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Gulf Security, Syria, Libya Top Egyptian-Russian 2+2 Dialogue

Russian FM Lavrov and Egyptian FM Shoukry shake hands duringa meeting in Moscow in 2015. (AFP)
Russian FM Lavrov and Egyptian FM Shoukry shake hands duringa meeting in Moscow in 2015. (AFP)
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Gulf Security, Syria, Libya Top Egyptian-Russian 2+2 Dialogue

Russian FM Lavrov and Egyptian FM Shoukry shake hands duringa meeting in Moscow in 2015. (AFP)
Russian FM Lavrov and Egyptian FM Shoukry shake hands duringa meeting in Moscow in 2015. (AFP)

The Egyptian-Russian two-plus-two dialogue between the foreign and defense ministries of the two countries is expected to kick off in Moscow on Monday to discuss the situation in the Middle East, particularly the crises in both Syria and Libya, the situation in Sudan and the security in the Gulf region.

The talks aim to bolster bilateral relations between Cairo and Moscow in many fields, according to official statements.

Egyptian Foreign Minister and senior officials from the Russian Ministry of Defense are set to discuss a number of issues and topics of common interest in light of the military partnership and cooperation between the armed forces of both countries.

Egyptian Defense Minister Mohamed Zaki and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry already kicked off the official visit on Sunday.

Zaki is scheduled to attend Russia's 5th Jubilee ARMY 2019 International Military and Technical Forum.

Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez said Shoukry would hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on bilateral ties in the political, economic and cultural fields.

“This will reflect the depth and strength of the special relationship between the two countries and the importance both sides attach to continue working on boosting and developing bilateral ties at all levels,” the statement read.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said talks in Moscow should tackle the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, in addition to security threats in the Gulf region and terrorism-related issues.

Egypt's ties with Russia have been growing since Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took office in 2014, when the two countries inked several military and economic cooperation agreements.

Monday’s two-plus-two meeting is the fifth between the two sides. The first was held in Cairo in November 2013, while the second was held in Moscow in February 2014.

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Mounting Tensions in Iraqi Kurdistan Over Delayed Salaries

Street vendors near the Grand Sulaymaniya Mosque (AFP)
Street vendors near the Grand Sulaymaniya Mosque (AFP)
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Mounting Tensions in Iraqi Kurdistan Over Delayed Salaries

Street vendors near the Grand Sulaymaniya Mosque (AFP)
Street vendors near the Grand Sulaymaniya Mosque (AFP)

Public frustration is surging across Sulaymaniyah province in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, as government employees face their second consecutive month without pay. The delays have deepened economic hardship and triggered a slowdown in local markets.

Calls for mass protests intensified in recent days as salaries have remained unpaid since May. With June nearing its end, authorities have yet to announce when workers will receive their wages. Demonstrations planned for Thursday were ultimately stifled by heavy security deployments.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that security forces detained numerous activists and teachers demanding their salaries, along with journalists attempting to cover the protests.

The Metro Center for the Defense of Journalists’ Rights condemned the wave of arrests. Its coordinator, Rahman Gharib, said that security forces apprehended activists, politicians, and reporters on Wednesday and Thursday merely for planning to participate in demonstrations expressing legitimate demands for fair pay and dignified living conditions.

Since 2015, public employees in Kurdistan have repeatedly faced salary delays, the result of deep-rooted financial disputes between Baghdad and the regional government in Erbil.

Kurdistan’s Prime Minister Masrour Barzani announced Wednesday that the federal government would send a delegation within two days to resolve the crisis. He stressed that employees’ wages should be kept separate from political disagreements between Baghdad and Erbil.

Earlier this month, Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami ordered the suspension of funding for Kurdistan’s salaries and other entitlements, citing the region’s alleged breach of its 12.67 percent budget share. The Kurdish government has since appealed to the international community to help end the deadlock.

Amid the salary crisis, Kurdistan’s Labor Minister Kwestan Muhammad warned of a surge in drug abuse and trafficking across the region. Speaking Thursday at an event marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse, she said Kurdistan had once been nearly free of narcotics, but has now become a key corridor for smuggling drugs, especially toward Canada, via cross-border networks.

She revealed that last month alone, authorities detained 5,746 people on criminal charges, with 1,576 arrests linked to drug offenses. Among them were 1,486 men and 81 women, highlighting how deeply the problem has spread in society.

The region’s security services also disclosed that in the first half of this year, 520 suspects were arrested in drug-related cases, including 243 users and others accused of trafficking.