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)
TT

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.



Britain Will Resume Funding to UN Palestinian Refugee Agency UNRWA

Youths gather with jerrycans to fill up water from a tanker truck in the yard of a school of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), housing Palestinians displaced by the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, in Jabalia in the north of the Palestinian territory on May 14, 2024. (AFP)
Youths gather with jerrycans to fill up water from a tanker truck in the yard of a school of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), housing Palestinians displaced by the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, in Jabalia in the north of the Palestinian territory on May 14, 2024. (AFP)
TT

Britain Will Resume Funding to UN Palestinian Refugee Agency UNRWA

Youths gather with jerrycans to fill up water from a tanker truck in the yard of a school of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), housing Palestinians displaced by the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, in Jabalia in the north of the Palestinian territory on May 14, 2024. (AFP)
Youths gather with jerrycans to fill up water from a tanker truck in the yard of a school of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), housing Palestinians displaced by the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, in Jabalia in the north of the Palestinian territory on May 14, 2024. (AFP)

Britain's new Labor government said on Friday it would resume funding to the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA.
Britain was one of several countries to halt their funding to UNRWA following accusations by Israel that some of the agency's staff were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, said Reuters.
Britain's foreign minister, David Lammy, told parliament he was reassured that the agency had taken steps to "ensure it meets the highest standards of neutrality".
"I can confirm to the house that we are overturning the suspension of UNRWA funding, Britain will provide 21 million (pounds) in funds" to the agency, he said.