UAE, Greece, Cyprus FMs Hold Tripartite Meeting to Discuss Partnership, Cooperation

UAE, Greece, Cyprus Foreign Ministers hold tripartite meeting in Dubai - WAM
UAE, Greece, Cyprus Foreign Ministers hold tripartite meeting in Dubai - WAM
TT

UAE, Greece, Cyprus FMs Hold Tripartite Meeting to Discuss Partnership, Cooperation

UAE, Greece, Cyprus Foreign Ministers hold tripartite meeting in Dubai - WAM
UAE, Greece, Cyprus Foreign Ministers hold tripartite meeting in Dubai - WAM

UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a tripartite meeting in Dubai with Nikos Dendias, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, and Nikos Christodoulides, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus.

During the meeting, they discussed partnership and cooperation relations between the three countries and efforts to strengthen and develop them in various fields.

They also reviewed issues of common interest, the situation in the region, as well as regional and international developments.

Sheikh Abdullah welcomed the Foreign Ministers of Cyprus and Greece, lauding the distinguished relations that bind the three countries and the continuous keenness to further develop these relations along with enhancing joint cooperation in all fields, state news agency WAM reported.

For their part, the Foreign Ministers of Cyprus and Greece highlighted the importance of this tripartite meeting and its role in promoting frameworks of joint cooperation with the UAE to achieve the common interests of the three countries and their peoples.

Meanwhile, UAE's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, met Sunday with India's Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

During the meeting, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed welcomed Jaishankar and wished him a successful visit.

Jaishankar conveyed the greetings of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, and his best wishes of more progress and prosperity for the UAE and further development for bilateral ties.

The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi reciprocated his greetings to the Prime Minister of India and wished more development, progress and stability for the friendly people of India.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the strategic ties between the UAE and India and ways to boost them in the best interest of the two friendly peoples.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Jaishankar exchanged views on a number of issues and the latest regional and international developments of mutual concern.



Arab-Western Ministerial Meeting in Riyadh to Discuss Syria

Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives Asaad Al-Shibani in Riyadh (Saudi Foreign Ministry)
Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives Asaad Al-Shibani in Riyadh (Saudi Foreign Ministry)
TT

Arab-Western Ministerial Meeting in Riyadh to Discuss Syria

Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives Asaad Al-Shibani in Riyadh (Saudi Foreign Ministry)
Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives Asaad Al-Shibani in Riyadh (Saudi Foreign Ministry)

Riyadh hosted on Sunday a meeting bringing together foreign ministers from Arab and Western countries, as well as representatives of international and UN organizations, to discuss the situation in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime last month.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Asaad Al-Shibani, the foreign minister of Syria’s new administration, will attend the meeting, alongside UN Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen and Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Ahead of the broader discussions with European counterparts and representatives of participating organizations, Arab foreign ministers will hold a separate meeting to address the Syrian crisis, the same sources revealed.

The US State Department announced in a statement that Under Secretary of State John Bass will attend the multilateral meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia, to coordinate international support for the Syrian people.

The statement added that Bass will hold bilateral meetings during his visit to Riyadh from January 11-13 to discuss key regional and global priorities with Saudi and other international partners.

The Syrian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ayman Sousan, highlighted Saudi Arabia’s significant regional and global influence, emphasizing its “immense potential to assist Syria in overcoming the current challenges.”

Sousan, in a previous interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, praised the ongoing efforts led by the Kingdom under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the supervision of the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. He noted that Saudi Arabia have consistently extended assistance to Syrians since the start of the crisis in 2011, even when the previous regime obstructed aid delivery to manipulate its distribution.

The Kingdom has been delivering humanitarian aid to Syria in recent days via land and air bridges. These shipments include food, shelter, and medical supplies, aiming to alleviate the dire conditions faced by the Syrian people.

The aid efforts “have no set ceiling,” according to Saudi officials, and will remain in place until their goals of stabilizing the humanitarian situation are achieved, in line with directives from the Saudi leadership.

The Riyadh meeting follows a gathering held in Aqaba, Jordan, in mid-December, when the Ministerial Contact Committee on Syria reaffirmed its commitment to standing by the Syrian people and providing support during this critical period.

The committee, established by the Arab League, includes representatives from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, the League’s Secretary-General, and the foreign ministers of the UAE, Bahrain (the current chair of the Arab Summit), and Qatar.

The committee stressed the importance of a comprehensive and peaceful political transition in Syria, involving all political and social forces, including women, youth, and civil society. They emphasized that this process must be fair, inclusive, and guided by UN and Arab League principles, specifically UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

The Aqaba meeting also featured the participation of foreign ministers from Türkiye, France, and the United States.