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16 Mar 2023; MEMO: India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have partnered together to further the development of each other's Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly drive innovation in various financial products and services, especially in CBDCs.

17 Mar 2023; MEMO: Saudi Arabia and Russia yesterday confirmed their commitment to the OPEC+ decision to reduce oil production by two million barrels per day until the end of 2023, Anadolu reported.

This came during a meeting held in Riyadh between the Saudi Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman, and the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Alexander Novak, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

15 Mar 2023; MEMO: Neither the US or Europe could have been an "honest broker" between rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, Riyadh's former intelligence chief Turki Al-Faisal said yesterday. Speaking in an interview with AFP, the 78-year-old explained why China managed to successfully mediate one of the most bitter rivalries in the region given that the West has failed for so long.

15 Mar 2023; MEMO: US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on Wednesday met with Ethiopian Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen, and other officials in the capital, Addis Ababa, as both countries look to repair ties following war in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, Anadolu News Agency reports.

"Probably the most important thing is to deepen the peace that has taken hold in the north," Blinken told journalists after the meeting.

15 Mar 2023; MEMO: The Turkish Parliament is highly likely to ratify Finland's NATO membership before it closes mid-April for elections, the officials said, Reuters reported.

"We are looking favourably at Finland's accession. It would not be wrong to say that accession talks will be held at different times than Sweden," one Turkish senior official said.

15 Mar 2023; MEMO: Saudi Arabia's Finance Minister, Mohammed Al-Jadaan, said on Wednesday that Saudi investments into Iran could happen "very quickly" following an agreement to restore diplomatic ties, Reuters reports.

"There are a lot of opportunities for Saudi investments in Iran. We don't see impediments as long as the terms of any agreement would be respected," Al-Jadaan said during the Financial Sector Conference in Riyadh.

15 Mar 2023; MEMO: Ukraine thanked Turkiye on Wednesday for its support for the Black Sea Grain Initiative as the agreement, which was also signed by Russia and the UN, is due to expire Saturday, Anadolu News Agency reports.

14 Mar 2023; MEMO: Russia's diesel and gasoil shipments to Turkiye hit a record high in February, as traders rerouted cargoes after a European Union ban on Russian oil products, Refinitiv data reports.

According to the report, February diesel and gasoil exports to Turkiye could reach a record high of 1 million tons.

15 Mar 2023; MEMO: The White House, on Tuesday, welcomed the "landmark" deal between Saudi Arabia and the Boeing Company, saying it will support US jobs and marked a milestone in cooperation between Saudi Arabia and American industry, Reuters reports.

Two Saudi airlines agreed to buy 78 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and took options to buy another 43.

15 Mar 2023; MEMO: Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman yesterday said that there is a possibility of imposing a price cap on Saudi oil exports and "we will not sell oil to any country that imposes a cap on our supplies."

Prince Abdulaziz made his remarks in an interview published by Energy Intelligence, which was reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) in response to a question about reintroducing the NOPEC bill.