Day: 15 June 2023

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OPEC celebrates 60th anniversary, recalls successful journey

Secretary General of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Haitham Al-Ghais, hailed Thursday the historic role of the five founding member states on occasion of the organization’s 60th anniversary.

Al-Ghais spoke to KUNA about the momentous establishing meeting that took place in Baghdad, where the founding members’ sagacity laid the foundations for an organization that went on to be a pillar of the energy market.

This, stated Al-Ghais, is an opportunity for all members to reflect upon OPEC’s exceptional journey and celebrate its successful endeavors.

The Secretary General spoke of the virtues of collaborative work saying that unity is a source of power.

The organization’s main objective is to stabilize the oil market, benefit both oil producing and consuming countries alike, and support global economic growth, clarified Al-Ghais.

He went on to say that the organization’s 60th anniversary is an opportunity to renew commitment to principles, and recall its inspiring history.

Taking part in the OPEC celebrations are Oil and Energy Ministers of member states as well as Ministers from non-OPEC oil producing countries and a number of high officials within the oil and energy sectors.

The OPEC 60th anniversary celebration meant to take place in 2020 but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

OPEC was established by Kuwait, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq, on September 14 in 1960.

Alongside founding members, the organization currently includes Libya, UAE, Algeria, Nigeria, Angola, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Congo.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

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Kuwait, Japan trade surplus down 28 pct

Kuwait’s trade surplus with Japan narrowed 28 percent from a year earlier to JPY 80.9 billion (USD 572 million) in May, for the second month due to weak exports, according to government data on Thursday.

The Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report that Kuwait stayed in black ink with Japan for 15 years and four months as exports still offset imports in value.

It added that overall Kuwaiti exports to Japan plunged 22 percent year-on-year to JPY 98.8 billion (USD 699 million) for the first decline in three months, and imports from Japan grew 24.6 percent to JPY 18.0 billion (USD 127 million) for the 13th month in a row.

Middle East’s trade surplus narrowed 33.5 percent to JPY 712.0 billion (USD 5.0 billion) last month, with Japan-bound exports from the region falling 23.3 percent from a year earlier, the report said.

Crude oil, refined products, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other natural resources, which accounted for 95.5 percent of the region’s total exports to Japan, shrank 22.5 percent, resulting to 9.9 percent drop in imports.

Adding that the region’s overall imports from Japan jumped 37.0 percent on demand for automobiles, machinery and steel, which increased exports by 0.6 percent. The world’s third-biggest economy logged a global trade deficit of JPY 1.4 trillion (USD 9.7 billion) in May for the 22th consecutive month of red ink, but the deficit slid 42.0 percent from a year earlier chiefly due to lower energy bills.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

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One Palestinian dead, others injured by Israeli occupation forces at Nablus

One young Palestinian was killed and several others injured by Israeli occupation forces, who stormed Nablus city earlier on Thursday, bombing the house of a prisoner, claiming he was involved in an operation that killed an Israeli.

In a statement, Palestinian Health Ministry said that Khalil Anees, 20- years-old, was shot in the head and transferred to the hospital where he died.

Palestine Red Crescent Society also affirmed that its medical teams have dealt with more than 100 suffocation case from teargas.

Local sources say that Israeli occupation forces have stormed the city, surrounded and bombed prisoner Osama Al-Taweel’s house in Rafidiya neighborhood, on the basis that he was involved in the execution of an operation near Shavei Shomron settlement in Nablus last October, which resulted in the death of an Israeli.

This led to clashes with the occupation forces who used live ammunition and teargas. The Israeli occupation forces have killed, since the start of this year, 161 Palestinians among of which 28 kids.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

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Saudi Crown Prince to meet French Pres. Friday

Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman is set to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron tomorrow, Friday, while on official visit to the capital, Paris.

Saudi Press Agency (SPA) mentioned the Bin Salman is heading Saudi’s delegation to participate in New Global Financial Pact Summit slated to take place on the 22nd and 23rd of this month.

The Crown Prince will also be taking part in official reception celebrating Riyadh running to host 2030 Expo on June 19.

As per the directives of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Crown Prince headed to the French capitol yesterday.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

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NATO chief: DMs meet at critical time

NATO Defense Ministers will meet Thursday and Friday at NATO headquarters, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters ahead of today’s meeting.

“Ukraine has launched a counter offensive. What we see is fierce fighting. It is still early days. But we also see that the Ukrainians are making gains and that Ukraine is able to liberate occupied land,” he stated.

“So one of the main issues so we will address is how to sustain and step up support to Ukraine,” he said.

Noting, it will be done in the meeting of the NATO Ukraine Commission, together with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov.

This meeting that will be preceded by a meeting of the US led Contact Group for Ukraine, which will meet earlier today.

Stoltenberg said, the Defense Ministers would also address how to further strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defense as preparations for upcoming Vilnius summit in next month.

“We expect that the leaders at the Summit will agree that two percent of GDP for defense is not something we should strive towards, not a ceiling, but a minimum needed to be invested in our shared security,” he added.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

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Al-Sudani tweeted.. Today we had constructive and fruitful discussions with the dear brother, Emir of the State of Qatar

Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani said that he held constructive and fruitful discussions today with the dear brother, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar.

He added in a tweet on Twitter that the visit represents an important start for the development of our bilateral relations in various fields, and it will be a good beginning towards expanding the horizons of cooperation and integration between our two brotherly countries, for the benefit of our peoples and all the peoples of the region.

He continued: Iraq will remain, opening its arms to all Arab brothers and friends in the region and the world, so you are welcome and welcome to Baghdad, the House of Peace.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

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In the presence of Plasschaert….the President of the Kurdistan Region receives the delegation of the Council of Commissioners

The President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, received today, Thursday, in Erbil, a delegation of the Board of Commissioners of the Independent High Electoral Commission.

The President of the Kurdistan Region welcomed the Chairman of the Council of Commissioners, Judge Omar Ahmed Muhammad, the Vice-Chairman of the Council, Judge Fayyad Yassin Hussein, and the members of the Council of Commissioners, thanking them for their visit to Erbil to discuss the file of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament elections.

In the meeting, which was attended by the UN Special Representative, Jeanine Plasschaert, and the Director of the Electoral Assistance Office at the United Nations Mission, Amir Rain, they discussed the political facts after the Federal Court’s decision on the unconstitutionality of extending the work of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament and the Commission’s readiness to complete the electoral event in Kurdistan.

For their part, the Chairman and members of the Board of Commissioners expressed the commission’s readiness to hold parliamentary elections in the region, stressing the importance of the success of this electoral process.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

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Al-Araji congratulates the press family on the occasion of the 154th anniversary of the Iraqi press Day

The National Security Adviser, Qassem Al-Araji, congratulated the press family on the occasion of the 154th anniversary of the Iraqi Press Day.

In congratulating on the occasion of the 154th anniversary of the Iraqi Journalism Day, he said the warmest congratulations and warmest blessings to the Iraqi press family, which is proceeding professionally and successfully.. We wish more brilliance and giving to this generous patriotic segment. .. And every year, our Iraqi press is in constant brilliance.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

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He has more than 2,000 pills.. Military Intelligence arrested a drug dealer in Anbar

The Military Intelligence arrested a drug dealer in Anbar.

The Directorate’s statement stated that, based on accurate intelligence information of the Seventh Division, and in cooperation with the security forces holding the land, an elaborate ambush was set up in Al-Jamiya neighborhood, and as a result, a drug dealer was arrested in Al-Qaim district, who was in his possession more than (2000) narcotic pills with him according to the applicable controls and contexts.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

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Al-Sudani and the Emir of Qatar sponsor the signing ceremony of a joint declaration of intent for cooperation between the governments of the two countries

The Prime Minister, Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani, and the Emir of the State of Qatar sponsored today, Thursday, the signing ceremony of a “declaration of intent” for cooperation and a number of agreements between the two countries.

A statement by Al-Sudani’s media office stated that a joint declaration of intent was signed between the governments of Iraq and Qatar for comprehensive cooperation in the political, economic, energy and investment fields, as well as the signing of two agreements in the fields of air and maritime transport, and a memorandum of understanding regarding the abolition of visa requirements for holders of diplomatic passports.

On the sidelines of the visit, a number of memorandums of cooperation in the field of energy were also signed, pertaining to crude oil and supplying Iraq with liquefied gas, a memorandum of cooperation to establish a joint oil company and another to establish a refinery.

In the field of investment, four memorandums of cooperation were signed for the National Investment Authority, the first with the Qatari Urbacon Holding Company, the second with the Qatari company (Elegance Health Care), and two memorandums of cooperation with the Qatari Investment Holding Company in the field of developing new cities, and in building and developing hotels.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency