BRUSSELS: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday the ceasefire in Lebanon was “holding” despite a series of incidents between Israel and Iran-backed militants Hezbollah.
“The ceasefire is holding, and we’re using the mechanism that was established when any concerns have arisen about any alleged or purported violations,” Blinken told journalists on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels.
Both Israel and Hezbollah face accusations of having breached the truce that took effect last Wednesday to end a war that has killed thousands in Lebanon and sparked mass displacements on both sides.
“I think fundamentally, both parties, that is to say Israel and Hezbollah, through the Lebanese government, wanted and continue to want the cease fire,” said Blinken.
“But we have to make sure that it’s upheld. And we’re determined to do that,” he added.
A committee including France, UN peacekeepers, Israel, Lebanon and chaired by the United States is tasked with maintaining communication between the various parties and ensuring violations are identified and dealt with to avoid any escalation.
“The mechanism that we established with France to make sure that the ceasefire is effectively monitored and implemented is working, and we want to make sure it continues to work,” Blinken said.
“If there are concerns that one party or the other is violating the ceasefire, it comes to us, and one way or another, we engage the parties. That’s exactly what’s happened,” he added.
Israel stepped up its campaign in south Lebanon in late September after nearly a year of cross-border exchanges by Hezbollah in support of its ally Hamas, following the Palestinian group’s October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.
Blinken says ‘ceasefire is holding’ in Lebanon
https://arab.news/mguzs
Blinken says ‘ceasefire is holding’ in Lebanon
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says all parties continue to want the cease fire
- Both Israel and Hezbollah face accusations of having breached the truce
Syria’s growth accelerates as sanctions ease, refugees return
- Economy grows much faster than World Bank’s 1% estimate, fueling plans for currency’s relaunch
NEW YORK: Syria’s economy is growing much faster than the World Bank’s 1 percent estimate for 2025 as refugees flow back after the end of a 14-year civil war, fueling plans for the relaunch of the country’s currency and efforts to build a new Middle East financial hub, central bank Governor AbdulKader Husrieh has said.
Speaking via video link at a conference in New York, Husrieh also said he welcomed a deal with Visa to establish digital payment systems and added that the country is working with the International Monetary Fund to develop methods to accurately measure economic data to reflect the resurgence.
The Syrian central bank chief, who is helping guide the war-torn country’s reintegration into the global economy after the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime about a year ago, described the repeal of many US sanctions against Syria as “a miracle.”
The US Treasury on Nov. 10 announced a 180-day extension of the suspension of the so-called Caesar sanctions against Syria; lifting them entirely requires approval by the US Congress.
Husrieh said that based on discussions with US lawmakers, he expects the sanctions to be repealed by the end of 2025, ending “the last episode of the sanctions.”
“Once this happens, this will give comfort to our potential correspondent banks about dealing with Syria,” he said.
Husrieh also said that Syria was working to revamp regulations aimed at combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism, which he said would provide further assurances to international lenders.
Syria’s central bank has recently organized workshops with banks from the US, Turkiye, Jordan and Australia to discuss due diligence in reviewing transactions, he added.
Husrieh said that Syria is preparing to launch a new currency in eight note denominations and confirmed plans to remove two zeroes from them in a bid to restore confidence in the battered pound.
“The new currency will be a signal and symbol for this financial liberation,” Husrieh said. “We are glad that we are working with Visa and Mastercard,” Husrieh said.
