You are here

  • Home
  • UAE left Combined Maritime Forces two months ago, foreign affairs ministry says

UAE left Combined Maritime Forces two months ago, foreign affairs ministry says

UAE left Combined Maritime Forces two months ago, foreign affairs ministry says
Short Url

https://arab.news/54wfc

Updated 31 May 2023
Arab News
Follow

UAE left Combined Maritime Forces two months ago, foreign affairs ministry says

UAE left Combined Maritime Forces two months ago, foreign affairs ministry says
Updated 31 May 2023
Arab News
Follow

DUBAI: The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) says the country is committed to peaceful dialogue and diplomatic engagement as a means of advancing the shared goals of regional security and stability, state news agency WAM reported on Wednesday.

The statement came as the ministry revealed it had withdrawn its participation in the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).

“As a result of our ongoing evaluation of effective security cooperation with all partners, two months ago, the UAE withdrew its participation in the Combined Maritime Forces,” the statement explained.

According to the CMF website, the organization is a “multinational maritime partnership which exists to uphold the Rules-Based International Order (RBIO) by countering illicit non-state actors on the high seas and promoting security, stability, and prosperity across international waters.”

The UAE’s MoFA statement concluded that the UAE remained committed to responsibly ensuring the safety of navigation in its seas, in accordance with international law.

 




Joint land exercises have been taking place between the UAE and US. (WAM)

The news of the UAE’s withdrawal broke as its military took part in join exercises with the US, dubbed ‘Iron Union 19.’

The joint exercise, staged in the UAE, featured military scenarios aimed at strengthening joint coordination and to build combat readiness, as well as tactical proficiency.

Topics: Combined Maritime Forces UAE Military US

Related

UAE launches training initiative for nation’s diplomats
Middle-East
UAE launches training initiative for nation’s diplomats
EVs to be at core of shift to green mobility, says UAE minister
Business & Economy
EVs to be at core of shift to green mobility, says UAE minister

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 16 sec ago
Arab News
Follow

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
Updated 16 sec ago
Arab News

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.

Topics: Jordan

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 44 min 24 sec ago
Arab News
Follow

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
Updated 44 min 24 sec ago
Arab News

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.

Topics: Yemen Syria Iraq

Bahrain FM meets UN secretary-general

Bahrain FM meets UN secretary-general
Updated 25 September 2023
Arab News
Follow

Bahrain FM meets UN secretary-general

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

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.

Topics: Bahrain

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 25 September 2023
Arab News Japan
Follow

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
Updated 25 September 2023
Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Sultan Al Jaber, the UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, met with 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 Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio’s recent visit to the UAE.  

Kamikawa expressed her appreciation for Minister Jaber’s support in receiving Prime Minister Kishida 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, Minister Jaber expressed his strong hopes to strengthen bilateral relations with Japan. 

Kamikawa stated that Japan is 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, Jaber explained the status of preparations for COP28 and looked forward to Japan’s contributions. 

The two ministers also exchanged views on cooperation in the fields of defense, cooperation in the international arena, including the UN Security Council, 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 utilizing the CSPI framework as a forum for consultation between the two countries. 

This article was first publishing on arabnews.jp 

Topics: Japan UAE

Libya's top prosecutor says 8 officials jailed as part of investigation into dams' deadly collapse

Libya's top prosecutor says 8 officials jailed as part of investigation into dams' deadly collapse
Updated 23 min 37 sec ago
AP
Follow

Libya's top prosecutor says 8 officials jailed as part of investigation into dams' deadly collapse

Libya's top prosecutor says 8 officials jailed as part of investigation into dams' deadly collapse
  • The official death toll keeps rising, passing 3,800 on Saturday
Updated 23 min 37 sec ago
AP

CAIRO: Libya’s chief prosecutor said Monday he ordered the detention of eight current and former officials pending his investigation into the collapse of two dams earlier this month, a disaster that sent a wall of water several meters high through the center of a coastal city and left thousands of people dead.
The two dams outside the city of Derna broke up on Sep. 11 after they were overwhelmed by Storm Daniel, which caused heavy rain across eastern Libya. The failure of the structures inundated as much as a quarter of the city, officials have said, destroying entire neighborhoods and sweeping people out to sea.
Government officials and aid agencies have given estimated death tolls ranging from more than 4,000 to over 11,000. The bodies of many of the people killed still are under rubble or in the Mediterranean, according to search teams.
A statement by the office of General Prosecutor al-Sidiq al-Sour said prosecutors on Sunday questioned seven former and current officials with the Water Resources Authority and the Dams Management Authority over allegations that mismanagement, negligence and mistakes contributed to the disaster.
Derna Mayor Abdel-Moneim al-Ghaithi, who was sacked after the disaster, was also questioned, the statement said.
Prosecutors ordered the eight to be jailed pending the investigation, the statement added.
The dams were built by a Yugoslav construction company in the 1970s above Wadi Derna, a river valley which divides the city. They were meant to protect the city from flash floods, which are not uncommon in the area. The dams were not maintained for decades, despite warnings by scientists that they may burst.
A report by a state-run audit agency in 2021 said the two dams hadn’t been maintained despite the allocation of more than $2 million for that purpose in 2012 and 2013.
A Turkish firm was contracted in 2007 to carry out maintenance on the two dams and to build a third one in between them. The firm, Arsel Construction Company Ltd., said on its website that it completed its work in November 2012. It didn’t respond to an email seeking further comment.
Two weeks on, local and international teams were still digging through mud and hollowed-out buildings, looking for bodies. They also combing the Mediterranean off Derna, searching for boding swept away in the floods.
The floods have left as many as a third of Derna’s housing and infrastructure damaged, according to the U.N.’s Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA. Authorities have evacuated the most impacted part of the city, leaving only search and ambulance teams, OCHA said.
The World Health Organization says more than 4,000 deaths have been registered dead, including foreigners, but a previous death toll given by the head of Libya’s Red Crescent was at 11,300. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says at least 9,000 people are still missing.
The storm hit other areas in eastern Libya, including the towns of Bayda, Susa, Marj and Shahatt. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in the region and took shelter in schools and other government buildings.
The questioning and jailing of officials were a first crucial step by the chief prosecutor in his investigation which is likely to face daunting challenges due to the country’s yearslong division.
Since 2014, eastern Libya has been under the control of Gen. Khalifa Hifter and his self-styled Libyan National Army. A rival government, based in the capital, Tripoli, controls most national funds and oversees infrastructure projects. Neither tolerates dissent.
The Supreme Council of State, an advisory body based in Tripoli, has called for a “thorough international investigation,” echoing a call by many residents across Libya. Such call mirrors the deep mistrust in state institutions.

Topics: Libya floods Libya Derna

Related

Libya’s flood-hit Derna to host reconstruction conference: authorities
Middle-East
Libya’s flood-hit Derna to host reconstruction conference: authorities
Libya flood disaster displaced over 43,000 people: IOM
Middle-East
Libya flood disaster displaced over 43,000 people: IOM

Latest updates

ZACTA launches initiative to apply for exemption of fines before end of December
ZACTA launches initiative to apply for exemption of fines before end of December
Jordan’s archaeological discoveries reach 100,000 with 15,000 registered sites
Jordan’s archaeological discoveries reach 100,000 with 15,000 registered sites
Middle East hotels’ F&B segment remains a strong earner despite pressures: panel
Middle East hotels’ F&B segment remains a strong earner despite pressures: panel
Saudi industry minister conducts meetings with Chinese mining companies
Saudi industry minister conducts meetings with Chinese mining companies
Marriott announces 2 luxury properties in NEOM’s mountain destination 
Marriott announces 2 luxury properties in NEOM’s mountain destination 

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2023 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.