WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed recent violence in Israel and the West Bank with his Jordanian counterpart and stressed the importance of maintaining the status quo at Jerusalem holy sites, the State Department said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Secretary Blinken emphasized the importance of upholding the historic status quo at the Haram Al-Sharif/Temple Mount, and appreciation for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s special role as custodian of Muslim holy places in Jerusalem,” spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
Blinken and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Monday also discussed the importance of Israelis and Palestinians working to end the violence and refrain from escalatory actions, he said.
Jordan’s King Abdullah said on Monday that Israel’s “unilateral” moves against Muslim worshippers at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque seriously undermined the prospects for peace in the region, state media said.
The monarch, who was speaking with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, blamed Israel for “provocative acts” in the mosque compound that violated “the legal and historic status quo” of the Muslim holy shrines.
On Friday, at least 152 Palestinians were wounded in clashes with Israeli riot police inside the mosque compound, the latest outbreak in an upsurge of violence that has raised fears of a slide back to wider conflict.
King Abdullah’s Hashemite monarchy has been custodian of the sites since 1924, paying for their upkeep and deriving part of its legitimacy from the role.
A number of US officials engaged in phone calls with Israelis, Palestinians and Arab representatives in the region over the weekend to see to it that tensions in Jerusalem do not escalate, Price told reporters on Monday.
Tensions this year have been heightened in part by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan coinciding with the Jewish celebration of Passover.
US Blinken stresses importance of status quo at Jerusalem holy sites -statement
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US Blinken stresses importance of status quo at Jerusalem holy sites -statement
- Blinken emphasized the importance of upholding the historic status quo at the Haram Al-Sharif
- Blinken and Jordanian FM also discussed importance of Israelis and Palestinians working to end the violence
Pakistan PM directs ministries to fast-track foreign investment recommendations
- Pakistan’s foreign direct investment fell by over 25 percent during July-November period, official data states
- Premier directs ministries to provide support via embassies worldwide to facilitate foreign investors
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed all ministries to prepare recommendations for domestic, foreign investment and development projects related to their sectors, state media reported as Islamabad eyes sustainable economic growth.
The premier’s directives came while he chaired a meeting of the federal ministries on the implementation of economic governance reforms, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
Foreign direct investment inflows in Pakistan fell by more than 25 percent to $927 million during the July-November period, as per data from the central bank. Pakistan’s FDI inflows have never surged beyond $3 billion in nearly 20 years, worrying Islamabad as it seeks to escape a prolonged macroeconomic crisis.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed all ministries to promptly prepare recommendations for domestic and foreign investment and development projects related to their respective sectors,” Radio Pakistan reported.
Sharif said it was his government’s top priority to provide institutional and administrative facilitation to investors.
The prime minister instructed federal ministries to provide “special importance” to proposals that promote exports.
“The prime minister directed the concerned ministries to provide effective support through Pakistani embassies worldwide to facilitate foreign investors,” the state media said.
Sharif stressed that equal attention be provided to industrial production, agriculture, and other key sectors to increase investment.
Pakistan’s government has said it is eyeing sustainable economic growth, driven by exports and foreign investment.
The South Asian country has recently signed agreements worth billions of dollars with regional allies such as Gulf nations, China and Central Asian nations to enhance cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, livestock, mines and minerals, and other sectors.
