is likely to be in transportation and other infrastructure projects and that such investments will be protected from Western sanctions by using yuan for related transaction.

Amir Abdollahian receives Hakan Fidan: Research on bilateral and regional issues, preparation for a trilateral summit of Iran-Saudi Arabia-Turkiye is underway

Amir Abdollahian receives Hakan Fidan: Research on bilateral and regional issues, preparation for a trilateral summit of Iran-Saudi Arabia-Turkiye is underway

    Sunday, September 03, 2023   No comments

Today, Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian received his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, who is on his first visit to Tehran since taking office.

The two ministers, well versed in security backgrounds, met in a private meeting that lasted about an hour and a half, before extensive discussions were held between the two delegations.

Fidan is scheduled to hold talks with several Iranian officials as well. The Fars news agency reported yesterday that Fidan will hold talks in Tehran with Iranian officials on regional and international issues of common concern.

A statement by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Amir Abdollahian had previously invited Fidan to visit Iran, noting that the important visit comes to discuss more bilateral cooperation in various fields, as well as to discuss regional and international developments.

It pointed out that Fidan's visit to Tehran comes two days after his visit to Moscow and his meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and another visit to Iraq.

Iran and Turkey have economic and political relations, despite their differing positions on a number of files, especially on the conflict in Syria and relations with Azerbaijan, Iran's neighbor.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian confirmed today, Sunday, that he had discussed with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan the agreements signed between Tehran and Ankara, confirming their implementation.

During a press conference with his Turkish counterpart in Tehran, Amir Abdollahian hoped to reach an agreement with Ankara regarding the exchange of prisoners (between Tehran and the United States of America via Turkey).

He indicated that he discussed with Fidan the issue of water scarcity (after the dam crisis between Turkey and Iran), and the two parties agreed that the Joint Technical Committee would visit Tehran for a new round of talks.

Amir Abdullahian stressed that the Israeli entity in the region will only bring strife and division among Islamic countries and destabilize the region.

On the issue of the Caucasus, the Iranian foreign minister said that Tehran would not accept any geographical change of the borders in the transit region in the Caucasus, and he appreciated Turkey's constructive positions in the field of borders with Syria and the return of refugees to their countries.

Amir Abdollahian added that Iran and Turkey planned for trade exchange between the two countries at a value of 30 billion euros, considering the corridors in the field of transport and transit in the region as complementary to cooperation between the two countries.

Amir Abdullahian revealed that work is underway to hold a tripartite meeting between Ankara, Riyadh and Tehran, to support economic relations, pointing out that the meeting comes at the request of Saudi Arabia.

For his part, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan described the Turkish-Iranian relations as "historic", thanking Iran for what it provided to Turkey after the catastrophe of the earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey last February.

Fidan said that he had exchanged views with the Iranian side on combating terrorist organizations.

Today, Sunday, Amir Abdollahian received, at the Foreign Ministry's headquarters, his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, who is making his first visit to Tehran since taking office.

The two ministers met in a private meeting that lasted about an hour and a half, before extensive discussions were held between the two delegations.

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Amir Abdullahian after meeting Ibn Salman in Jeddah: Our talks were frank and fruitful--The Saudi Crown Prince after the meeting: a review of ways to develop relations

Amir Abdullahian after meeting Ibn Salman in Jeddah: Our talks were frank and fruitful--The Saudi Crown Prince after the meeting: a review of ways to develop relations

    Friday, August 18, 2023   No comments

Today, the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, received the Iranian Foreign Minister, Hussein Amir Abdullahian, in the city of Jeddah, in the first meeting of the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia with Iranian officials since the resumption of relations between the two regional powers last March.

Abdullahian began a one-day visit to Saudi Arabia, before Saudi and Iranian officials confirmed that he would meet the crown prince on Friday. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said that the crown prince and the Iranian minister reviewed relations "and future opportunities for cooperation between the two countries and ways to develop them." They also discussed "developments in the situation on the regional and international arenas, and the efforts exerted towards them." The Iranian News Agency (IRNA) said that it was the first time that a high-ranking Iranian official had met the Saudi crown prince. Amir Abdullahian is accompanied on his visit to Riyadh by the new Iranian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ali Reza Enayati, according to the same agency.

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdullahian, met the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

And the Saudi Press Agency, "SPA", stated that Prince Abdullahian and Ibn Salman discussed future opportunities for cooperation between their two countries and ways to develop them, adding that they "discussed developments in regional and international situations, and efforts made towards them."

After the meeting, the Iranian foreign minister said that the meeting was "frank, fruitful and useful," in which "it was stressed that security and development are everyone's right."

Amir Abd Allahian stressed that "the issue of Palestine and Jerusalem is the focus of issues in the Islamic world," noting that "relations must be developed to serve the region."

He added, "The Saudi Crown Prince sent his greetings to the Leader of the Revolution and the Islamic Republic, Sayyed Ali Khamenei."

Likewise, the Iranian Foreign Ministry quoted, in a statement, the Saudi Crown Prince Bin Salman: "These meetings have a fundamental impact on developing and consolidating bilateral and multilateral relations."

She added that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia "considered the meeting of the leaders of the two countries very important," pointing out that he confirmed his invitation to President Ibrahim Raisi to visit the Kingdom.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry also stated that bin Salman stressed that relations with Tehran are "strategic," noting that the kingdom "enjoys serious determination in this context."

 The meeting was attended by the Iranian ambassador to Riyadh, Ali Reza Enayati. As for the Saudi side, the Foreign Minister, Faisal bin Farhan, attended.

Yesterday, Thursday, Amir Abdollahian arrived in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and the visit focused on bilateral relations, and regional and international issues, according to what was reported by the Iranian state TV, "Irib".

The Iranian Foreign Minister held a joint press conference with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, and Amir Abdullahian said that the two sides affirmed "the determination to strengthen and develop relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia in all fields."

Amir Abdollahian added that the idea of holding a regional dialogue at the level of the Gulf region had been proposed, "in continuation of the previous talks with Saudi Arabia."

The Iranian minister said, "We are extending a hand of cooperation to neighboring countries, and we are now pursuing a correct path in improving relations with these countries," expressing his hope that "the idea of achieving security and development in the region cannot be divided."

For his part, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said that he had assured his Iranian counterpart "the kingdom's keenness to activate previous agreements between the two countries, especially those related to security and economic aspects."

The Saudi foreign minister also stressed the importance of "raising the level of cooperation and coordination between the two countries."

Amir Abdullahian's visit, the first by an Iranian foreign minister in more than 10 years, comes two months after Ibn Farhan's visit to Tehran, which was the first by a Saudi foreign minister since 2006, where they held talks on security, economy, tourism and transportation issues.

And last week, the Saudi embassy in Tehran resumed its activities, according to Iranian official media, while Riyadh did not confirm this, or name an ambassador to Tehran.

Iranian media attributed the delay in reopening the Saudi embassy to the poor condition of the building, which was damaged during the 2016 demonstrations, after the Saudi authorities executed the Shiite cleric, Sheikh Nimr Nimr.

After the two countries agreed to resume diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies, with Chinese mediation, Iran reopened its embassy in Riyadh on June 6.

Tehran appointed its former ambassador to Kuwait, Ali Reza Enayati, as its new ambassador to Riyadh. This week, Amir Abdollahian told reporters that Enayati would accompany him on his trip to Saudi Arabia, "to officially begin his duties."

Two days ago, Enayati confirmed that Tehran is looking forward to consolidating the economic component in bilateral relations with Riyadh, noting that the normalization of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia "will open many horizons" for the two countries and the region.

Amir Abdullahian: Ibn Salman accepted Iran's invitation to visit her...and the region entered a new phase

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said, during his return to Tehran from Riyadh, that Iran had invited Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to visit it, "and he accepted the invitation, and he will plan it at the appropriate time."

He also pointed out that King Salman bin Abdulaziz also invited President Ibrahim Raisi to visit Riyadh, "and the latter accepted the invitation and will fulfill it at the appropriate time."

The Iranian minister also added that Saudi Arabia affirmed its different vision from the past, and expressed "its willingness to open a new page in relations between Tehran and Riyadh."

He added, "The region has entered a new phase of cooperation, because there is a consensus that the region can progress and develop by relying on itself."

He stated that it was agreed with the Saudis "to enhance cooperation in various economic, commercial and tourism fields in the private and public sectors."

He stated that bin Salman had taken a decision according to which he asked Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, "to take initial steps to prepare a framework for a document for long-term cooperation between the two countries, so that it can be signed during the visits of senior officials."

What happens now that Erdogan is re-elected president of Turkiye?

What happens now that Erdogan is re-elected president of Turkiye?

    Tuesday, May 30, 2023   No comments

Two weeks ago, the American New York Times reported that European leaders would be happy to have an "easier Turkey," referring to the European desire for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to lose in the current presidential elections.

The newspaper pointed out that Westerners, especially the US administration, would like to see Erdogan lose, in favor of opposition figure Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

The New York Times said that Turkey, an important and strategic member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), has become, under Erdogan's rule, "an increasingly troublesome partner of the European Union."

However, "NATO", according to the newspaper, hopes that the change of Turkish leadership "will lead to an end to the confrontation over the approval of Sweden's membership in the alliance," before the summit scheduled to be held in Vilnius, Lithuania, next July.

Within Turkey, the opposition and its candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, whom the Western media called "Turkey's Gandhi," sought to overthrow Erdogan.

And the opposition exploited anti-refugee sentiments to try to win the elections, according to the British "Guardian". Kilicdaroglu tried to win the support of voters, especially the youth, taking advantage of the difficult economic conditions, and promised to restore the parliamentary system, after its improvement, to the country.

Now, after Erdogan announced his victory in the presidential elections in its second round, what will the picture look like, at home and abroad?

Globally:

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace saw that the margin of creative thinking for the West will be limited with Erdogan's victory, as "21 years of experience with the current government has mostly exhausted the West's expectations of a qualitative improvement in relations."

And the Turkish president's victorious exit from this juncture means, according to the foundation, that Erdogan and his "indomitable sense" will reach new highs, which will increase what it called his "fiery behavior."

As for the relations between Ankara, Washington, and the rest of the Western capitals, the foundation said that they would be "devoid of flexibility and subject to circumstantial crises."

The reason behind this lies in the fact that Turkey will be in dire need of foreign financial flows due to the economic hardship the country is witnessing, as the Foundation said, which will prompt Erdogan to manage his country's foreign policy within the constraints of this reality, that is, with "less adventurism and more stability." .

But at the same time, the AKP leader will continue to "see Turkey as a regional power, and a member of a new club of countries," which includes China and Russia, which sees itself as an independent power bloc, according to the Institute for Turkish Studies at Stockholm University.

The European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) said that the approach of Turkish treatment in foreign policy will continue while Erdogan remains in power, and the strained relations with the European Union will continue, "without any progress towards constructive engagement."

In the eastern Mediterranean, the site saw that tensions with Cyprus and Greece will not recede, but rather may escalate, with Ankara pressing for a two-state solution on the island.

As for Syria, the site expected the Turkish government's attempts, under Erdogan's rule, to continue to normalize its relations with Syria and other countries. This would facilitate the return of some Syrian refugees to their homeland, as the website said, bearing in mind that the issue of asylum is a top concern for Turkish voters.

For its part, the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) suggested that the United States and Europe would remain silent, and work to find new ways to work with Erdogan upon his victory.

And while relations are expected to be turbulent with the West, it is seen that they will be more stable with Russia, especially after the participation of Erdogan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in an official ceremony marking the start of supplying the Akkuyu nuclear power plant with nuclear fuel, days before the start of the elections. public in Turkey.

During the ceremony, which was held last April, Putin stressed that the station is the most important project for Russia and Turkey, and promised that it would allow the development of joint economic relations and the promotion of coexistence between the two countries.

Under Erdogan, Turkey maintained its relations with Russia, at a time when the West cut it off after Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine. Recently, Ankara played the most prominent role, along with the United Nations, in completing the "grain deal" between Ukraine and Russia, which Erdogan announced its extension two weeks ago.

This deal is an integral part of a set of specific agreements for a period of 3 years, which provide for the lifting of the ban on Russian exports of food and fertilizers, the reconnection of the Russian Agricultural Bank to the “SWIFT” system, and the resumption of the supply of agricultural machinery, spare parts and services.

Domestically:

On the domestic front, the head of the Justice and Development Party announced that his economic program for the next stage reveals a return to more traditional policies regarding the "free market" economy.

There is talk that Erdogan's economic program will be very similar to that laid out in the AKP's 2002 electoral platform. In other words, the AKP will return to its "origins" and abandon "heretical economics".

During the past months, the Turkish government has resorted to what is called the "election economy", which permeates it by increasing government spending and reducing collection, by raising the minimum wage, facilitating loans, scheduling debts, and supporting some segments.

The public coalition, led by Erdogan, seeks to increase Turkey's gross domestic product and increase annual growth by 5.5% from 2024 to 2028.

Likewise, the alliance is working to achieve a gross domestic product of $1.5 trillion by the end of 2028, to adopt a policy of developing the defense industries sector and combating terrorism, and to establish the "Istanbul Canal" project.

The Turkish president promised the voters to make Turkey "strong and multi-alliance," and also promised to create 6 million jobs, accusing the West of "trying to overthrow him, after more than two decades in power," in addition to giving tourism a big boost.

However, the opposition is suspicious of Erdogan's promises, especially on the economic issue, and its alliance has made many economic promises. However, the most prominent criticism that reached it is that it does not provide clear mechanisms and policies to achieve its promises.

Faced with this reality, the Turkish interior is vulnerable to a raging political ram between the elected president and his opponents, especially with Kilicdaroglu's statement that he is "sad for Turkey's future", without officially acknowledging the loss.

The issue of the political system that governs the country was raised as one of the main headlines over which electoral competition was intensified. While the opposition was threatening to restore the parliamentary system to rule Turkey in the event of the victory of its candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the "Justice and Development" promised to preserve the presidential system.

According to the election results, Erdogan's assumption of power for another 5 years means the continuation of the presidential system, which provides the president with broad powers, most notably the direct appointment of senior state officials, including ministers, university presidents and judges.

_________

* Adapted from Fatima Karnib's reporting on the Turkish Elections

An Israeli Institute for Studies publishes a video about a secret Iranian drone base dedicated to carrying out the “swarm attack”

An Israeli Institute for Studies publishes a video about a secret Iranian drone base dedicated to carrying out the “swarm attack”

    Wednesday, May 17, 2023   No comments

The Israeli “Alma” research institute published a video clip that monitors details, which it said is of a secret base for Iranian drones dedicated to carrying out large-scale attacks, or the so-called “swarm attack.”

According to the video, which was published by the Institute on its official page on “Twitter”, yesterday, Tuesday, the base of the Iranian marches is located underground in a mountainous area around the city of Shiraz, southern Iran.

The institute stated that the march base is located about 16 kilometers from an Iranian army air base, noting that it could threaten any country in the Middle East if Iran decided to use it at any time, according to the Russian “Sputnik” agency.

According to the explanatory video published by the institute, the base has about 5 launch silos inside the rocks, each of which has 3 launchers.

The video also indicated that there are tunnels intended for loading vehicles to reach the base of the marches, which are estimated to be 3 kilometers long inside the mountain.

The video pointed out that the air base near the base is dedicated to securing the area using the Russian Su-24MK fighter.

And the Israeli research institute says that Iran has offensive drones that can reach a range of two thousand kilometers, which means that it can reach Israel and bypass it.

Iran has become among the best countries in the world to manufacture drones locally, especially by providing them with technologies that allow them to be used in carrying out the "swarm attack", which represents one of the most dangerous offensive tactics in modern warfare.

It is noteworthy that the Iranian army announced, last April, that it had received more than 200 strategic drones, to enhance its capabilities in the drone force.

A Saudi-Chinese agreement to hold a summit between the two leaderships every two years and to sign agreements worth billions of dollars.. The Saudi Crown Prince affirms the Kingdom’s commitment to the “One China” policy

A Saudi-Chinese agreement to hold a summit between the two leaderships every two years and to sign agreements worth billions of dollars.. The Saudi Crown Prince affirms the Kingdom’s commitment to the “One China” policy

    Thursday, December 08, 2022   No comments

 

A Saudi diplomatic source in Riyadh told the German news agency that “the Saudi and Chinese sides agreed to hold a summit between the two leaderships every two years,” without disclosing further details.

The agreement comes during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the Kingdom, which is the second, and it came at the invitation of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said today, Thursday, that Riyadh is firmly committed to the "one-China" principle and supports Beijing in protecting its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.

  In a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, bin Salman said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is firmly committed to the principle of ‘One China’, supports China in defending its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, supports the measures and efforts that China is making to de-radicalize, and strongly opposes external interference in China's internal affairs under the pretext of protecting human rights,” according to China Central Television, according to Sputnik.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the summit of the Chinese-Gulf Cooperation Council, in addition to the first-ever Chinese-Arab meeting, and indicated that the summit will be a “milestone” in the development of Chinese-Arab relations.

The Chinese president affirmed his country's readiness to strengthen relations and cooperation with Riyadh in various fields, and to support peace and stability around the world.

Today, the Chinese president held talks with Saudi leaders on the second day of his visit to Riyadh, Thursday, before witnessing the signing of billions of dollars worth of agreements between the two economic powers aspiring to enhance their rapprochement, despite Washington's warnings of the escalation of Beijing's influence.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shook hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping when he got out of his car upon his arrival at Al Yamama Palace in Riyadh, the official residence of the king and the seat of the royal court, according to footage broadcast by state media.

Later, the Chinese president met with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and in the presence of the crown prince, they signed the "comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between the Kingdom and China," according to the Saudi Press Agency. They also agreed to hold a meeting of the leaders of the two countries every two years.

"China-Saudi cooperation has broad future prospects, and the Chinese side regards the Saudi side as an important force in a multipolar world, and attaches great importance to developing a comprehensive strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia," Xi said, according to Chinese state media.

The Chinese president confirmed that Beijing is ready to expand oil trade with Riyadh and will "list Saudi Arabia as an outbound tourism destination" for Chinese citizens.

Xi was awarded an honorary doctorate in management from King Saud University "in recognition of his achievements and great efforts in management and leadership, and in gratitude for the thriving relationship and continuous cooperation between the two friendly countries," according to the agency.

And Saudi government media reported that the visit witnesses the signing of agreements worth about $29.3 billion in several fields, at a time when China wants to strengthen its economy affected by the Corona virus, while the Saudis, historical allies of the United States, seek to diversify their economic and political alliances.

- important partner -

During the visit, the Chinese president will participate in two Gulf-Chinese and Arab-Chinese summits attended by leaders of the countries of the region who have already begun to flock to the Saudi capital, including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

China, the largest consumer of Saudi oil, is strengthening its trade and political ties with a region that has long relied on the United States for military protection but has expressed fears of a diminishing American presence.

Hours after his arrival on Wednesday, Saudi state media announced 34 investment agreements in sectors including green hydrogen, information technology, transportation and construction.

The official Saudi Press Agency did not include additional details, but said that total trade between the two countries amounted to 304 billion Saudi riyals ($80 billion) in 2021 and 103 billion Saudi riyals ($27 billion) in the third quarter of 2022.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman believes that China is an important partner in the “Vision 2030” economic reform, as he seeks to involve Chinese companies in huge and ambitious projects aimed at diversifying the economy away from fossil fuels.

These projects include the future city of NEOM, which has an investment value of $500 billion and will rely heavily on facial recognition technology and surveillance.

Saudi Investment Minister Khaled Al-Falih said that Xi's visit will contribute to raising the pace of economic and investment cooperation between the two countries, as the visit provides "returns" to Chinese companies and investors, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

- Interviews with Arab leaders -

Diplomats based in Riyadh reported that the Chinese president may hold bilateral talks Thursday with other Arab leaders who arrived in Saudi Arabia ahead of Friday's summits.

Tunisian President Kais Saied will also arrive in Riyadh on Thursday. The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, will also attend. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shiaa Al-Sudani and Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch confirmed their presence.

China's foreign ministry said Xi's program represented "the largest large-scale diplomatic activity between China and the Arab world since the founding of the People's Republic of China."

This was not lost on the eyes of the White House, which warned of "the influence that China is trying to develop around the world."

"We are aware of the influence that China is trying to expand around the world," John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council at the White House, told reporters. The Middle East is certainly among these regions where they want to deepen their level of influence,” he said, adding, “We believe that many of the things they seek, and the way they seek them, are not compatible with maintaining the international order governed by specific rules.”

"We're not asking countries to choose between the United States and China, but as the president has said many times, we believe the United States is certainly in a position to lead in this strategic competition," Kirby continued.

Washington has long been a close partner of Riyadh, but the relationship has recently soured over disagreements over energy policy, US security guarantees to countries in the region, and human rights.

Xi is making his third trip abroad since the COVID-19 pandemic prompted China to close its borders and embark on a series of lockdowns, hurting its giant economy.

Putin visits Iran to participate in a summit with Erdogan and President

Putin visits Iran to participate in a summit with Erdogan and President

    Tuesday, July 12, 2022   No comments

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed today, Tuesday, that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Tehran on July 19.

Peskov said that President Putin will hold talks with his Iranian counterpart, Ibrahim Raisi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, within the framework of the meeting of leaders of the guarantor states of the Astana Process on the Syrian settlement.

He continued, "The president's trip to Tehran is already being prepared. There will be a meeting of the heads of the guarantor states of the Astana process to promote the Syrian settlement. In addition to the tripartite meeting, of course there will also be bilateral meetings and separate talks with the Turkish president," adding: "Yesterday we announced high-level contacts. The level between Putin and Erdogan, and the meeting will take place there."

The Iranian Mehr news agency had earlier quoted the head of the Iranian Parliament's Economy Committee, Mohammad Pour Ibrahimi, that President Putin would visit Iran next week.

"Potential consultations between Putin and my president are likely to focus on developing economic cooperation between Iran and Russia," Ebrahimi said.

The announcement of the visit coincides with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan saying that his country has information that Tehran is preparing to provide Moscow with hundreds of drones, and train Russian soldiers to use them.

In a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, on June 29, on the sidelines of the sixth summit meeting of the countries bordering the Caspian Sea, Putin confirmed that both countries are in constant communication on security issues, and that they have many things to talk about.

Raisi said, at the time, that Russian-Iranian trade relations are developing, and nothing will stop this development, commenting: "The agreements we reached are under implementation, and this indicates that the will of our two countries aims to develop trade and economic relations."