English हिन्दी
Connect with us

Latest world news

Saudi Crown Prince signs $20 bn deals with Pak, to visit India tomorrow

Published

on

Saudi Crown Prince signs $20 bn deals with Pak, to visit India tomorrow

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]While India hopes for a strong joint statement against terrorism with reference to Pulwama when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman comes to India on his maiden visit tomorrow (Tuesday, Feb 19), things may not go quite as expected.

In Pakistan on Sunday, the Saudi Prince signed a slew of investment agreements worth USD 20 billion which will provide a welcome relief to the teetering economy of the cash-strapped South Asian country.

India, after the Pulwama terror attack, has been making efforts to get international community to build economic pressure on Pakistan by way of sanctions or cutting off aid to penalise it for harbouring terrorists.

Prince Salman said Saudi “cannot say no to Pakistan, whatever you (Pakistan) want we will do.”

“Today we signed MoUs. The amount of that kind of investment is USD 20 billion. It is big for phase one and definitely it (Saudi investment in Pakistan) will grow every month, every year in bigger numbers and it will be beneficial for both the countries,” Prince Salman said, according to media reports.

“Pakistan is going to be very, very important country in the future and we want to be sure we are part of that,” he added.

After Pakistan, the crown prince will travel to India and is expected to finish his tour with a visit to China on Thursday and Friday.

Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan said Saudi Arabia has always been there when Pakistan needed friends. “I want to thank you for the way you helped us when we were in (a) bad situation,” Khan told the royal guest, adding that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were now taking their relationship to a new level, where investment agreements would be mutually beneficial for the countries.

“The future is exciting for both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia after joining hands,” he said.

Karachi School’s registration suspended after students dance on Indian song

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has already made two trips to Saudi Arabia since taking office in August. Pakistani troops are known to provide protection to members of the Saudi royal family. With the US pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, Saudi Arabia is once again looking to nuclear-armed Pakistan for security in the event of Iran developing an atomic bomb.

Given these facts, it would be unrealistic to expect, as media reports suggest India does, Prince Salman to explicitly back India’s stance vis-a-vis Pakistan on terrorism. According to reports citing sources, India will be looking for some “strong language” on terrorism besides announcing steps to boost counter-terrorism cooperation with Saudi Arabia in a joint statement expected to be issued at the end of Prince Salman’s visit.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti tweeted that this development between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will put the government of India in a “precarious position” when the crown prince visits tomorrow.

Pulwama aftermath: Pakistan calls its High Commissioner in India for consultations

After last week’s Pulwama attack in which at least 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed by a suicide bomber driving a vehicle rigged with explosives, terrorism has emerged as a major talking point for India during discussions scheduled during the Prince’s visit.

The India trip was to be dominated by talks on increasing Saudi investments in India’s energy sector, with oil giant Saudi Aramco looking to invest in refineries in India besides retailing of fuel.

India has also been hoping for investment from Saudi Arabia in its National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) on the lines of investments by the United Arab Emirates.

Pulwama terror attack: Govt withdraws security cover of five Kashmir separatist leaders

The visit by Prince Salman, who is also the Vice President of Saudi Arabia’s council of ministers, follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s much hyped trip to that country in April 2016, during which the two sides had agreed to further elevate their existing strategic partnership.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Latest world news

Trump rejects Iran’s 7-day peace plan, says deal can come after US polls

US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s seven-day proposal to end hostilities and indicated that a deal could come after the US midterm elections in November.

Published

on

Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s latest proposal aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing conflict, while indicating that a possible agreement could come after the US midterm elections in November.

Iran had proposed a seven-day framework under which hostilities could be brought to an end, the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and negotiations over its nuclear programme could resume.

Iran’s seven-day proposal

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had put forward the proposal through intermediaries. Under the plan, the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened by the end of the seventh day if specified conditions were met, while broader nuclear discussions would restart.

The proposal was based largely on an earlier understanding reached between Washington and Tehran, but Iran sought to implement the latest framework much faster. The earlier arrangement had provided a longer period for negotiations.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important waterway for global energy shipments, making its reopening a key element of any effort to ease the wider conflict.

Trump points to US midterm elections

Trump, speaking at the United Nations, showed no indication that he was ready to immediately resume negotiations on the terms proposed by Tehran.

He called for the economic isolation of Iran and said he believed a deal could be reached after the US midterm elections in November. Trump also said Iran was waiting to see how he performed in the midterm elections.

The remarks came as Iranian officials signalled that they remained open to diplomacy and described the UN General Assembly as an opportunity to revive negotiations.

Nuclear talks remain part of Iran proposal

Iran’s latest plan links the easing of hostilities with the resumption of negotiations over its nuclear programme.

The proposal follows the collapse of an earlier US-Iran arrangement. According to reporting on the latest proposal, the new framework is intended to compress the timeline for implementing commitments that had previously been discussed by the two sides.

For now, Trump’s remarks indicate that Washington is not accepting Tehran’s seven-day framework as presented, while Iran continues to put diplomacy and negotiations forward as part of its proposal.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

Iranian President Pezeshkian at UN says Iranians have been victims of US terrorism

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at the UN General Assembly that Iranians had been victims of US terrorism and insisted that Iran had acted in self-defence.

Published

on

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of subjecting Iranians to what he described as terrorism while addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

Pezeshkian said Iran had defended itself against attacks and rejected the characterisation of the country as a terrorist actor. His remarks came during a rare wartime appearance at the UN as tensions between Iran and the United States remain high.

Pezeshkian accuses US and Israel of attacks

Speaking at the General Assembly, Pezeshkian said Iranian civilians had been targeted by attacks and described the actions against his country as aggression.

“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” he said, according to the report.

Pezeshkian also accused the United States and Israel of attacking Iran, while maintaining that Tehran’s response was an act of self-defence.

The Iranian president displayed photographs of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren who, according to his account, were killed during the early days of the conflict.

Iran’s message at the UN

Pezeshkian’s address came against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and heightened tensions in the region.

Iranian officials had indicated ahead of the UN visit that they intended to highlight what Tehran considers attacks against its people and raise concerns over the international response to the conflict.

The Iranian delegation’s visit to New York also comes amid restrictions imposed by the United States on the delegation’s movement and other aspects of its stay, according to reporting ahead of the address.

Pezeshkian says Iran defended itself

Pezeshkian’s central message at the UN was that Iran’s military actions should be viewed as a response to attacks rather than terrorism.

His description of the conflict and the allegations against the United States and Israel represent the Iranian government’s position. They should therefore be attributed to Pezeshkian rather than presented as independently established facts.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

PM Modi’s Canada visit could help wrap trade talks, says Canada PM Mark Carney

Canadian PM Mark Carney said he is looking forward to hosting PM Narendra Modi, with both countries aiming to conclude their ongoing trade negotiations.

Published

on

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he is looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as India and Canada continue efforts to advance their bilateral relationship and conclude ongoing trade negotiations.

The two countries have been working towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides previously setting a target to conclude the negotiations in 2026.

Carney and Modi have held discussions on strengthening economic ties between India and Canada, including trade and investment. Their engagement has gained momentum following Carney’s visit to India earlier this year.

India-Canada trade talks

India and Canada formally resumed efforts towards a broader trade agreement after a period of strained bilateral ties. The two sides have committed to advancing negotiations on a CEPA covering their economic relationship.

In June, Carney and Modi reviewed progress in bilateral economic cooperation during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. They expressed satisfaction with the progress in CEPA negotiations and reaffirmed their shared objective of concluding the talks in 2026.

During Carney’s visit to India in March, the two leaders had also agreed to accelerate negotiations on the CEPA and work towards finalising the agreement during 2026.

Modi’s proposed Canada visit

Carney had invited PM Modi to visit Canada in 2026, and the two leaders agreed to remain engaged through diplomatic channels to work towards a mutually convenient date for the visit.

The proposed visit comes as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to build on renewed diplomatic and economic engagement, with trade negotiations remaining a key part of the relationship.

The focus on completing the trade talks comes as both countries look to expand commercial ties and establish a broader economic framework through the proposed CEPA.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com