Algeria Summit: Several Leaders Attend for 1st Time, Guterres is Guest of Honor

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune receives Tunisian President Kais Saied at the airport (AFP)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune receives Tunisian President Kais Saied at the airport (AFP)
TT
20

Algeria Summit: Several Leaders Attend for 1st Time, Guterres is Guest of Honor

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune receives Tunisian President Kais Saied at the airport (AFP)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune receives Tunisian President Kais Saied at the airport (AFP)

The Algerian authorities did not announce the names of the leaders who would be attending this year's Arab Summit. However, it was reported that the event would bring together 15 Arab leaders, led by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Tunisian President Kais Saied, and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The 31st Arab Summit is the first for some leaders, including Saied, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and Iraqi President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid.

Algeria announced the arrival of Saied, Sisi, and the President of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, to Houari Boumediene International Airport, and Tebboune received them.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Algiers as the guest of honor and was received by Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud was also in Algiers, while Ilham Aliyev, the Azeri President, who also chairs the Non-Aligned Movement, arrived to participate as a guest of honor at the Summit.

The Algerian President received the President of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, at the international airport.

On Monday, the Iraqi President arrived in Algiers and was received by Tebboune.

The Algerian President also received the President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the President of the Yemen Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, and Senegalese President, Macky Sall, the current President of the African Union, in his capacity as the guest of honor of the Summit.

Furthermore, the Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs and Personal Representative of Oman, Asaad bin Tarik Al Said, and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati arrived on Monday at Algiers' international airport and were received by Algerian Prime Minister Ayman Abdel Rahman.

Also among the attendees were Bahrain's Deputy Prime Minister and Special Representative of the King, Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, and Chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohammad al-Menfi.

The President of Comoros, Othman Ghazali, was received by Tebboune at the airport.

On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah chaired the Saudi delegation participating in the summit.

Meanwhile, Morocco announced that King Mohammed VI would not participate in the Summit.

The Representative of Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Crown Prince Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, arrived in Algiers to participate in the inaugural session.

Jordan's King Abdullah II will also be absent from the Summit, and Jordan News Agency announced on Sunday that Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah would head the country's delegation to Algeria.

UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid will represent his country.



South Korea Establishes Diplomatic Ties with Syria

 In this photo provided by South Korea Foreign Ministry, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, left, shakes hands with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani after signing a joint statement on the establishment of diplomatic ties between the countries in Damascus, Syria, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (South Korea Foreign Ministry via AP)
In this photo provided by South Korea Foreign Ministry, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, left, shakes hands with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani after signing a joint statement on the establishment of diplomatic ties between the countries in Damascus, Syria, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (South Korea Foreign Ministry via AP)
TT
20

South Korea Establishes Diplomatic Ties with Syria

 In this photo provided by South Korea Foreign Ministry, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, left, shakes hands with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani after signing a joint statement on the establishment of diplomatic ties between the countries in Damascus, Syria, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (South Korea Foreign Ministry via AP)
In this photo provided by South Korea Foreign Ministry, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, left, shakes hands with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani after signing a joint statement on the establishment of diplomatic ties between the countries in Damascus, Syria, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (South Korea Foreign Ministry via AP)

South Korea and Syria have signed an agreement in Damascus establishing diplomatic relations, the South Korean foreign ministry said on Friday, opening new ties with a traditional ally of its rival North Korea.

The event marks a milestone for South Korea now having established diplomatic ties with all 191 UN member states and opening "a new chapter for bilateral cooperation with Syria, which had long remained distant due to its close ties with North Korea," the South Korean foreign ministry said.

South Korea established diplomatic relations with Cuba last year, another old ally of the North.

North Korea's state media ceased mentions of Syria since the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad in December except leader Kim Jong Un once referring to "the Middle East crisis" in passing.

A joint communique was signed by South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Syria's Asaad al-Shaibani on Thursday, and Cho expressed willingness to share South Korea's development experience to support Syria's reconstruction, the ministry said.

Cho later met Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, it said.