Palestinian Authority recalls its ambassadors from 4 EU countries

Photo showing an elderly Palestinian man falls on the ground after being shot by Israeli troops during a deadly protest at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, May 14, 2018. (AP)
Updated 16 May 2018
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Palestinian Authority recalls its ambassadors from 4 EU countries

JERUSALEM: The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has recalled its ambassadors to four European countries to protest their participation in a party celebrating the opening of the new US Embassy in Jerusalem.
The ministry said Wednesday that its ambassadors to Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria were being called home for consultations.
The Palestinians, who seek Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as their capital, strongly objected to the move of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The European Union objected to the embassy move. But the four European countries criticized by the Palestinians broke with EU policy to attend the celebration.
The Palestinians said they consider the participation a “grave violation of international law.”
The Palestinian action comes a day after Turkey and Israel withdrew their respective Top diplomats from both capitals in protest over the Gaza killing.

The row, which on Tuesday saw President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu exchange bitter jibes on Twitter, threatens a 2016 deal on normalizing ties after the crisis sparked by the May 2010 deadly storming of a Turkish ship by Israeli commandos.
Turkey has expressed outrage over the killing by Israeli forces on Monday of 60 Palestinians during protests and clashes on the Gaza border and also blamed tensions on the US decision to move its embassy for Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.
Ankara also withdrew its ambassador to Washington Serdar Kilic for consultations after the bloodshed, which came on the same day the embassy move took place. Kilic arrived back in Ankara on Wednesday afternoon, state media said.
Erdogan will on Friday host an emergency summit meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul which he has said will send a “strong message to the world” on the issue.


Syria, Russia discuss cooperation on railway development

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Syria, Russia discuss cooperation on railway development

  • Talks assessed the condition of Syria's railway lines, estimated costs of rehabilitation, and technical requirements
  • Proposals explored for joint projects, financing options, and a plan to connect the railway network with Tartous Port

LONDON: Syrian and Russian officials discussed the possibility of Moscow assisting in the development of Syria’s railway network as part of a collaborative effort to modernize the country’s transport infrastructure.

Syrian Transport Minister Yarub Badr on Thursday in Damascus had talks with Russian Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities Irek Faizullin, and Igor Levitin, an adviser to the Russian president and former transport minister.

The talks assessed the condition of Syria’s railway lines, the damage caused by the war, the estimated costs of rehabilitation, and technical requirements, including signaling, communications, and locomotive systems, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency.

The two parties also discussed collaboration in maintenance, locomotive overhauls, and the potential supply of new locomotives. They explored proposals for joint projects, financing options, and a plan to connect the railway network with Tartous Port and phosphate mines to enhance logistics.

The meeting emphasized training local specialists through programs and scholarships at Russian universities to enhance Syrian-Russian cooperation in transport, SANA added.