Exclusive: Armenian president hails ‘new page’ in ties with Saudi Arabia, thanks Arab world for providing refuge after genocide

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Updated 27 November 2022
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Exclusive: Armenian president hails ‘new page’ in ties with Saudi Arabia, thanks Arab world for providing refuge after genocide

  • Embassies, ambassadors, only a matter of time, says President Sarkissian
  • Saudi crown prince “taking Saudi Arabia in right direction”
  • Iran has no security or military role in Armenia
  • Conflict with Azerbaijan was “never a religious war”

YEREVAN: A phrase Armen Sarkissian likes to repeat when describing his vision for Armenia is “small nation, global state.” As president of the republic, he doesn’t mince his words when it comes to his country’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. 
Occupying only 29,743 square kilometers of territory, Armenia is comparable in size to Belgium or the US state of Maryland. However, while there are fewer than three million Armenians citizens living in his country, the Armenian diaspora worldwide is estimated to be between five and seven million — with the US alone accounting for up to 1.5 million.
Renowned for their contributions globally, including in the Arab world, Armenians have left their mark in science, politics, sports, culture and entertainment. This is probably why Sarkissian not only considers his country’s diaspora a major point of strength, but goes as far as to say that Armenians abroad are as important a national resource as oil is to Gulf countries. In fact, he believes in this idea so much that he wants his country’s constitution to change, to enable more Armenians living abroad to participate in government.

“By constitution, an Armenian from abroad cannot become a minister unless he lives four years, the last four years, in Armenia, and carries only an Armenian passport, which I consider complete nonsense in this new world,” he tells Arab News in his first interview with a Saudi media outlet. “It should be the other way around. You have to bring people that are so successful worldwide. There are hundreds of thousands of experienced people and we’re not using them. I mean, imagine a Gulf state that decided not to use oil.”




Sarkissian (right) sat next to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (left) at the Future Investment Initiative conference. (SPA)

To complement this, Sarkissian also believes in investing heavily in human capital at home and is proud of what Armenia has achieved in the fields of technology and science, something he says all smart nations — such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE — are already doing. 
But despite this promising vision, the vibe is not all that positive in Yerevan, as people are acutely aware of their nation’s weaknesses and the threats it faces. The geopolitical shadows of the past seem to haunt the present — much like the eternal flame at the heart of Tsitsernakaberd, the genocide memorial dedicated to the lives of the 1.5 million Armenians who perished at the hands of the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1916. 
Modern day Turkey — one of Armenia’s four neighbors, along with Iran, Georgia and Azerbaijan — still does not recognize the genocide and remains at odds with Yerevan. Last year, a second war erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Yet again, the conflict was over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognized as Azeri. Turkey publicly supported Baku, while Iran is said to have silently supported Armenia — though this is disputed by some academics and analysts in Yerevan. 
The war ended with an Azeri victory and a cease-fire brokered by Russia, leaving Armenia in a struggle to prevent the harsh geopolitical realities of the present from interfering with its ambitious vision of the future. 
This was a challenge for Sarkissian, but also meant discovering new — and much needed — horizons and opportunities for Armenia. One obvious opportunity was Saudi Arabia, which since last year has been advocating for a peaceful solution between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

A historic visit

Sarkissian made history in October when he became the first Armenian president to visit Saudi Arabia since the independence of his country in 1991. Although the two countries have never been mutually hostile, neither have they had diplomatic relations since Riyadh supported Azerbaijan’s position in the first Karabakh war in 1988-1994.
Sarkissian says that is “unfortunate,” and that one of his “first goals” upon becoming president in 2018 was to establish diplomatic ties with the Kingdom, which he describes as a “very important, very influential and very prominent state, the guardian of the faith of Islam.”
During his visit, Sarkissian sat next to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Future Investment Initiative conference, often referred to as “Davos in the Desert.” He revealed to Arab News the substance of his discussions with the crown prince, which he says were not lengthy but “very specific.”

“First of all, it was a discussion about the respect of the two sides for each other as a nation, as a state, and as individuals. The second thing was that we spoke about our diplomatic relations, and we agreed that in reality our diplomatic relations started with that visit, and I’ve made invitations for the minister of state and foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, and of course His Royal Highness, to visit Armenia.




Sarkissian (left) told Abbas (right) that a timeline for exchanging ambassadors and opening embassies is a matter for the relevant departments in his government and the Saudi Foreign Ministry. (Ziyad AlArfaj)

“The third most important part of our discussion was focused on the future, and I was very happy to find in my discussions with His Royal Highness that he is very focused on the future of his country, on the future of the region, on the future of the Gulf and the future of the world.”

Sarkissian says a timeline for exchanging ambassadors and opening embassies is a matter for the relevant departments in his government and the Saudi Foreign Ministry. “To be honest, for me this is secondary, because what we agreed to is to consider that we have opened a new page in our relations,” he says. 
Sarkissian regrets that his visit was limited to one day, but he met many people — and the major influencing factor for him was his conversation with the crown prince. “I do believe in his honesty as a leader and where he is leading his nation, and that’s very much in the right direction,” he says.
However, Armenia also enjoys friendly relations with Iran, a regime infamous for interfering in the affairs of its neighbors and influencing decisions to serve its interests. Would this deter any prospect of normalization of ties with Saudi Arabia and moderate Arab states? “No, not at all,” says Sarkissian. Armenia is not a religious state and already enjoys “excellent relations” with Arab countries as well as Iran, which “didn’t take the path of destroying Armenian heritage or churches —in fact the government financed the restoration of Armenian churches in Iran.”
He explains that it is in his country’s interest to maintain good relations with Tehran. “We are a landlocked state,” and Yerevan already has troubled relations with two neighbors (Turkey and Azerbaijan), so it cannot afford to upset the relationship it enjoys with the remaining two, Iran and Georgia, which he describes as his country’s gateway to Russia and the Black Sea.

Nevertheless, Sarkissian does understand what he describes as the “concerns” of Saudi Arabia. “I do understand and I see the tensions, I do understand and see Iran and the Gulf, Iran and Lebanon, OK, and I see what Saudi Arabia is doing in the region and the Gulf.” 
But what exactly are the depths of the Armenian-Iranian relationship? Does Tehran play any role militarily, or interfere in security or policy affairs, as it does with almost all its neighbors?

I do understand the concerns of Saudi Arabia. I do understand and I see the tensions, I do understand and see Iran and the Gulf, Iran and Lebanon


“They don’t interfere in military or security,” Sarkissian insists. “They have their interests in what is happening now in the south of Armenia, which of course concerns Iran.” Yerevan and Tehran enjoy a relationship that is historic and cultural, and have mutual interests such as energy and trade, he says. 
But what about perceptions of Tehran’s secret support for Armenia during the recent Karabakh war? And how does President Sarkissian interpret Iranian military drills near the Azeri border? 
“That’s their own policy, they don’t interfere in Armenia,” he replies. “I think … if they feel a danger happening on their borders it is their internal issue.”
Sarkissian also strongly rejects suggestions that the Karabakh conflict was not just a land dispute, but also a religious war between Christian-majority Armenia and Muslim-majority Azerbaijan. “It was never a religious war,” he says. “Armenia has wonderful relations with a lot of states where Islam is a major religion, states where Islam is the only religion, or states that have Islam as their state religion”. 

“The other side (referring to Azerbaijan and Turkey) sometimes like to use that (the “religious war” description) in order in order to accumulate support from Islamic world, but Armenia never tried to get support from Christian states.”

Meanwhile, several Armenian analysts have criticized what they describe as Pakistan’s open and ideological support for the Azerbaijani-Turkish axis, and say that joint military drills with the Azeri side further complicate the situation. Sarkissian says Yerevan has no diplomatic relations with Pakistan — “I’m trying to build them, because I don’t come from the concept that if somebody supports my competitor or the enemy I shouldn’t talk to him.”
“Pakistan is not a country we can ignore. We are not in a position of going to war with Pakistan, that’s complete nonsense. We should try to have a dialogue and see where it takes us, and again I don’t see any again contradiction between having a dialogue with Pakistan and our deep and good relations with India.”

Peace in the South Caucasus? 

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said last week that Ankara was working on advancing the dialogue with Armenia, in coordination with Azerbaijan. “Turkey stands not only for the normalization of relations with Armenia, but also for peace and stability in the entire Caucasus,” he said. Turkey has engaged in an array of regional conflicts in recent years, and its economy has now deteriorated to unprecedented levels. Although this is not the first attempt to bridge the rift between the two neighbors, many observers believe Ankara’s political and economic difficulties present a genuine opportunity for Armenia. 
So, does Yerevan welcome these developments? Does this Armenian goodwill expressed by its president extend to arch-rival Turkey? 
“Armenia is politically divided, especially after the war, as you can imagine,” Sarkissian says. “Every state, when you have a war and you lose the war and there are so many tensions, then it’s not homogeneous in its behavior. I would never say that I speak on behalf of all Armenians.
“I’m the president of a parliamentary republic, I’m the head of state, but I’m not the executive who runs current affairs in the government. It’s the government that has to answer to the Turkish side, and the offer.” It would be wrong for him to comment or judge at this stage, he says. 
“Any agreement … should go through a formal process of being brought to the parliament,” he explains. “The moment it reaches my table you will hear my voice, and as the president of the republic I can either sign whatever is agreed — if I consider that it is in harmony with the national interest of the state and the people of Armenia — or I have a chance not sign it, and then send it, for example, to the constitutional court so the top lawyers can discuss this issue and give me advice.”
As for Azerbaijan, since the international community has recognized Karabakh as Azeri and attempts to resolve the issue continue, does Sarkissian see any role for influential regional or religious bodies such as the Gulf Cooperation Council or the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in supporting peace efforts in the Caucasus? 
“My advice would be, let's try to find a logical solution that will be acceptable on both sides. Any solution that is forced will not last,” he says.
Sarkissian argues that it is the Azeris who should be offering compromises to ensure a lasting peace. “There is not much the Armenian side can compromise on today,” he says. “We could have compromised starting from 1994, when we were victorious … that was the time for compromise and to come to a diplomatic solution rather than a war solution that’s a big regret, because thousands of young lives were lost for something that could have been achieved through diplomatic channels.” 

Let’s try to find a logical solution that will be acceptable on both sides. Any solution that is forced will not last


Nevertheless, the war was not a complete loss for Armenia. Sarkissian draws an interesting analogy with Turkey, and explains why there are still plenty of opportunities for his country.  
“During the war, we lost. But the Armenian monetary unit — the dram — was stable. It lost a little bit, but after the war it became stronger than before. Against the US dollar, the Turkish lira went down dramatically.”
The key difference, Sarkissian says, is that Armenia has safeguarded the independence of its central bank, while Turkey has not. “There’s something we did right around the early 1990s, we rebuilt our banking sector. We had more than 150 banks, and as in every Soviet republic most of them were pyramid schemes, but we managed to bring in international banks.
“The first was HSBC, I’m proud to say I brought them here, and they helped us to build our laws into the banking sector. And in Armenia we have a central bank that is really independent from the government.”
Banking is not the only sector Sarkissian is proud of. He speaks highly of Armenia’s technology and agricultural sectors, and even his country’s natural water. Sipping from a bottle of locally sourced still water, he elaborates on how rich his country is in natural water, and insists he can distinguish between the different tastes —like a wine connoisseur. 
Armenia joined the Eurasian Economic Union in 2015, but also has strong economic relations with the EU. Sarkissian says the consequent tax and customs alignments present an opportunity for Gulf companies and others to register in Armenia and run businesses from there. “Several countries, including Singapore, want to have deeper relations with the Eurasian Economic Union, and Armenia can be a gateway,” he says.

A message to the Arab world

Sarkissian recalls the key role played by the Gulf states and the Arab world in providing refuge for Armenians who escaped the 1915-1916 genocide.
“They found homes in Syria, in Lebanon, in Egypt, in the Gulf states including Saudi Arabia,” he says. “I take this opportunity to thank those nations, and the heads of state of all these Middle Eastern states, especially Arab states, that were so brotherly to us.
“These are states where the main religion is Islam, or the only religion is Islam, and they took in homeless Armenians who were Christians as their brothers and sisters. So this is an opportunity to thank them.”
Significantly, more than 100 years later, that migration is happening in reverse as Armenians flee their desperate plight in countries such as Syria and Lebanon. Sarkissian believes that, certainly in the case of Lebanon, it would be preferable to support the Armenian community in remaining in their adopted country.
“Five or ten years ago that was a country that was living in harmony,” he says. “Of course there was interference there, but what they got wrong was on the financial side, because of the structure of the constitution and the way they were running their affairs.
“But I would love to help our Armenian community there so they will stay, because there is too much culture, too much presence, and they are important — as are our Armenian communities in many other places.”


Center-left set to win as pro-Ukraine Lithuania votes

Updated 13 October 2024
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Center-left set to win as pro-Ukraine Lithuania votes

  • Lithuania’s main parties all agree on the need for strong support for Ukraine and to maintain or increase defense spending
  • The Baltic state of 2.8 million people has been warily eyeing perceived threats from neighboring Russia

VILNIUS: Lithuanians vote Sunday in elections likely to deliver a change of government but keep much else the same, including the NATO and EU member’s strong support for Ukraine and moves to bolster defense policy.
The vote is likely to see the center-left replace the ruling conservatives, and could also see a new populist party whose leader is on trial for alleged anti-Semitic comments enter parliament for the first time.
The Baltic state of 2.8 million people has been warily eyeing perceived threats from neighboring Russia, fearing it could be the next target if Moscow were to succeed in its ongoing war against Ukraine, which began in 2022.
Lithuania’s main parties all agree on the need for strong support for Ukraine and to maintain or increase defense spending, currently around three percent of GDP.
Opinion polls show the Social Democratic Party, which last led the government from 2012 to 2016, ahead of 14 other parties and coalitions, with the latest survey predicting they will secure around 20 percent of the vote.
The ruling center-right Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats are expected to receive around 15 percent, with six or seven parties likely to cross the electoral threshold in total.
Despite the potential change in government, no major changes in foreign policy are anticipated.
“There is no real alternative to what Lithuania chose 20 years ago,” political analyst Linas Kontrimas told AFP, referring to the country joining the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

President Gitanas Nauseda, who was re-elected for a second term this May with backing from the Social Democrats, is believed to support a change in government.
During the campaign, Nauseda — who defeated current Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte in the presidential vote — met with leaders of all parliamentary parties except the conservatives, who have been in frequent conflict with him during their four-year term.
“I voted for the authorities to work together, not against each other, to solve the problems of the Lithuanian people,” Nauseda said after casting an early vote, although he did not reveal his party preference.
Other opposition parties have united against the ruling conservatives.
“The time of the conservatives is over,” Social Democratic leader Vilija Blinkeviciute, a former social security and labor minister, told reporters.
The Social Democrats have pledged to increase progressive taxation, tax luxury goods and provide additional funding for social services, as well as cut taxes for families with children, raise pensions and offer VAT relief on food.

The election has also been marred by controversy surrounding a new populist party, Nemunas Dawn, led by former long-time MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis, which is expected to win parliamentary seats.
Last year, Zemaitaitis gave up his seat in parliament after facing criticism over alleged anti-Semitic comments.
He is currently on trial for incitement to hatred, although he denies the charge and insists he only criticized the Israeli government’s policies in the Gaza Strip.
Most political parties have vowed to exclude Zemaitaitis from any ruling coalition.
“I think we are facing not only a geopolitical threat, but also an internal political threat,” Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, the leader of the conservatives, told reporters after he cast his early vote.
During World War II, 90 percent of Lithuania’s Jewish population of approximately 208,000 were killed, often with the help of local collaborators, and the country’s historical memory of the Holocaust remains a subject of intense debate.
The first round of Sunday’s election will allocate roughly half of the 141 parliamentary seats through proportional representation, with the remaining seats to be decided in runoff rounds on October 27.
 


Doctor deems Harris in ‘excellent health.’ Her team aims to contrast with Trump’s scant medical info

Updated 13 October 2024
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Doctor deems Harris in ‘excellent health.’ Her team aims to contrast with Trump’s scant medical info

  • Trump has released very little health information, including after his ear was grazed by a bullet during an assassination attempt in July in Pennsylvania
  • Asked if she thought Trump’s mental acuity had declined, Harris said, “I invite the public to watch his rallies and be the decision-maker”

WASHINGTON: Vice President Kamala Harris is in “excellent health” and “possesses the physical and mental resiliency” required to serve as president, her doctor said in a letter released Saturday that summarizes her medical history and status.
Dr. Joshua Simmons, an Army colonel and physician to the vice president, wrote that Harris, 59, maintains a healthy, active lifestyle and that her most recent physical last April was “unremarkable.”
She “possesses the physical and mental resiliency required to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief,” he wrote in a two-page letter.
Harris’ campaign hopes the release of her medical report will draw a contrast with Republican Donald Trump, who has shared only limited information about his health over the years, and raise questions about his fitness to serve, according to a campaign aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
Trump has released very little health information, including after his ear was grazed by a bullet during an assassination attempt in July in Pennsylvania.
Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, said Saturday that Trump has voluntarily released updates from his personal physician as well as detailed reports from Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, who, before he was elected to Congress, was Trump’s physician at the White House. Jackson also treated Trump after the assassination attempt.

Republican presidential nominee President Donald Trump looks on during a Hispanic roundtable at Beauty Society on October 12, 2024 in North Las Vegas, Nevada. (AFP)

“All have concluded he is in perfect and excellent health to be Commander in Chief,” Cheung said in a statement. The campaign press office provided links to some of Trump’s past medical reports. They included: https://tinyurl.com/yckc495b and https://tinyurl.com/4z27pk2f
If Trump, who is 78, were to be elected next month, he would be the oldest president in US history by the time his term ends in 2029.
Harris addressed the issue on Saturday before she traveled to North Carolina.
“It’s clear to me that he and his team do not want the American people to really see what he is doing and if he is fit to be the president,” she told the reporters accompanying her.
Asked if she thought Trump’s mental acuity had declined, Harris said, “I invite the public to watch his rallies and be the decision-maker.”
Simmons, who said he has been Harris’ primary care physician for the past 3 1/2 years, said the vice president has a history of seasonal allergies and urticaria, or hives. She has been able to “dramatically” improve her symptoms over the past three years with an immunotherapy medication that helps the body become less sensitive to allergens.
Simmons said Harris’ latest blood work and other test results were “unremarkable.” Her blood pressure is not worryingly high and she is at low risk for heart disease.
According to the summary of an exam conducted six months ago, Harris’ vital signs showed a blood pressure of 128 over 74, a heart rate of 78 beats per minute, pulse oximetry of 100 percent on room air with a respiratory rate of 16 breaths per minute and a temperature of 98.7 degrees. Pulse oximetry measures the amount of oxygen in a person’s blood.
Simmons reported that Harris’ head, eyes, ears, nose and pharynx are normal.
Also in the report: Harris wears contact lenses for mild nearsightedness; her family history includes maternal colon cancer; she is up to date on preventive care recommendations, including having a colonoscopy and annual mammograms, as well as routine immunizations.
Harris’ mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was 70 when she died of colon cancer in February 2009.
The vice president “maintains a healthy, active lifestyle, despite her busy schedule,” including “vigorous daily aerobic exercise and core strength training,” Simmons reported. She eats a healthy diet, does not use tobacco products and drinks alcohol “only occasionally and in moderation,” he wrote.
As Harris’ office released the medical report, her campaign highlighted recent media reports raising questions about Trump’s health and mental acuity and his reluctance to provide detailed information about the state of his health and medical history.
Trump eagerly questioned President Joe Biden’s physical and mental fitness when the 81-year-old sought reelection. Since Biden dropped out of the race and was replaced by Harris on the Democratic ticket, Trump’s health has drawn more attention.
Last November, Trump marked Biden’s birthday by releasing a letter from his physician that reported the former president was in “excellent” physical and mental health. The letter posted on Trump’s social media platform contained no details about his weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, or the results of any tests to support its claims.
 


New Zealand ship didn’t sink because its captain was a woman, the ‘appalled’ defense minister says

Updated 13 October 2024
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New Zealand ship didn’t sink because its captain was a woman, the ‘appalled’ defense minister says

  • Defense Minister Judith Collins was reacting to comments on social media directed at the woman captain of a navy ship that sank off the coast of Samoa

WELLINGTON, New Zealand: New Zealand’s defense minister issued stinging rebukes of what she said were “vile” and “misogynistic” online remarks by “armchair admirals” about the woman captain of a navy ship that ran aground, caught fire and sank off the coast of Samoa.
“Seriously, it’s 2024,” Judith Collins told reporters Thursday. “What the hell’s going on here?”
After days of comments on social media directed at the gender of Commander Yvonne Gray, Collins urged the public to “be better.” Women members of the military had also faced verbal abuse in the street in New Zealand since the ship — one of nine in the country’s navy — was lost on Sunday, Collins said.
All 75 people on board evacuated to safety with only minor injuries after the vessel ran aground on the reef it was surveying about a mile off the coast of Upolu, Samoa’s most populous island. The cause of the disaster is not known.
“The one thing that we already know did not cause it is the gender of the ship’s captain, a woman with 30 years’ naval experience who on the night made the call to get her people to safety,” Collins said.
One of the posters was a truck driver from Melbourne, Australia, she added.
“I think that he should keep his comments to people who drive trucks rather than people who drive ships,” Collins said. “These are the sorts of people I’m calling out and I’m happy to keep calling them out for as long as it takes to stop this behavior.”
About 20 percent of New Zealand’s uniformed military members are women. Collins is New Zealand’s first woman defense minister and said she stood alongside Gray and Maj. Gen. Rose King, the country’s first woman army chief, who assumed her role in June.
“We are all appointed on merit, not gender,” said Collins.
The sinking prompted fears of a major fuel spill. On Thursday, officials in Samoa said while the vessel was leaking oil from three places, the amount was reducing each day and was dissipating quickly due to strong winds in the area.
Most of the ship’s fuel appeared to have burned out in the fire, according to a statement by the Marine Pollution Advisory Committee. Officials were due to meet with locals Thursday to discuss how to remove the vessel’s anchor and three shipping containers from the reef without further damaging the fragile marine ecosystem.
New Zealand’s government has ordered a military court of inquiry into the episode, which will be led by senior military officers. It will assemble for the first time on Friday.
Passengers, including civilian scientists and foreign military personnel, left the vessel on life boats in “challenging conditions” and darkness, New Zealand’s Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Garin Golding told reporters after the sinking.
Those on board have since returned to New Zealand by plane.
The specialist dive and hydrographic vessel had been in service for New Zealand since 2019, but was 20 years old and had previously belonged to Norway. The military said the ship, purchased for $100 million NZ dollars ($61 million), was not covered by replacement insurance.
The state of New Zealand’s aging military hardware has prompted warnings from the defense agency, which in a March report described the navy as “extremely fragile,” with ships idle due to problems retaining the staff needed to service and maintain them. Of the navy’s eight remaining ships, five are currently operational.
Golding said the HMNZS Manawanui underwent a maintenance period before the deployment.


North Kosovo ethnic tensions remain risk for violence, NATO official says

Updated 13 October 2024
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North Kosovo ethnic tensions remain risk for violence, NATO official says

  • The US and the European Union, Kosovo’s leading global allies, have criticized the Pristina government for taking unilateral actions in the north that could spark ethnic violence and risk the lives of some 4,000 NATO troops on duty there

PRISTINA: Persistent ethnic tension in north Kosovo could trigger a repeat of violence seen in the area last year, when four people died in a gunbattle and NATO peacekeepers were hurt in clashes, a senior official from the military alliance warned on Saturday.
Kosovo is predominantly ethnic Albanian but about 50,000 Serbs in the north reject Pristina’s government and see Belgrade as their capital. A former Serbian province, Kosovo declared independence in 2008 a decade after a guerrilla uprising.
US Navy Admiral Stuart B. Munsch, commander of the Allied Joint Force Command Naples — which oversees NATO’s peacekeeping in force in Kosovo — said the alliance remained concerned about the risk of repeated violence in the volatile north.
“Heated political rhetoric could inspire some non-government forces to commit violence such as what happened last year,” Munsch told reporters in Pristina.
“I would not say that definitely conflict is coming, I think there is a persistent risk,” he said, referring to a lack of progress in EU-mediated talks between Kosovo’s government and Serbia.
A police officer and three gunmen were killed in September 2023 when a group of heavily armed attackers entered from Serbia and attacked police in the village of Banjska.
Four months earlier, more than 90 soldiers were injured when Serb protesters attacked NATO peacekeepers.
Kosovo has accused Serbia of being behind the Banjska attack but Belgrade has denied the accusations.
The US and the European Union, Kosovo’s leading global allies, have criticized the Pristina government for taking unilateral actions in the north that could spark ethnic violence and risk the lives of some 4,000 NATO troops on duty there.
Kosovo rejects such criticism, and the issue has strained Pristina’s ties with its Western supporters.
As part of the EU-mediated dialogue, Kosovo and Serbia have been holding talks for more than a decade to normalize their relations, but there has been little progress.
Like the Serbs living in north Kosovo, Belgrade also considers Kosovo to be part of Serbia and refuses to recognize it as a state.

 


Trump has long blasted China’s trade practices. His ‘God Bless the USA’ Bibles were printed there

Updated 13 October 2024
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Trump has long blasted China’s trade practices. His ‘God Bless the USA’ Bibles were printed there

  • Trump didn’t say where the “God Bless the USA” Bibles are printed, what they cost or how much he earns per sale

WASHINGTON: Thousands of copies of Donald Trump’s “God Bless the USA” Bible were printed in a country that the former president has repeatedly accused of stealing American jobs and engaging in unfair trade practices: China.
Global trade records reviewed by The Associated Press show a printing company in China’s eastern city of Hangzhou shipped close to 120,000 of the Bibles to the United States earlier this year.
The estimated value of the three separate shipments was $342,000, or less than $3 per Bible, according to databases that track exports and imports. The minimum price for the Trump-backed Bible is $59.99, putting the potential sales revenue at about $7 million.
The Trump Bible’s connection to China reveals a deep divide between the former president’s harsh anti-China rhetoric and his efforts to raise cash while campaigning.
The Trump campaign did not respond to emails and calls seeking comment.
In a March 26 video posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump announced a partnership with country singer Lee Greenwood to hawk the Bibles, inspired by Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” hit song.
In the video, Trump blended religion with his campaign message as he urged viewers to buy the Bible, which includes copies of the US Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and Pledge of Allegiance.
“This Bible is a reminder that the biggest thing we have to bring back in America, and to make America great again, is our religion,” Trump said.
Trump didn’t say where the “God Bless the USA” Bibles are printed, what they cost or how much he earns per sale. A version of the $59.99 Bible memorializes the July 13 assassination attempt on the former president in Pennsylvania. Trump’s name is stamped on the cover above the phrase, “The Day God Intervened.”
The Bibles are sold exclusively through a website that states it is not affiliated with any political campaign nor is it owned or controlled by Trump.
The website states that Trump’s name and image are used under a paid license from CIC Ventures, a company Trump reported owning in a financial disclosure released in August. CIC Ventures earned $300,000 in Bible sales royalties, according to the disclosure. It’s unclear if Trump has received additional payments.
AP received no response to questions sent to the Bible website and to a publicist for Greenwood.
For years, Trump has castigated Beijing as an obstacle to America’s economic success, slapping hefty tariffs on Chinese imports while president and threatening even more stringent measures if he’s elected again. He blamed China for the COVID-19 outbreak and recently suggested, without evidence, that Chinese immigrants are flooding the US to build an “army” and attack America.
But Trump also has an eye on his personal finances. Pitching Bibles is one of a dizzying number of for-profit ventures he’s launched or promoted, including diamond-encrusted watches, sneakers, photo books, cryptocurrency and digital trading cards.
The web of enterprises has stoked conflict of interest concerns. Selling products at prices that exceed their value may be considered a campaign contribution, said Claire Finkelstein, founder of the nonpartisan Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law and a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
“You have to assume that everything that the individual does is being done as a candidate and so that any money that flows through to him benefits him as a candidate,” Finkelstein said. “Suppose Vladimir Putin were to buy a Trump watch. Is that a campaign finance violation? I would think so.”
There’s a potentially lucrative opportunity for Trump to sell 55,000 of the Bibles to Oklahoma after the state’s education department ordered public schools to incorporate Scripture into lessons. Oklahoma plans to buy Bibles that initially matched Trump’s edition: a King James Version that contains the US founding documents. The request was revised Monday to allow the US historical documents to be bound with the Bible or provided separately.
The first delivery of Trump Bibles was labeled “God Bless USA,” according to the information from the Panjiva and Import Genius databases. The other two were described as “Bibles.” All the books were shipped by New Ade Cultural Media, a printing company in Hangzhou, to Freedom Park Design, a company in Alabama that databases identified as the importer of the Bibles.
Tammy Tang, a sales representative for New Ade, told AP all three shipments were “God Bless the USA” Bibles. She said New Ade received the orders from Freedom Park Design via the WhatsApp messaging service. The books were printed on presses near the company’s office, she said.
Freedom Park Design was incorporated in Florida on March 1. An aspiring country singer named Jared Ashley is the company’s president. He also co-founded 16 Creative, a marketing firm that uses the same Gulf Shores address and processes online orders for branded merchandise.
Ashley hung up on a reporter who called to ask about the Bibles. Greenwood is a client of 16 Creative, according to the firm’s website. He launched the American-flag emblazoned Bible in 2021.
Religious scholars have denounced the merger of Scripture and government documents as a “toxic mix” that would fuel Christian nationalism, a movement that fuses American and Christian values, symbols and identity and seeks to privilege Christianity in public life. Other critics have called the Trump Bible blasphemous.
Tim Wildsmith, a Baptist minister who reviews Bibles on his YouTube channel, said he quickly noticed the signs of a cheaply made book when his “God Bless the USA” Bible arrived in the mail.
It had a faux leather cover, and words were jammed together on the pages, making it hard to read. He also found sticky pages that ripped when pulled apart, and there was no copyright page or information about who printed the Bible, or where.
“I was shocked by how poor the quality of it was,” Wildsmith said. “It says to me that it’s more about the love of money than it is the love of our country.”