Lavrov, Arab Delegation Discuss Ukraine Crisis

Kremlin building in Moscow - File Photo/AFP
Kremlin building in Moscow - File Photo/AFP
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Lavrov, Arab Delegation Discuss Ukraine Crisis

Kremlin building in Moscow - File Photo/AFP
Kremlin building in Moscow - File Photo/AFP

The Arab League said a delegation of the Contact Group on Ukraine held on Monday talks in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other officials to offer mediation between Russia and Ukraine for a solution to the ongoing conflict.

The delegation included Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Algeria, Iraq, and Sudan.

Their visit is part of the Arab League mission to diffuse tension between Moscow and Kyiv and find a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

On Tuesday, the delegation plans to head to Warsaw where it will hold talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, an AL official said.

Arab diplomatic sources confirmed that the Arab ministers’ visit aims to listen to the positions and concerns of the two parties in the light of the latest security and political developments of the Ukrainian crisis.

The sources said that the group should discuss prospects and ways to contribute to efforts for calming down and reducing tension between the two sides and for reaching a political solution.

During the 157th session of the Council of the Arab League meeting held on March 9 in Cairo, participants recommended establishing an Arab Contact Group on Ukraine at the ministerial level to tackle the impact of the crisis on Arab countries.

The Group was also assigned with contacting the concerned parties hoping to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

AL officials and member states maintain contact with both Russia and Ukraine.



Belgian Prosecutors Probe Alleged Corruption in European Parliament

FILED - 20 July 2022, Belgium, Brussels: Flags of the European Union wave in the wind in front of the Berlaymont building of the European Commission in Brussels. Photo: dpa
FILED - 20 July 2022, Belgium, Brussels: Flags of the European Union wave in the wind in front of the Berlaymont building of the European Commission in Brussels. Photo: dpa
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Belgian Prosecutors Probe Alleged Corruption in European Parliament

FILED - 20 July 2022, Belgium, Brussels: Flags of the European Union wave in the wind in front of the Berlaymont building of the European Commission in Brussels. Photo: dpa
FILED - 20 July 2022, Belgium, Brussels: Flags of the European Union wave in the wind in front of the Berlaymont building of the European Commission in Brussels. Photo: dpa

Belgian prosecutors said on Thursday several individuals had been arrested for questioning in connection with their alleged involvement in active corruption within the European Parliament.
The prosecutors said 21 searches were carried out by the Federal Police in the Brussels region, as well as in Flanders, Wallonia and in Portugal, Reuters reported.
Prosecutors did not disclose names and functions of the people involved and were not available for further comment.
Corruption, forgery and use of false documents is believed to have taken place regularly and "very discreetly" from 2021 to the present day, the prosecutors said.
It happened "under the guise of commercial lobbying and taking various forms, such as remuneration for taking political positions or excessive gifts such as food and travel expenses or regular invitations to football matches," they added.
The prosecutors said several documents and objects had been seized, with the aim to also detect any evidence of money laundering.