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by Oui (Oui) on Fri Mar 31st, 2023 at 09:40:04 PM EST
2021
ASEAN Briefing | UK Joins ASEAN as Dialogue Partner, Looking at Joining CPTPP Asia-Pacific Free Trade Agreement
... As a Dialogue Partner, the UK gains high-level access to ASEAN, alongside enhanced practical cooperation on various policy issues with the regional bloc. It also enables the UK to join other important dialogue partners, including the US, China, and India....
2022
uk.gov | ASEAN-UK Dialogue Partnership: plan of action 2022 to 2026
[..]
  1. Political and security cooperation ...
  2. Economic cooperation ...
  3. Socio-cultural cooperation
  4. Cross-pillars cooperation ...
  5. ASEAN institutional strengthening ...
  6. Implementation mechanisms ...
[...]
2023
ASEAN | ASEAN, UK reaffirm commitment to strengthen dialogue partnership
... At the meeting, officials from both sides exchanged views on the developments in ASEAN and the UK and reviewed cooperation between both sides. The meeting noted the progress in the implementation of the ASEAN-United Kingdom Plan of Action (POA) (2022-2026) which serves as a guide to further substantiate the partnership with a focus on areas of mutual interest and benefit. The meeting hoped that the effective implementation of the POA will contribute to further enhancing cooperation between the two sides.

The meeting touched upon four key economic partnership priorities that ASEAN aims to further advance with the UK through economic cooperation and integration efforts that are fit-for-purpose for the 21st century environment, namely strengthening market integration; sustainability and decarbonisation; digital transformation; and inclusivity, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and Public-Private Partnership.

On the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), ASEAN encouraged the UK to develop and support cooperation projects and activities which dovetail with the areas of cooperation of the AOIP such as on maritime cooperation, connectivity, UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, as well as economic and other areas of cooperation....

Guardian | UK joins Asia-Pacific CPTPP trade bloc that includes Japan and Australia
... The government said the deal, which will cut tariffs on exports of food, drink, and cars, would generate £1.8bn of extra income once it had been up and running for 10 years, which is about 0.08% of the UK's annual gross national product (GDP).

Unions condemned clauses in the deal that will allow large companies to sue the UK government behind closed doors if they believe their profits have suffered from changes to laws or regulations.
[...]
As the first non-founding member [FALSE] of the bloc, the UK is expected to set the template for other applicants to join, including Costa Rica and Uruguay.

China, which applied to become a member in 2021, several months after the UK, is likely to face significant pushback from members, including the UK, that will argue Beijing should be blocked unless it complies with existing international trade rules.

The trade secretary, Kemi Badenoch, said the deal reflected newly acquired "post-Brexit freedoms to reach out to new markets around the world and grow our economy". ...

Politico.eu.com | Liz Truss: UK should stop China joining Indo-Pacific trade deal
... The U.K.'s membership, cleared in principle Thursday night, means it will have a vote on whether new applicants should be able to join. China launched a formal bid to join CPTPP in 2021.
[...]
"Now we are in CPTPP we should do our utmost to work with the others to veto [?] China joining," the (other) former Conservative leader said. "We should persuade the U.S. to join as well." The United States ditched CPTPP in its early [TPP] stages under [Mitch Obama and] Donald Trump."...
CP-TPP (2018 FTA): AU, BN, CA, CL (2022), JP, MY (2022), MX, NZ, PE (2021), SG, VN, UK (2023), CN*, CN-tw*, EC*, UY*, TH*, CR*, PH*, KR*

* observer, dialogue, or applicant status

by Cat on Sat Apr 1st, 2023 at 06:35:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
euractiv | UK claims post-Brexit win by sealing trans-Pacific trade pact membership, 31 Mar
...Britain will be the first new member since the creation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in 2018, and the first European country in the bloc....
fail
by Cat on Sat Apr 1st, 2023 at 06:48:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
von.gov.ng | ICT [sic] Orders US To Pay Compensation For Freezing Iranian Assets, 30 Mar
The International Court of Justice, ICJ, has ordered the United States to pay compensation to Iranian companies after ruling that Washington had illegally allowed courts to freeze their assets. The United Nations' top court, also known as the World Court, did not specify the exact amount in its ruling on Thursday but said it would be determined in a later phase.

In a blow for Tehran, however, the tribunal in The Hague said it did not have jurisdiction over $1.75bn in frozen assets from Iran's central bank held in a Citibank [!] account in New York, by far the largest amount claimed back by Tehran.
[...]
the ICJ ruled that it was still in place at the time of the freezing of the assets of Iranian commercial companies and entities, and that therefore Washington violated the treaty. According to the judges, however, the court has no jurisdiction over the $1.75bn in assets held by the US because Iran's central bank - known as the Bank Markazi - is not a commercial enterprise, and thus not protected by the treaty.
[...]

by Cat on Sat Apr 1st, 2023 at 10:19:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
euractiv | Solidarity march in Pristina on eve of trial against Kosovo's KLA fighters, 3 Apr
in support of former Kosovo* Liberation Army [KLA] members who are facing trial in The Hague, with citizens calling for justice.

The Special Chambers court was set up [by WHOM?] to try Kosovo Albanians for alleged war crimes committed during the 1998-1999 Kosovo-Serbia war. It has been controversial since the outset as no similar structure exists for Serbia, the aggressor in the conflict.
[...]
The four face charges of war crimes stemming from the war. The hearing [read: US-Eng. law, arraignment] on Monday will serve to familiarise the accused with the charges, while on 11 April, the hearing of some 300 witnesses will begin.

"Each of the accused has been charged based on individual [?!] criminal responsibility with six counts of crimes against humanity: persecution, imprisonment, other inhumane acts, torture, unlawful killing. and enforced disappearance [read: kidnap?] of persons. Also, four charges of war crimes have been brought against each accused: [1] illegal and arbitrary arrest and detention, [2] cruel treatment, [3] torture, and [4] illegal killing",  a court press release states.

wut
In the Indictment, it is claimed that [defendants] Thaçi, Veseli, Selimi, and Krasniqi bear individual criminal responsibility based on different forms of criminal responsibility for  crimes committed in the context of a non-international armed conflict [read: civil war?] in Kosovo which were part of a widespread attack and systematically against persons who were suspected of being opponents of the KLA", it continues.
[...]
It is estimated the case will conclude by 1 April 2025, during which time the three [?] will remain in prison in The Hague.
[...]
The Specialist Chambers stem from a 2010 Council of Europe Report by Swiss Senator Dick Marty. The EU analysed the report, which found grounds for indictments and established the US-supported [!] chambers.
timesofindia | War Crimes Trial of Kosovo ex-President Thaci to Start
[...]
Thaçi's rebel KLA battled Serb forces of the indepencee of the southern province in a bitter conflict that claimed more than 13,000 lives. A NATO air campaign finally forced the Serbs to withdraw.
IAEA | The consequences of NATO Bombing on the Environment in Serbia (2004)
During the air strikes in 1999 NATO used ammunition with depleted uranium (DU) in FRY. It is known that the DU has a long time of semi-disintegration; actually its effect is ever lasting. ...

UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia | Final Report to the Prosecutor by the Committee Established to Review the NATO Bombing Campaign Against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (2000)
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) conducted a bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) from 24 March 1999 to 9 June 1999. During and since that period, the Prosecutor [Louise Arbour] has received numerous requests that she investigate allegations that senior political and military figures from NATO countries committed serious violations of international humanitarian law during the campaign
[...]
91. On the basis of information available, the committee recommends that no investigation be commenced by the OTP in relation to the NATO bombing campaign or incidents occurring during the campaign.

After downing his guns, Thaçi joined politics, leading then US vice-presiden Joe Biden to once hail him as the "George Washington of Kosovo".

Rebel leaders of the KLA went on to dominate polical life in Kosovo. The Kosovo Special Chambers was set up in 2015 after a 2010 Council of Europe report linked Thaçi to organised crime during and after the war. In the years since he has also faced accusations of corruption, ["]clientelism["], and cynical politicking that blighted Kosovo's first decade of independence.
[...]

"The Thaçi Trial™ can help set Kosovo on a clearer path towards justice and the rule of law after a history of oppression," [HRW Europe and Central Asia dir Hugh] Williamson said. "And it puts the spotlight squarely on the Serbian [?!] government to hold its forces to account after years of protecting those responsible for grave crimes."
archived asterisk: "without prejudice to positions on status"

reference
D. Marty et alm,PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, Inhuman treatment of people and illicit trafficking in human organs in Kosovo* (2010)
"criminal activity, which developed with the benefit of the chaos"
European Commission, KOSOVO*; 2010 PROGRESS REPORT (2010)
"Enlargement Strategy and Main Challenges 2010-2011"
US State, 2010 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, Kosovo
wikiwtf, Accession of Kosovo to the European Union (ICYMI)

by Cat on Mon Apr 3rd, 2023 at 10:52:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Iranian Petrochemicals and Petroleum Sales and an International Sanctions Evasion Network
by Cat on Tue Apr 4th, 2023 at 10:07:00 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Iraq, KRG sign deal to restart oil exports through Türkiye
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani and Masrour Barzani, prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), announced the deal at a news conference in Baghdad.

"Halting the export of the region's oil harms Iraq's revenues," Sudani said, adding that the governments would work toward passing a federal law detailing the sharing of funds from oil and gas exports.
[...]
A formal request has been sent to Türkiye to restart oil flows through an Iraq-Türkiye pipeline and "pumping will resume in the next few hours," a Baghdad government official told Reuters.
[...]

TIKA launches 'virtual angiography' unit in Kyrgyz-Turkish hospital
A diagnostic method referred to as "virtual angiography" has been launched at the Kyrgyz-Turkish Friendship State Hospital in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, which was built and equipped by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), as per reports.
[...]
Türkiye and Kyrgyzstan have signed over a hundred agreements and protocols for cooperation in areas of politics, economics, culture, science, education and the military. Türkiye provides the most development and social aid to Kyrgyzstan, especially through TIKA.
OIC (1969 NGO): AZ, AE, IR, IQ, BD, TR, TN, SN, SL, GA, GW, QA, KW, ML, MR, YE, JO, ID, PK, AF, UZ, BH, AL, UG, BN, BJ, TM, BF, TJ, TG, TD, DZ, SA, SS, SY, SR, SO, OM, GM, GY, GN, PS, KM, KG, KZ, CM, CI, LB, LY, MV, MY, EG, MA, MZ, NE, NG
OPEC (1960 FTA): IR, IQ, KW, NG, SA, VZ, LY, AE, DZ, AO, GQ, CG, GA; PLUS OM*, s-SS*, SS*, BN*, RU*, MX*, AZ*, KZ*, MY*, BH*, EC*, ID*, QA*
INSTC (2000 TNC): AM, AZ, BY, BG, IN, IR, KZ, KG, OM, RU, TJ, TR, UA, SY; Trans-Iran leg (2022)
SCO (2001 NGO): CN, RU, IN, PK, KZ, KG, TJ, UZ, IR, AM*, AF*, AZ*, BY*, TR*, LK*, KH*, SA*, EG*

[Jeff Flake] skips Erdoğan's dinner after Turkish president slams him

[...]
The ambassador's meeting with main opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who runs against Erdoğan in May 14 elections, angered the Turkish leader.

"Joe Biden spoke, and now you see what his ambassador here does," Erdoğan told an audience during a visit to the Idealists' Club in Istanbul, an affiliate of his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). "He visited (Kılıçdaroğlu). It is a shame. You are an ambassador, and you have to know how to act. You should be engaged with the President (not Kılıçdaroğlu)," he said. "I wonder if he will be ashamed to ask for an appointment at my office. But I tell him now. Our doors are closed to him from now on, because he does not know his place. You should know how an ambassador should act," Erdoğan said.

archived USAID teams, aboard warship in Bosporus
by Cat on Tue Apr 4th, 2023 at 09:43:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Exclusive: Saudi-Omani delegation to hold ceasefire talks with Yemen's Houthis in Sanaa, 7 Apr
end[ing] the country's eight-year-old conflict, two sources involved in the talks said.

If an agreement is reached, Yemen's warring parties could announce an agreement before Islam's Eid holiday starting April 20, the sources said. The Saudi and Yemeni governments did not immediately respond to requests for a comment.
[...]
It is also a sign that regional rifts are easing after rivals Saudi Arabia [.SA] and Iran [.IR] agreed to restore relations last month after years of hostility and backing opposite sides in Middle Eastern conflicts, including Yemen [.YE].

ya think?
U.N. Special Envoy Hans Grundberg met with senior Omani and Houthi officials in Muscat this week and discussed ways [finally!] to make progress towards an < wipes tears > inclusive Yemeni-led political process, his office said. In an additional sign of progress, the Saudi-led coalition lifted eight-year-old restrictions on blockade of imports headed for Yemen's southern ports, the Saudi-backed government said.
[...]
vOLdEmoRT |  Sí, se puede!
Meanwhile, the Lebanon [.LB]-based outlet Al-Mayadeen reported that Riyadh had summoned leaders of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government on Friday, to brief them on the talks with the Houthis. Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman presented "the solution for a way out of the war on Yemen," the outlet's sources said.

According to Al-Mayadeen, the Saudi plan envisions extending the ceasefire by another year, followed by steps to reopen Yemeni ports. Riyadh is then expected to officially announce the end of the war and its intervention in Yemen.

United Nations rehabilitation
Saudi Arabia and the UN will subsequently sponsor talks between the Houthis and rival Yemeni factions, seeking a two-year transition period to establish a new government, reports have indicated.

The diplomatic breakthrough after eight years of fighting was made possible by last month's agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to re-establish diplomatic relations, brokered by China.
[...]

archived
by Cat on Fri Apr 7th, 2023 at 04:46:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
almonitor | CIA director visited Saudi Arabia, aired 'frustration' over Iran, Syria thaw, 7 Apr
... Speaking on condition of anonymity, a US official confirmed the trip to Al-Monitor. "Director Burns traveled to Saudi Arabia where he met with intelligence counterparts and country leaders on issues of shared interest," the US official said.

The official did not disclose the exact day of the trip but said that Burns discussed intelligence cooperation, especially in the area of counterterrorism. The CIA director met the country's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday....

by Cat on Sun Apr 9th, 2023 at 01:52:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]
CIA complained US was blindsided by Saudi outreach to Syria and Iran: Report | MEE |

Burns' comments challenge the US's official line that Saudi Arabia kept it informed of its talks with Iran to restore diplomatic relations.

"The Saudis did keep us informed about these talks that they were having, just as we keep them informed on our engagements," White House spokesman John Kirby said last month.

US officials have been quick to point out that they publicly supported dialogue between Iran and Saudi Arabia long before Beijing brokered the rapprochement.

CIA's Burns reaffirmed intelligence cooperation on Saudi Arabia visit - US official

The director reinforced our commitment to intelligence cooperation especially in areas of counterterrorism.

Yeah ... to root out jihadists, Mujahideen, Wahhabism preaching, etc. etc. 😂 😂

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Apr 9th, 2023 at 04:14:32 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Tue Apr 11th, 2023 at 03:53:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BRICS (2009 FTA): CN, RU, BR, IN, ZA; AR*, DZ*, EG*, ID*, IR*, CM*, ML*, SN*, TH*, UZ*, FJ*, ET*, KZ*, TN*

folha.uol.com.br | Lula Finally Visits China, 12 Apr

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) arrives in China this Wednesday (12) with commercial and financial negotiations still underway with the country of Xi Jinping - they are to meet on Friday [14.04.23], in Beijing.

Earlier, on Thursday, the PT member will attend the inauguration of former president Dilma Rousseff at the BRICS New Development Bank, in Shanghai. Lula wants investment in new productive assets and infrastructure, including railroads and hydroelectric plants, while his Chinese counterpart demands Brazil's formal entry into the Belt and Road Initiative, which completes ten years in September....

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on April 12, 2023
...PTI: President Lula of Brazil is visiting China. Will there be a discussion on BRICS especially going forward in the future and considering Brazil also is an active partner?
Wang Wenbin: We released a preview on Brazilian President Lula da Silva's visit to China [Global Times 17.03.23, 10.04.23 MOU 2022] and shared with you China's expectations [People's Daily 02.02.23] for the outcomes of the visit. As for the details of President Lula's visit to China, we will issue press releases in due course. Please check back for updates.

China's position on BRICS cooperation is consistent [fmprc BR-CN 2013]. We are ready to work with relevant countries to advance BRICS cooperation on the basis of mutual respect and equality and make our due contribution to world peace and development and solidarity and cooperation among developing countries....

folha.uol.com.br | Lula Is Met by Dilma at The Airport upon Landing in China", 13 Apr
... At the hotel, Lula met with Dilma again. He is taking part in his Workers' Party colleague's inauguration at the head of the New Development Bank (NDB), better known as BRICS Bank, this Thursday (13). Surrounded by reporters and cameras, the former president avoided talking about the bank, promising news for the interview the next day. She praised Shanghai, where she is now living: "It's a very pleasant city, with beautiful landscaping, full of trees, flowers."

Dilma's inauguration ceremony is not Lula's only commitment during his visit to Shanghai. He is also meeting with the CEO of tech giant Huawei and separately with the CEOs of BYD and CCCC. Both the Brazilian president and Janja will have to be tested again for Covid 24 hours before meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing the next day....

riotimesonline | Brazil and China make agreements on trade, technology, and agribusiness, 14 Apr

The two countries' governments will have a work plan for cooperation in electronic certification for products of animal origin. There will also be a protocol on sanitary and quarantine requirements for processed protein from land animals to be exported from Brazil to China.
riotimesonline| Washington Post criticizes Lula's visit to China
...The publication notes the posture of Lula in the first three months of his mandate contrary to the policies of the "West". It pointed out that the Brazilian president refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine, allowed Iranian warships to dock in Rio de Janeiro, and sent an advisor to meet with representatives of the Venezuelan dictatorship.

('Why not the yuan? Why not the real?' - Lula calls to find an alternative to US Dollar as trade currency)
[...]
The text also criticized the economic bloc of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS)....

fmprc | President Xi Jinping Holds Talks with Brazilian President Lula da Silva, 14 Apr
...President Xi noted that for China, 2023 is the first year of fully implementing the guiding principles set forth at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The CPC is leading the entire nation in a concerted effort to turn China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. On this new journey, China will pursue high-quality development, accelerate the creation of a new development paradigm and promote high-standard opening-up, This will unlock new opportunities for Brazil and countries around the world....

IMF imperial basket: USD, EUR, GBP, JPY
FT | Brazil's Lula calls for end to dollar trade dominance, 14 Apr, illustrated
... Kicking off his first state visit to China since taking office in January, Lula called for the countries of the so-called Brics group of nations -- which in addition to Brazil and China includes Russia, India and South Africa -- to come up with their own alternative currency for use in trade.

"Every night I ask myself why all countries have to base their trade on the dollar," Lula said in an impassioned speech at the New Development Bank in Shanghai, known as the "Brics bank".

"Why can't we do trade based on our own currencies?" he added, drawing loud applause from the audience of Brazilian and Chinese dignitaries. "Who was it that decided that the dollar was the currency after the disappearance of the gold standard?"

Lula's call to shed dollar dependence dovetailed with Beijing's increasing efforts to promote use of the renminbi [RMB] in settlement of cross-border [read: offshore FX] commodities trades, as Chinese policymakers seek to strengthen the role of the world's second-largest economy in the global financial system.....

euractiv | US, UK, EU officials met with financial firms on Russian sanctions evasion, 13 Apr
[...]
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the World Bank [WB] and International Monetary Fund [IMF]spring meetings, where top US intelligence officials shared information on how Russia is using its GRU military intelligence agency and Federal Security Service (FSB) to try to evade sanctions and export controls...."To a person in that room, those financial firms demonstrated a willingness to do what they've been doing since the beginning of the war - which is to take seriously trying to prevent Russian evasion of those sanctions and export controls, not just in our jurisdictions, but also in third countries," the senior official said of Thursday's meeting.

[US] Treasury said participants included Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo; EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness; and Britain's Treasury Director General for International Finance Lindsey Whyte, along with CIA Deputy Director David Cohen and Deputy Director of National Intelligence Morgan Muir.
[...]


by Cat on Fri Apr 14th, 2023 at 02:22:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]
telesur | China-Brazil Relations Key to World Stability and Peace: Xi, 14 Apr
[...]
Lula and Xi presided over the signing of 14 agreements, including one to promote commercial transactions between Brazil and China in yuan and "without the need to use dollars." Previously, the Brazilian Presiden also held meetings with Prime Minister Li Qiang, National Assembly President Zhao Leji, and State Grid President Zhang Shingang.

On Thursday, Lula visited a research and development (R&D) center of Huawei, a company that the U.S. has sanctioned for years because it considers it a danger to its national security.

archived Canada Takes A Hostage: Free Meng Wanzhou
"The visit to Huawei is a demonstration that we want to tell the world that we are not prejudiced in our relationship with China", the Brazilian leader pointed out.
[...]
by Cat on Fri Apr 14th, 2023 at 05:34:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
fmprc | President Xi Jinping Holds Talks with Brazilian President Lula da Silva, 14 Apr
...The two presidents also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. Both sides agreed that dialogue and negotiation is the only feasible way for settling it and that all efforts that are conducive to its peaceful resolution should be encouraged and supported. They appealed to more countries to play a constructive role for a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. The two presidents agreed to stay in communication on the issue....
gov.br | Brazil-China Joint Statement on combating climate change, 14 Apr
[...]
  1. Developing countries require predictable and adequate support from developed countries, including climate finance at the necessary and commensurable scope, scale and speed, as well as access to technology and markets to ensure and enable their sustainable development. Considering that the implementation of a just transition to a low carbon and climate-resilient economy in developing countries will cost trillions, as presented in the first Report on the determination of the needs of developing countries related to implementing the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement, we continue to be very concerned that climate finance provided by developed countries continues to fall short of the USD 100 billion per year commitment, as it has every year since the goal was set in 2009, even as the actual amount needed far surpasses that commitment. We urge developed countries to honor their unfulfilled climate finance obligations, and to commit to their new collective quantified goal that goes well beyond the floor of USD 100 billion per year and provide a clear roadmap of doubling adaptation finance. Such provision of means of implementation for developing countries is the climate ambition the world needs in order to strengthen implementation of the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement.
  2. We are determined to contribute to a successful COP28 with the focus on implementation, in Dubai, later this year. As the main mechanism for promoting implementation and ambition on all aspects of the Paris Agreement under the UNFCCC, the Global Stocktake must be effective in assessing and identifying implementation gaps within the climate regime, whilst prospectively laying the foundations for developed countries taking the lead in emission reduction and fulfilling outstanding gaps in means of implementation for developing countries.
[...]
gov.br | Joint Communiqué between the Federative Republic of Brazil and the People's Republic of China on the Deepening of their Global Strategic Partnership - Beijing, 14 April 2023
[...]
  1. Both parties have agreed to continue the fruitful cooperation held between the two countries within the G20 framework. China expressed its support to the Brazilian G20 Presidency, to begin on 1 December 2023, seen as an opportunity to strengthen the priorities of developing countries within the group. Brazil and China share the view that the G20 is the main forum for dialogue and structural cooperation on economic, trade, financial and development issues. Both countries will work for the group to contribute more and more to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.
  2. Both parties stated that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way out of the crisis in Ukraine and that all efforts leading to a peaceful solution to the crisis must be encouraged and supported. Brazil received in a positive way the proposal by China that offers reflections conducive to the search for a peaceful solution to the crisis. China received in a positive way the efforts by Brazil in favour of peace. The parties made an appeal for more countries to play a constructive role in the promotion of a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine. The parties decided to keep in contact on this matter.
[...]
gov.br | Brazil signs agreements worth BRL 62.5 billion with China and the UAE - and Lula highlights the country's role on the international stage, 17 Apr
[...]
G20 FOR PEACE - Answering journalists' questions on the subject, Lula stated that the nations of the world that do not want war should unite to try to restore peace between Russia and Ukraine. "We rapidly established the G20 to try to save the economy during the 2008 economic crisis. Now another G20 must be created to end the war and establish peace. This is my intention and I think we'll succeed at this great effort. We're meeting a group of people who'd rather talk about peace than war, and I think it'll work out," declared the president.

UAE-BRAZIL JOINT STATEMENT
[...]

  1. As hosts of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) this year, the UAE welcomed the announcement of Brazil's candidacy to host COP30 in 2025. Both countries expressed their willingness to work together to ensure that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's multilateral process paves the way for course correction in climate action and ambition. Both parties agreed to sustain a regular dialogue and discussed their respective initiatives to address climate change and drive sustainable development in all nations.
  2. Recognizing the important role that multilateralism can play in addressing global challenges, the two leaders stated their intention to strengthen cooperation in multilateral institutions and international organizations. As non-permanent, elect members of the United Nations Security Council [UNSC] for the 2022-2023 term, both countries agreed to advance fine-tuned communications and consultations on regional and international issues that are of mutual concern within the United Nations Security Council's framework.

    Both parties agreed to pursue cooperation in the context of the United Nations Security Council on shared priority topics such as women, peace and security, promotion of tolerance and coexistence, conflict prevention and peaceful solutions, peacebuilding and peacekeeping—as well as to address issues such as intolerance, hate speech, discrimination and all forms of extremism, and improve the Security Council's working methods and procedures.

    Recognizing that the United Arab Emirates will hold the presidency of the United Nations Security Council in June 2023, and that Brazil will hold the same presidency in October 2023, both pledged to mutually support each other's presidencies. Both parties agreed on the critical role of the UN Peacebuilding Commission and expressed support for its mandate and its bridging role with key UN bodies.
[...]
monomaniacs
euractiv reuters | Lula calls for 'peace group' to broker Ukraine-Russia deal, 17 Apr
...The Brazilian president told reporters in Abu Dhabi, where he finished a trip to Asia, that he was trying to gather a group of leaders that "prefer to talk about peace rather than war."

He cited Xi and the president of the United Arab Emirates [UAE], Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, both of whom he met this week. Lula had previously said the group should gather countries not "encouraging" war, adding that nations that are supplying weapons should be convinced to stop doing so....


by Cat on Mon Apr 17th, 2023 at 09:40:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
ignites www diplomatic incident.

Looks like you literally had to be there, in the room, with a recording device, to "trust but verify" another impolitic rant.

Youtube, C-SPAN suppress White House daily briefing video. Google backfills the entire, gaping Lula's China-UAE tour with MSM day-late, dollar-short Lavrov-Vieira reportage. Who'd be the wiser? White House simply stopped publishing briefing and [SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL] preview transcripts after 10 April "Discord Leak".

White House lashes out at Brazil over Ukraine. KIRBY, propounding a oft-repeated, ironic G7 demand that Xi needs "Ukraine's perspective", purportedly said: "in this case, Brazil is parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda without at all looking at the facts."

by Cat on Tue Apr 18th, 2023 at 05:31:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Tue Apr 18th, 2023 at 05:34:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Manipulation by White House and Pentagon war propaganda

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is "parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda" by claiming that the West is not interested in ending the fighting in Ukraine, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby has stated.

During his visit to China last week, Lula said that "the US needs to stop encouraging war and start talking about peace. The European Union needs to start talking about peace."

The leftist politician, who made a comeback as Brazilian president after succeeding Jair Bolsonaro in early 2023, also reportedly suggested that the status of Crimea should be up for discussion during the talks between Moscow and Kiev. Lula also offered to become a part of the group mediating a peaceful settlement.

Simple solution, civil servants are discouraged to read Western newspapers and watch US talks shows with members US Congress. A complete 180 degree reverse view and opinion in the developing world. Less stressful too.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Tue Apr 18th, 2023 at 06:30:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Serguei Lavrov, for almost 20 years at the head of Russian diplomacy, goes to Brasilia on a trip criticized by Western allies.

Putin's Foreign Minister Says Brazil and Russia Have Similar Views | Folha de S.Paulo |

(Brasília) Russian Foreign Minister Serguei Lavrov said during a visit to Brasília, this Monday (17th), that Brazil and Russia have "similar approaches" to current issues. Without mentioning the Ukrainian War, Vladimir Putin's chief of diplomacy received a nod from his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, who criticized the application of sanctions against Moscow.

Lula in Abu Dhabi: "Even Kiev wanted war, it is very difficult to achieve peace"

Lula Repeats in Abu Dhabi that Ukraine and Russia Are Responsible for War

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Tue Apr 18th, 2023 at 08:31:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Sudan Tribune website got a cosmetic face lift including adClick.g.doubleclick advertiser display space since my last visit, Fri Mar 4th, 2022.

So there's that.

by Cat on Sun Apr 23rd, 2023 at 02:10:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]
successfull 'copter evacuations (aka forcible deportation) of diplomats
and
UN warns of lab risk, more [South Sudanese] displacement amid Sudan conflict
[...]
Dr. Nima Saeed Abid, the World Health Organization's representative in Sudan, expressed concerns that "one of the fighting parties" -- he did not identify which one -- had seized control of the central public health laboratory in Khartoum and "kicked out all of the technicians."

"That is extremely, extremely dangerous because we have polio isolates in the [BSL-x] lab. We have measles isolates in the lab. We have cholera isolates in the lab," he told a U.N. briefing in Geneva by video call from Port Sudan. "There is a huge biological risk associated with the occupation of the central public health lab in Khartoum by one of the fighting parties."

but no vaccines? m'k
The expulsion of technicians and power cuts in Khartoum mean "it is not possible to properly manage the biological materials that are stored in the lab for medical purposes," WHO said.

The lab is located in central Khartoum, close to flashpoints of the fighting that pits Sudan's military against the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group that grew out of the notorious Janjaweed militias implicated in atrocities in the Darfur [Sudan] conflict.

That's it; end of message. The remainder of the story abuses the status of "refugees" from "insurgent" South Sudan (xstian) ppl in (mooslim, "Arab") Sudan since, like, 1955. Which is what one ought to expect from "journalists" who do not "recognize" the 55th member of the African Union (AU), those attached to "Burma", those who can't identify any other civil war "paramilitary groups," and those who trust G7 "dual-use" conformity with the UN Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction, Because®.
archived 8 March 2022 two psychos meet in a hearing, AU55 internal market
by Cat on Tue Apr 25th, 2023 at 05:56:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"Absolutely," Blinken emailed back. "I'm just about to land in Tokyo en route back DC from Burma. I'll be in office from Tuesday on. Copying Linda in my office to find a good time. Look forward to seeing you. Tony."
archived Special Economic Measures Act, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022
by Cat on Tue Apr 25th, 2023 at 09:50:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
code is broken.

Color Revolution in Sudan, feat. RSF!
"This is precisely the process that what Victoria Nuland's husband, Robert Kagan, describes as 'tending the jungle on behalf of the garden of democracy' in his 2019 book The Jungle Grows Back."

Look Inside!

by Cat on Wed Apr 26th, 2023 at 09:24:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
autotranslate disabled

UNSC Arria formula topic: "Children & armed conflict: Ukrainian crisis. Evacuating children from conflict zone"

archived ICC judges issue arrest warrants, Sat May 7th 2022, Wed Sep 14th 2022, Fri Mar 18th 2022

by Cat on Wed Apr 5th, 2023 at 10:33:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Philippines Rules Out 'Offensive Actions' on Bases US Can Use, 11 Apr
[Marcos] remarks came on the heels of China's third day of war games around Taiwan on Monday, where it simulated "sealing off" the self-ruled island.
Philippine military bases with US access won't be used for offensive actions, says Marcos, map
The President also echoed previous statements by the Philippine and US defence ministries, saying the expansion of EDCA is also meant for humanitarian and relief operations during disasters.[...] Exercise Balikatan 2023 [11-28 April]
Approximately 5,400 AFP personnel and 12,200 [!] U.S. military personnel will train shoulder-to-shoulder, developing interoperability and improved capability in the areas of maritime security, amphibious operations, live-fire training, urban and aviation operations, cyber defense, counterterrorism, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness.
will be held in key areas around the Philippines, including Zambales, a coastal province near the South China Sea.
With China in mind, U.S. [, Japan,] and Philippines agree on roadmap, 12 Apr
Washington and Tokyo reportedly plan to launch a three-way dialogue with Manila involving their respective national security advisers as early as this month.
Supporting New U.S. bases in the Philippines Isn't an Option, 20 Apr
Bernadette Ellorin is the national spokesperson for the U.S. Chapter of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, or Bayan USA, an anti-[Marcos] alliance of thirty-three Filipino grassroots organizations across the United States.
US to Spend $100 Million on Upgrades to Philippine Military Facilities, 20 Apr
"To date, the U.S. allocated a total of over 100 million U.S. dollars to EDCA projects," [PH] Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said yesterday during an inquiry of the [PH] Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
Sen. Imee Marcos, the Senate foreign affairs panel chairperson and the president's sister, further grilled defense and foreign affairs officials at the hearing, saying that the selection of four new sites for US military installations seemed to be "random and no longer purposeful with regard to the modernization of the (Armed Forces of the Philippines.)"

After a senior defense official said the sites were chosen to address a defense "vulnerability" in the country's north, which is close to Taiwan, the senator replied: "In the north? I come from the north, sir. I don't feel very vulnerable. Our fishermen in Cagayan and the Ilocos sea are not being harassed by anyone."

Biden to meet Philippine President at White House on May 1
by Cat on Fri Apr 21st, 2023 at 12:54:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Poor, poor Marcos ... what has he been spoon-fed ⁉️

Destiny of the Philippines in his hands ... the actions by the Americans are ALWAYS strictly defensive ... ask most recently Zelenskyy in Lvov and many other nations over the past 20 ... 35 ... 50 ... 75 years.

U.S. launched 251 military interventions since 1991, and 469 since 1798

"The enemy always reacts UNPROVOKED."

Related reading ...

Imelda Marcos' immense shoe collection of 3,000 pairs

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Fri Apr 21st, 2023 at 02:32:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Visit by US President Joe Biden



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Tue Apr 11th, 2023 at 06:30:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Tue Apr 11th, 2023 at 06:35:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Oui (Oui) on Thu Apr 13th, 2023 at 05:52:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
hudson.org | The Future of Iran: A Conversation with Reza Pahlavi, 15 Jan 2020, A/V, transcript
[...]
Mr. Pahlavi is the most prominent Iranian opposition figure and, increasingly, a unifying symbol among Iranians who seek to replace the current regime with a secular liberal democracy. He is uniquely positioned, therefore, to shed light on Iran at the crossroads. Can it manage the unprecedented series of historic challenges that it faces? How will it seek to break out of the corner into which President Trump [!] has maneuvered it? And what strategy should the United States adopt to achieve the best results for itself and the Iranian people?
September 2022
As Iran protests turn violent, hundreds of thousands turn out for counter-rallies in Crisis as Discipline
February 2023
oligarch and autocrat fan club in Munich Security Conference 2023: Visions and eNtiTiES
March 2023
Joint Trilateral Statement by the People's Republic of China, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Islamic Republic of Iran in China Mediates Between Iran and Saudi Arabia

April 2023
Peace In Middle East Seen As Threat to Israel in U.S. Will Be Ousted From Middle-East
jpost | 'Our nations can live in peace,' son of Iran's Shah says in Israel visit, 17 Apr 2023

"We are very happy to be here and are dedicated to working toward the peaceful [and] prosperous future that the people of our region deserve," he tweeted on landing in Ben-Gurion Airport where he was greeted by Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel who had arranged his visit.
al-monitor | Son of Iran's shah Pahlavi arrives in Israel on controversial visit
Announcing his visit to Israel on Sunday, Pahlavi touted his message of seeking to overthrow Iran's rulers. "I want the people of Israel to know that the Islamic Republic does not represent the Iranian people," he said. Over the years, he had expressed his support for normalizing ties with Israel and also his support of the 2020 Abraham Accords [!].
almayadeen | Occupation Intelligence Minister: "Proud" to host Pahlavi in ​​"Israel"
... She added, claiming that "Pahlavi symbolizes a leadership different from the leadership of the ayatollah regime, and leads the values ​​of peace and tolerance," considering it "the first step to rebuilding relations"....
by Cat on Wed Apr 19th, 2023 at 12:45:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]
euronews OpEd | As its Crown Prince, I want to see a new, democratic Libya and a stronger Europe, 19 Apr
...My late father, Hasan el-Senussi, Libya's Crown Prince, is key to this lineage of nationhood, as is our family. Our family history is one of tenacious defence of the Libyan nation. His predecessor, the Libyan King Idris, presented Libyans with a choice after World War II. They chose unity, bringing together the region's three political subdivisions into one kingdom. And they chose -- with the full endorsement and utter personal commitment of their new king, his advisors, and his family -- a democratic constitution, one that protected the rights of minorities and guaranteed freedom of conscience. They created the structure within which parliamentary democracy and representative government could flourish....
by Cat on Fri Apr 21st, 2023 at 01:18:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Coronation gives tourism boost, but UK economy still reeling
"Brand Finance says the monarchy boosts the U.K. economy to the tune of 500 million pounds a year, more than making up for the estimated 350 million pounds it costs taxpayers."
by Cat on Tue Apr 25th, 2023 at 04:52:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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