Middle East & North Africa

Senior Russian delegation arrives in Syrian capital for talks

DAMASCUS, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- A senior Russian delegation headed by Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov arrived in the Syrian capital Damascus on Sunday evening to hold talks with top Syrian officials, according to state news agency SANA.

The Russian officials will hold talks with the Syrian side about developing and enhancing cooperation on all levels, said SANA.

Saudi king, U.S. president discuss G20 efforts to combat COVID-19

RIYADH, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and United States President Donald Trump discussed the efforts of the Group of 20 (G20) to combat COVID-19 over a phone call, Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

The two leaders reviewed the work of the G20 chaired by Saudi Arabia this year, and the efforts made within its meetings to protect lives and livelihoods to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

Pro-Gov’t Fighters Ambush Five Daesh Militants In Eastern Syria

DAMASCUS, Sept 6 (NNN-SANA) – Pro-government Syrian fighters, yesterday ambushed five Daesh militants in the countryside of Deir al-Zour province in eastern Syria, a war monitor reported.

The Daesh militants were in disguise, wearing uniforms of pro-government fighters when they were ambushed, in the city of al-Mayadeen, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Britain-based watchdog group said that the militants were buying supplies and food from the city, when they were discovered and rounded up by the pro-government fighters.

Egypt, Bahrain Welcome Peace Initiatives To Solve Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

CAIRO, Sept 6 (NNN-MENA) – Egypt and Bahrain welcomed any initiatives, aimed at achieving a comprehensive and just peace for the Palestinian cause, based on the references of international legitimacy.

The remarks came in a joint statement released after a meeting in Cairo between Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry and his Bahraini counterpart, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.

During the meeting, both ministers affirmed the need to preserve the principle of the two-state solution, according to the statement.

Iran Seeks To Finalise Tourism Visa Waiver Deal With Russia

TEHRAN, Sept 6 (NNN-IRNA) – Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Ali Asghar Mounesan, said that, he will visit Russia for talks on tourism visa waiver deal, Eghtesad Online news website reported yesterday.

Iran and Russia relaxed visa procedure for traders and science tourism in Feb, 2016.

Mounesan’s upcoming visit to Moscow, at the end of Sept, is aimed at waiving visa requirements for group tours.

AU calls for urgent collection of illicit arms in Africa

ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) Commission on Saturday disclosed an urgent need to collect illicit weapons in possession of civilians in Africa as an estimated 40 million weapons presently under the possession of civilians across the continent.

The statement was made by Smail Chergui, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, in a statement issued in relation to the Africa Amnesty Month, which is the implementation of the AU theme of the year 2020 "Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa's Development".

Iranian, Indian defense ministers confer on regional security

Tehran, Sept 6, IRNA – Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami and his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh held talks in Tehran on Sunday on international, regional and bilateral issues.

Indian defense minister visits Tehran after ending his travel to Moscow, Russia.

Visit of Rajnath Singh is the first travel of a top Indian official to Iran since the December 2019 outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Swiss FM says visit to Iran aims to expand cooperation

Isfahan, Sept 6, IRNA – Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said on Sunday that his visit to Iran is preparatory to develop cooperation with Iran in science and tourism.

Cassis arrived in Isfahan on Saturday and met with city officials and academics after having visited some of the tourist attractions of the historical city.

Iran welcomes IAEA report as "positive, constructive"

TEHRAN, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran's nuclear program is "positive and constructive," said Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's ambassador to the Vienna-based international organizations.

The report deals with the developments and progress of relations and cooperation between Iran and the IAEA over the past three months, Gharibabadi was quoted as saying by Iran Labor News Agency (ILNA) on Saturday.

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