EU Ambassador Patrick Simonnet draws parallels between Kingdom’s Vision 2030 initiatives and the European Green Deal
Exclusive interview given to Arab News to mark Europe Day, which celebrates peace and unity at the heart of EU project
Updated 31 min 42 sec ago
NOOR NUGALI
May 08, 2021 20:30
RIYADH: On May 9 each year, the European Union’s 27 member states celebrate Europe Day in recognition of the continent’s integration, diversity and decades of peace. While the day is an occasion for the continent to reflect on its turbulent past and its present challenges, it is also an opportunity for it to look ahead, according to Patrick Simonnet, the EU ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman.
KABUL: The Taliban are not seeking a monopoly of power in Afghanistan, and US-led troops having failed on the battlefield should stop interfering in the country’s matters, a Taliban spokesman said on Saturday, as ties between the Taliban and Washington continue to sour.
A new chapter of mistrust has opened between the Taliban and Washington since President Joe Biden last month unilaterally announced that US-led troops would not be withdrawn by May 1 on the basis of an accord the previous administration had signed with the Taliban, but on Sept. 11.
Biden’s decision angered the Taliban, who accused the US of violating the landmark deal, and prompted the movement to boycott its participation in any meeting on Afghan peace until all foreign troops leave.
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan held talks on Saturday to discuss bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them in all fields.
Khan arrived in the Kingdom for his two-day visit on Friday upon an official invitation from the crown prince.
The two sides affirmed the depth of the historical relations between their two countries, a joint statement said, adding that they also reviewed all regional and international issues, and agreed to intensify between government officials and the private sector in both countries, with the aim of promoting bilateral relations to broader horizons in a way that serves their common interests.
AL-MUKALLA: The US has criticized the Iran-backed Houthis for refusing to meet UN Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths in the Omani capital and spurning calls to stop their deadly offensive against Yemen’s central city of Marib.
“The Houthis passed up a major opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to peace and to make progress on this proposal by refusing to meet with UN special envoy Griffiths in Muscat,” the US State Department said in a statement, adding that the Houthis contradicted their commitments to comply with the available “fair deal” to end the worsening humanitarian crisis by escalating their offensive on Marib.
CAIRO: Egypt’s Foreign Ministry and the Arab League have condemned Israeli forces’ involvement in violent clashes outside Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. More than 160 Palestinians and at least six Israeli police officers were injured in a series of confrontations at the mosque late on Friday.