Egypt to exempt travelers who bring gold from customs duties

Egypt to exempt travelers who bring gold from customs duties
Egypt’s Cabinet has approved a draft decree exempting gold imports brought by travelers from abroad from customs duties for a period of six months. (Shutterstock/File)
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Updated 11 May 2023
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Egypt to exempt travelers who bring gold from customs duties

Egypt to exempt travelers who bring gold from customs duties
  • The Cabinet said that the draft decree will provide exemptions for half-manufactured gold imports
  • The exemption does not apply to natural or cultivated pearls, gemstones, or composite or inlaid semi-precious stones on jewelry

CAIRO: Egypt’s Cabinet has approved a draft decree exempting gold imports brought by travelers from abroad from customs duties for a period of six months.
The Egyptian Council of Ministers made the decision in its weekly meeting.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Cabinet said that the draft decree will provide exemptions for half-manufactured gold imports, gold prepared for currency trade, and jewelry parts made or coated with a layer of precious metals.
The exemption does not apply to natural or cultivated pearls, gemstones, or composite or inlaid semi-precious stones on jewelry.
The Cabinet approval follows efforts to stabilize gold prices and reduce smuggling attempts at customs checkpoints.
Egypt has recently witnessed a rise in gold prices.
The price of gold on the Egyptian market is determined by several factors, including the value of the dollar, supply and demand, and the policies of the Central Bank.
In a related development, three Egyptian passengers were recently detained while attempting to smuggle gold bars out via Cairo airport.
Airport customs stopped the passengers following their arrival from Saudi Arabia on two flights.
The gold was seized and legal measures were taken against the travelers.
In the first case, customs officers found four gold bars weighing 400 grams in possession of a passenger arriving from Jeddah.
Officers stopped a second passenger as he tried to leave the terminal carrying three gold bars weighing 330 grams.
In the third case, six gold bars weighing 690 grams were seized from a passenger arriving from Jeddah.


Thousands of Armenians flee Nagorno-Karabakh as Turkish president visits Azerbaijan

Thousands of Armenians flee Nagorno-Karabakh as Turkish president visits Azerbaijan
Updated 9 sec ago
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Thousands of Armenians flee Nagorno-Karabakh as Turkish president visits Azerbaijan

Thousands of Armenians flee Nagorno-Karabakh as Turkish president visits Azerbaijan
  • Thousands of Armenians have streamed out of Nagorno-Karabakh after the Azerbaijani military reclaimed full control of the separatist region
  • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting Azerbaijan in a show of support to its ally
YEREVAN: Thousands of Armenians streamed out of Nagorno-Karabakh after the Azerbaijani military reclaimed full control of the breakaway region while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Azerbaijan Monday in a show of support to its ally.
The Azerbaijani military routed Armenian forces in a 24-hour blitz last week, forcing the separatist authorities to agree to lay down weapons and start talks on Nagorno-Karabakh’s “reintegration” into Azerbaijan after three decades of separatist rule.
A second round of talks between Azerbaijani officials and separatist representatives began in Khojaly Tuesday following the opening meeting last week.
While Azerbaijan pledged to respect the rights of ethnic Armenians in the region and restore supplies after a 10-month blockade, many local residents feared reprisals and said they were planning to leave for Armenia.
The Armenian government said that 4,850 Nagorno-Karabakh residents had fled to Armenia as of midday Monday.
“It was a nightmare. There are no words to describe. The village was heavily shelled. Almost no one is left in the village,” said one of the evacuees who spoke to The Associated Press in the Armenian city of Kornidzor and refused to give her name for security reasons.
Moscow said that Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh were assisting the evacuation.
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said Monday that two of its soldiers were killed a day earlier when a military truck hit a land mine. It didn’t name the area where the explosion occurred.
In an address to the nation Sunday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said his government was working with international partners to protect the rights and security of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“If these efforts do not produce concrete results, the government will welcome our sisters and brothers from Nagorno-Karabakh in the Republic of Armenia with every care,” he said.
Demonstrators demanding Pashinyan’s resignation continued blocking the Armenian capital’s main avenues Monday, clashing occasionally with police.
Russian peacekeepers have been in the region since 2020, when a Russian-brokered armistice ended a six-week war between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Pashinyan and many others in Armenia accused the peacekeepers of failing to prevent the hostilities and protect the Armenian population. Moscow rejected the accusations, arguing that its forces had no legal grounds to intervene, particularly after Pashinyan’s recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan.
“We are categorically against attempts to put the blame on the Russian side, especially the Russian peacekeepers, who have shown a true heroism,” Peskov said in a conference call with reporters.
He demurred when asked whether the Russian peacekeepers would remain in the region, saying that “no one can really say anything for now.”
Nagorno-Karabakh came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by the Armenian military, in separatist fighting that ended in 1994. During the war in 2020, Azerbaijan took back parts of Nagorno-Karabakh along with surrounding territory that Armenian forces had claimed during the earlier conflict.
In December, Azerbaijan imposed a blockade of the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, alleging that the Armenian government was using the road for mineral extraction and illicit weapons shipments to the region’s separatist forces.
Armenia charged that the closure denied basic food and fuel supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh’s approximately 120,000 people. Azerbaijan rejected the accusation, arguing the region could receive supplies through the Azerbaijani city of Aghdam — a solution long resisted by Nagorno-Karabakh authorities, who called it a strategy for Azerbaijan to gain control of the region.
On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged support for Armenia and Armenians, saying that France will mobilize food and medical aid for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, and keep working toward a ‘’sustainable peace’’ in the region.
France, which has a big Armenian diaspora, has for decades played a mediating role in Nagorno-Karabakh. A few hundred people rallied outside the French Foreign Ministry over the weekend, demanding sanctions against Azerbaijan and accusing Paris of not doing enough to protect Armenian interests in the region.
“France is very vigilant about Armenia’s territorial integrity because that is what is at stake,” Macron said in an interview with France-2 and TF1 television, accusing Russia of complicity with Azerbaijan and charging that Turkiye threatens Armenia’s borders.
Russia has been the main ally and sponsor of Armenia and has a military base there, but it also has sought to maintain friendly ties with Azerbaijan. But Moscow’s clout in the region has waned quickly amid the Russian war in Ukraine while the influence of Azerbaijan’s top ally Turkiye has increased.
Erdogan arrived in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave on Monday for talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to discuss Turkiye-Azerbaijan ties and regional and global issues. Nakhchivan is cut off from the rest of Azerbaijan by Armenian territory but forms a slim border with Turkiye.
During his one-day trip to the region, Erdogan will also attend the opening of a gas pipeline and a modernized military base, his office added in a statement.
Asked about Erdogan’s visit, Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, voiced hope that it will “contribute to the regional security and help normalize life in Karabakh.”

Jordan’s archaeological discoveries reach 100,000 with 15,000 registered sites

Jordan’s archaeological discoveries reach 100,000 with 15,000 registered sites
Updated 21 min 56 sec ago
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Jordan’s archaeological discoveries reach 100,000 with 15,000 registered sites

Jordan’s archaeological discoveries reach 100,000 with 15,000 registered sites
  • Jordan’s tourism sector currently provides 55,000 employment opportunities

Jordan’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Makram Qeisi announced that the kingdom has uncovered a total of 100,000 archaeological sites, with 15,000 of them officially registered, Petra news agency reported on Sunday. 

The announcement was made during the inauguration of a workshop at the iHERITAGE exhibition for the ICT Mediterranean platform, which focused on UNESCO cultural heritage. The platform featured holographic representations of Petra, Jordanian folklore, and museums at the Petra visitor center.

Jordan’s tourism sector currently provides 55,000 employment opportunities and contributes 13 percent to the country’s gross domestic product. Plans are underway to further expand and modernize this sector in line with the country’s economic vision.

The exhibition marked the official launch of the website for Petra and other tourist destinations. The website offers a 3D tourism experience.


Iraq says foreign policy objective is to bolster humanitarian response rates in Syria, Yemen 

Iraq says foreign policy objective is to bolster humanitarian response rates in Syria, Yemen 
Updated 25 September 2023
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Iraq says foreign policy objective is to bolster humanitarian response rates in Syria, Yemen 

Iraq says foreign policy objective is to bolster humanitarian response rates in Syria, Yemen 
  • Iraq advocates for a Syrian-Syrian resolution to the Syrian crisis and a Yemeni-Yemeni solution to the Yemeni situation

Boosting the humanitarian response rates in Yemen and Syria aligns with Iraq’s foreign policy objective, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday. 

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is committed to a balanced approach in representing Iraq’s interests. It has consistently conveyed its stance on key developments in Yemen, Syria, and various Arab nations,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Al-Sahhaf told Iraqi News Agency.

“Iraq advocates for a Syrian-Syrian resolution to the Syrian crisis and a Yemeni-Yemeni solution to the Yemeni situation, without external intervention. Our commitment lies in an escalating and expanding effort to achieve the highest levels of humanitarian response, given the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Yemen and Syria,” Al-Sahhaf added.

Al-Sahhaf said Iraq had voiced this position during its participation in international meetings led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein. 

“Our primary focus is on securing the necessary resources and support for all parties involved in Yemen and Syria, with the aim of facilitating a path that preserves the unity of interests within these countries. This is the foundational principle guiding our efforts,” he said. 

The Iraqi official says his country is committed to regional stability and the well-being of its neighbors, as it actively engages in diplomatic efforts to address the crises in Yemen and Syria while placing a strong emphasis on humanitarian assistance.


Bahrain FM meets UN secretary-general

Bahrain FM meets UN secretary-general
Updated 25 September 2023
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Bahrain FM meets UN secretary-general

Bahrain FM meets UN secretary-general

Bahrain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani held talks recently with Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the UN, on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly.

Al-Zayani and Guterres discussed Bahrain’s cooperation with the UN and its agencies, and various topics of common interest, state news agency BNA reported on Sunday. 

Guterres thanked Bahrain for its support of the UN, and progress in developing a sustainable economy, and wished the kingdom further prosperity.


UAE, Japan hold first top-level meeting under Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Initiative

UAE, Japan hold first top-level meeting under Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Initiative
Updated 19 min ago
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UAE, Japan hold first top-level meeting under Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Initiative

UAE, Japan hold first top-level meeting under Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Initiative
  • Kamikawa expressed her appreciation for the UAE’s stable supply of crude oil to Japan and the UAE’s generosity in helping Japanese companies participate in upstream development over many years

TOKYO: Sultan Al-Jaber, the UAE’s minister of industry and advanced technology, met Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko in Tokyo on Monday in the first ministerial level meeting under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Initiative.

“It is my pleasure to meet you for the first time,” said Kamikawa, who was appointed foreign minister on Sept. 13. “Please let me begin by expressing my heartfelt appreciation for the congratulations message you sent me on my appointment as the foreign minister of Japan.”

Kamikawa expressed her appreciation for the UAE’s stable supply of crude oil to Japan and the UAE’s generosity in helping Japanese companies participate in upstream development over many years. She also asked for the UAE to help in stabilizing the crude oil market and for possible production increases. 

“I must congratulate you for your new post and want you to know that I want to establish a very direct dialogue and relationship and partnership with you and expand our strategic partnership and the relationship between our two countries,” Al-Jaber told Kamikawa.

The two ministers exchanged views on the “Japan-UAE Innovation Partnership” and the “Global Green Energy Hub” concept discussed during Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio’s recent visit to the UAE.  

Kamikawa expressed her appreciation for Al-Jaber’s support in receiving the Japanese prime minister in the UAE in July this year. 

“Prime Minister Kishida’s visit to the UAE in July was very fruitful,” she said. “I thank you once again for your support. Japan puts great importance on its relationship with the UAE as its strategic partner. I look forward to working together with the UAE and enhancing bilateral cooperation in various fields, as well as responding to the challenges in the Middle East region and for the international community.” In response, Al-Jaber expressed his strong hopes to strengthen bilateral relations with Japan. 

Kamikawa said that Japan was fully committed to making its utmost contribution to the success of COP28, which will take place in the UAE from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12. As COP28 president-designate, Al-Jaber explained the status of preparations for COP28 and said he looked forward to Japan’s contributions. 

The two ministers also exchanged views on cooperation in defense and in the international arena, including at the UN Security Council, and on expos and other issues.

The ministerial level meeting of the CSPI was established through the “Joint Declaration on the Implementation of the CSPI” signed between Japan and the UAE in September 2022. The two ministers agreed to continue using the CSPI framework as a forum for consultation between the two countries. 

This article was first publishing on arabnews.jp