Arab League Sec-Gen Calls for Strengthening Arab-Japanese Collaboration across Diverse Sectors

Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Arab League Sec-Gen Calls for Strengthening Arab-Japanese Collaboration across Diverse Sectors

Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit emphasized the importance of expanding the Arab-Japanese partnership and transforming it into a future strategic alliance with tangible outcomes across various sectors.
During his speech at the fifth Japan-Arab Economic Forum in Tokyo, Aboul Gheit called for the expansion of partnership mechanisms to encompass new areas, including leveraging technology to address climate change, mitigating disaster risks, advancing smart transportation, promoting tourism, ensuring information security, advancing artificial intelligence, smart housing, and education. These areas present promising investment and cooperation opportunities between the two sides, SPA reported.
He highlighted that this forum serves as a foundation for enhancing collaboration in other domains, building upon the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the Arab League and the Japanese government in 2013, which established a comprehensive institutional framework for Arab-Japanese collaboration. Additionally, the launch of political dialogue in 2017 aimed to exchange views on the latest international developments and crises.
Aboul Gheit underscored that Japan remains a crucial partner for Arab countries, with bilateral trade increasing from $114 billion in 2022 to nearly $140 billion since the beginning of 2024.
He reaffirmed the Arab League's readiness to discuss and implement ideas and initiatives that enhance the role of this forum in collaboration with Arab organizations, specialized ministerial councils, and all Arab and Japanese partners. He expressed confidence that the forum will yield results, generate ideas, and propose initiatives that strengthen Arab-Japanese economic cooperation.



Sudan Army Surrounds Khartoum Airport and Nearby Areas 

A fighter loyal to the army patrols a market area in Khartoum on March 24, 2025. (AFP)
A fighter loyal to the army patrols a market area in Khartoum on March 24, 2025. (AFP)
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Sudan Army Surrounds Khartoum Airport and Nearby Areas 

A fighter loyal to the army patrols a market area in Khartoum on March 24, 2025. (AFP)
A fighter loyal to the army patrols a market area in Khartoum on March 24, 2025. (AFP)

The Sudanese army is encircling Khartoum airport and surrounding areas, two military sources told Reuters on Wednesday, marking another gain in its two-year-old war with a rival armed group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Separately, Sudan's army said in a statement it had taken control of the Tiba al-Hassanab camp in Jabal Awliya, describing this as the RSF's main base in central Sudan and its last stronghold in Khartoum.

The army had long been on the back foot in a conflict that threatens to partition the country and has caused a humanitarian disaster. But it has recently made gains and has retaken territory from the RSF in the center of the country.

The army seized control of the presidential palace in downtown Khartoum on Friday.

Witnesses said on Wednesday that RSF had mainly stationed its forces in southern Khartoum to secure their withdrawal from the capital via bridges to the neighboring city of Omdurman.

The UN calls the situation in Sudan the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with famine in several locations and disease across the country of 50 million people.

The war erupted two years ago as Sudan was planning a transition to democratic rule.

The army and RSF had joined forces after forcing Omar al-Bashir from power in 2019 and later in ousting the civilian leadership.