Armenia ambassador and Egypt minister discuss economic cooperation

August 5, 2015 By administrator

The Ambassador of Armenia to Egypt, Armen Melkonian, on Tuesday met with the Minister of International Cooperation of Egypt, Naglaa El-Ahwany.

The interlocutors discussed the prospects for strengthening the Armenian-Egyptian trade and economic ties.

They also exchanged views on the avenues for increasing trade turnover and encouraging investments between the two countries, and on the promising domains of bilateral cooperation.

In addition, the parties highlighted the need to intensify the activities of the Joint Governmental Commission, and organize meetings between the business circles.

Furthermore, both sides attached importance to the contribution of the Egyptian Armenian community in strengthening the traditional Armenian-Egyptian friendship.

Separately, the Armenian ambassador congratulated the Egyptian minister on Thursday’s slated opening of the new Suez Canal.

Egypt is accusing Turkey of working with the Islamic State on the Sinai Peninsula,

July 30, 2015 By administrator

A senior Foreign Ministry official said later that Egypt could prove Turkey was supporting the Islamic State affiliate in Sinai, Ansar Beit Al Maqdis, or Champions of Jerusalem, a terrorist group that has fired rockets at Israel and attacked security forces after the Egyptian military under Mr. el-Sisi overthrew the country’s Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi. The group also calls itself Wilayat Sinai, or Sinai Province.

“We have evidence linking the Turkish government to Ansar Beit Al Maqdis,” said the source. “This is in addition to the support the Turks have given to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas.”

On July 4, Egyptians made public pictures of men killed or captured in Sinai who were suspected of being agents with Turkey’s intelligence agency, MiT. On July 23, the privately owned, pro-government Tahrir News identified the four men as MiT colonel Ismail Aly Bal and operatives Diaa El Din Mehmet Gado, Bakoush Al Hussaini Youzmi and Abd Allah Al Turki.

Egypt made the striking statements after Turkey launched its first attacks against the Islamic State in northern Syria last week and allowed the U.S. to use Turkish air bases for bombing runs against the militants after Turkey resisted American assaults from its territory for the past year.

Jacques Neriah, a former deputy head for assessment of Israeli military intelligence, said the American-Turkish cooperation likely reflected Ankara’s attempt to conduct damage control and bolster its image in Washington.

“I believe that after the Egyptians published the names of four captured Turkish agents, the Americans started asking Ankara tough questions,” Mr. Neriah said. “The Turks needed to reassure the Americans that they are in fact the good guys and this is why out of the blue they let the Americans use Incirlik [Air Base] in order to attack ISIS.”

Egypt is accusing Turkey of providing more than 10,000 Turkish passports to members of ISIS,

July 4, 2015 By administrator

TEL AVIV – Egypt is accusing Turkey of providing more than 10,000 Turkish passports to members of ISIS, the Islamic State, to facilitate travel of fighters across the region.

The official further charged that Istanbul is serving as the “headquarters” for ISIS planning. Report wnd.com

“Turkey continues to allow free passage to Iraq and Syria to IS fighters,” the official added.

If the Turkish passport charge is true, it would present a worldwide ISIS travel threat.

Already, there have been major passport concerns regarding ISIS and its sympathizers.

Earlier this month, a French senate report showed about 47 percent of European jihadists known to have traveled to ISIS-held territory hold French passports.

The free WND special report “ISIS Rising,” by Middle East expert and former Department of Defense analyst Michael Maloof, will answer your questions about the jihadist army threatening the West.

Scores of British citizens are also known to have joined ISIS. Last month, nine British medical students reportedly travel`ed to Syria to work in hospitals in areas held by ISIS.

In a move that clearly is part of the terrorist group’s symbolic creation of a caliphate, ISIS militants themselves reportedly started issuing their own international ISIS passports.

There are concerns ISIS plans to expand beyond the Middle East to Europe.

In February, WND reported documents released by ISIS supporters and propagandists revealed ISIS is planning to use Libya as a “gateway” to Europe.

The documents, obtained by the Quilliam Foundation, a Britain-based think tank that focuses on counter-extremism, raised the possibility of storming southern European cities to cause “pandemonium” or closing international shipping lines in the Mediterranean Sea.

The purported ISIS documents, obtained and reviewed by WND, received widespread news coverage.

However, some of the more sensational possibilities described within the pages were largely overlooked.

The documents indicate ISIS views Libya as not just fertile ground for a headquarters but as a staging base to infiltrate Europe by boat along with the hundreds of migrants who daily attempt to flee to Italy.

One ISIS document recognized Libya has a “long coastline” that “looks upon the southern Crusader states, which can be reached with ease by even a rudimentary boat.”

The document notes “the number of ‘illegal immigration’ trips from this coast is massive, estimated to be as high as 500 people a day, as a low estimate.”

It states that “according to many [of these immigrants], it is easily possible to pass through Maritime Security Checkpoints and arrive in [European] cities.”

“If this was even partially exploited and developed strategically, pandemonium could be wrought in the southern Europe. It is even possible that there could be a closure of shipping lines because of the targeting of Crusader ships and tankers.”

The Quillium Foundation warns: “Therefore, the opportunities that lie in the exploitation of human trafficking rings make Libya unparalleled as a launching platform for attacking European states and shipping lines.”

The ISIS documents extensively discuss what they claim are massive caches of light, medium and heavy munitions in Libya. Jihadists are urged to make their way to Libya to help expand the caliphate.

“Not only will pressure on the land of the Caliphate in ash-Sham be relieved, but the territories of the Caliphate in ash-Sham, Iraq and Hijaz will be linked with those of their brothers in Libya and the Islamic Maghreb and the defeat of all regimes and tyrants in their way will be enabled.”

How real are ISIS’s claims of migrant boats flooding Europe?

In February, Italy reportedly rescued some 2,164 migrants coming from Libya on about a dozen boats. The incident took place the same day Italian coast guard members were reportedly threatened by four armed men who approached them by speedboat from the Libyan coast.

The U.N. refugee organization, UNHCR, estimates that at least 218,000 migrants from North Africa crossed the Mediterranean by boat last year, with some 3,500 dying on the way.

Italy’s defense minister, Roberta Pinotti, told the country’s Il Messaggero newspaper in February the potential for terrorists infiltrating Italy in boats carrying immigrants from Libya “could not be ruled out.”

Cairo: ‘Battle of humanity’: Muslim scholars Al-Azhar, make desperate call to save Syria’s Palmyra

May 25, 2015 By administrator

The historical city of Palmyra (Reuters / Nour Fourat)

Before Islamic State hammers have a chance to fall on the ruins of Palmyra, a leading Sunni Muslim body is appealing one last time for people to unite “in a battle of humanity” and save what UNESCO calls a historic city of “outstanding universal value.”

The call comes just as Syrian fighter jets were bombarding terrorist positions from the sky early on Monday.

The terrorist group has already killed 400 people in the ancient Syrian city, northeast of Damascus, while thousands more have been displaced by the fighting.

Now, Al-Azhar, a Cairo-based center for Islamic learning, has sounded the alarm as time runs out to prevent Palmyra from becoming another Nimrod, the Iraqi (Assyrian) city where Islamic State (formerly known as ISIS/ISIL) wiped thousands of years of history from existence with axes and sledgehammers.

“Protecting archeological sites from destruction and plundering is the battle of all of humanity,” the center said in a statement a day after another appeal by Syria’s antiquities director and ISIS entered the museum in the 2,000-year-old Palmyra and raised their black flag over the citadel.

Maamoun Abdulkarim, the antiquities director, on Saturday called for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution No. 2199, which was unanimously approved on February 12 and called for nations to combat terrorism by any means possible.

“We have to unite our efforts in order to protect one of the most important archaeological cities in the Middle East from being destroyed by Daesh [the Arabic acronym for Islamic State],” Al-Azhar’s statement said.

Following UNESCO’s call for a swift resolution and an end to the fighting, Al-Azhar urged the international community to do whatever it can to prevent one of the world’s most important archaeological sites from being destroyed.

Since the city’s seizure Thursday, the race has been on to save this World Heritage site – a collection of Greco-Roman ruins with intricate designs, colonnades and an ancient cemetery full of elaborately-decorated tombs.

For Al-Azhar, this isn’t just about Islamic State being prehistoric in its cruelty: the organization says it clear that nowhere in Sharia law does it say that destruction of universally-valued antiquities and heritage sites is a holy duty.

Armenian Ambassador, Egyptian Minister discuss tourism

May 25, 2015 By administrator

Armenia’s Ambassador to Egypt Armen Melkonyan met with Egypt’s Tourism Minister Khaled Rami, the press service of Armenian Foreign Ministry reports.

Noting that tourism is one of the priorities of Armenia’s economic development, Ambassador Melkonyan drew the Minister’s attention to Armenia’s potential, current programs and achievements in that sector.

The interlocutors discussed the perspectives of boosting tourism exchanges between the two countries. In this context, they attached importance to the establishment of direct flights between Armenia and Egypt in the near future.

Also, they underscored the considerable role of the Armenian community in Egypt’s public and cultural life.

Armenia and Egypt Presidents meet in Moscow

May 9, 2015 By administrator

Armenia and Egypt Presidents

Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan, who is on working visit to Russia, met with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Moscow on Saturday.

The presidents discussed questions on bilateral cooperation in political, economic, cultural and other fields, according to Armenian President’s Press Service. During the meeting the presidents underscored the importance of the further development of Armenian-Egypt relations, based on age-long friendship, as well as the necessity to give new impetus to those relations. With regard to the strengthening of bilateral ties, the presidents put special stress to the activation of mutual visits.

Serzh Sargsyan expressed hope that the reforms, initiated by Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and aimed at the establishment of stability and development in Egypt, will also create grounds for the development of Armenian-Egypt relations with the former activity and effectiveness.

Egypt’s President expressed confidence that these relations and cooperation will develop more actively than before. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said that his country saw difficult times, and during the last year much had been done in Egypt to reestablish security and stability. He talked about the Armenian community in Egypt with admiration, noting that Armenians were always received brotherly treatment in Egypt.

The presidents emphasized the significant role of the Armenian community in Egypt in strengthening of friendship between the two countries. In this context, the special role of such persons as the Egyptian Armenian politician Nubar Pasha was underscored.

Egypt, Greece, Greek Cyprus form alliance, isolates Turkey further

May 5, 2015 By administrator

Egyptian President al-Sisi (C) chats with Greek Prime Minister Tsipras (L) and Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiades in Nicosia

While the leaders of regional actors Greece, Egypt and Greek Cyprus, which have been at odds with Turkey, met in nicosia last week for a trilateral meeting to boost security, energy and economic relations, Turkey is increasingly isolating itself by adding the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) to the list of regional actors it has offended.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi traveled to Greek Cyprus to meet with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades last Wednesday. El-Sisi had previously hosted Anastasiades and former Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras last November in Cairo, declaring new energy cooperation in the region between the three parties.

Analysts closely following Turkey agree that Ankara’s faulty foreign policy in the region helps the formation of such new friendships and contributes to Turkey’s further isolation. Former Turkish foreign minister and architect of its regional policies Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu’s “zero problems with neighbors” concept has long been a source of mockery in international circles as “zero neighbors,” with Turkey increasing its problematic relations in the region by the day.

During his visit to Greek Cyprus, Tsipras said that Greece would launch consultations with Egypt and Greek Cyprus to establish maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean. Visiting Nicosia’s southern area, Tsipras said the maritime boundaries would be defined in areas where the consent of third countries was not required.

Maritime zones claimed by countries for commercial research, known as economic exploitation zones (EEZ), are normally governed by the United Nations’ Law of the Sea or bilateral agreements between neighboring states that usually settle on an equidistant boundary. Ankara, which is not a signatory to that convention, questions the jurisdiction of Cyprus’s internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government in exploring for oil and gas.

Greek Cyprus has rebuffed Turkish claims and defined its economic zone in 2004. Since then it has delineated its maritime boundaries with Egypt and Israel, where vast amounts of natural gas have been discovered in the past two years.

Turkey and Greece have been at loggerheads for decades over land, air, sea and seabed borders in parts of the Aegean Sea.

After talks with el-Sisi and Anastasiades, Tsipras said, “We agreed on further consultations for defining our sea zones wherever that is deemed necessary, and obviously where it does not require an understanding and cooperation with third countries.”

The three parties have also agreed to step up cooperation on combatting terrorism amid fears over worsening security conditions in the region, including Libya. El-Sisi, Tsipras and Anastasiades agreed to boost defense and security ties and to discuss relevant information to counter terrorist threats. They expressed “grave concern” over a growing terrorist threat in Libya that may destabilize neighboring countries, adding that they support putting in place a counterterrorism strategy that would run in tandem with the ongoing political process.

Source: Zaman

Egyptian expert: Historic moment of Armenian Genocide recognition is not far

April 25, 2015 By administrator

YEREVAN. – The historic moment of Armenian Genocide recognition is not that far, Ayman Salama, Egyptian historian, scientist and specialist of international law told Armenian News – NEWS.am. He said that it was his already second visit to Armenia. “I offer sincere and deep condolences to the Armenian people, Armenian families, who suffered from the genocide committed in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 during WWI,” Ayman Salama said.

According to the expert, Article 1 of the Genocide Convention (adopted by UN General Assembly on December 9, 1948) defines genocide as an international crime regardless of being committed in time of peace or in time of war. “Therefore, it is actually a clear and undeniable refutation to the Turkish side’s allegations. If you ask lawyers, attorneys and human rights activists all over the world, 90 per cent of them will respond that the Armenian Genocide was a typical genocide, defined by international law, international humanitarian law and Geneva Convention,” Salama added.

According to the historian, the Turkish government should address not the Armenian nation but its own people, so that the latter can understand what actually happened.

Egypt has announced that it will not renew a Suez Canal transit-trade agreement with Turkey

April 4, 2015 By administrator

cargo ships sail through the Suez Canal

By İBRAHİM TÜRKMEN

As the Egyptian administration, which draws constant criticism from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has announced that it will not renew a transit-trade agreement with Turkey which expires at the end of this month, Turkish exporters are looking for a way out, with the Suez Canal looking like the only alternative for transportation of goods to countries on the Arabian Peninsula despite the high cost.

When Turkish trucks had to abandon the transportation route via Syria to Jordan and countries on the Arabian Peninsula due to the civil war in Syria, Turkey signed in April of 2012 a memorandum of understanding with Egypt for the establishment of a transit transportation route connected by the Ro-Ro ships.

The Ro Ro agreement, which became active at the end of April 2012 between the two countries, allowed Turkish exporters to bypass the Suez Canal and keep the increase in their transportation costs in exports to the region at a reasonable level, with an increase of $1,000 per truck as compared to the Syrian route. The agreement expires on April 24.

Although Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekçi continues to say there are ongoing negotiations to ensure the renewal of the agreement with Egyptian officials, it does not seem likely that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is constantly attacked by Erdoğan for being a coup perpetrator, will take any steps in Turkey’s favor. This situation leaves exporters and transporters in the country’s south in particular in a tough situation.

Around 8,000 to 10,000 trucks on average transport Turkish goods, in particular fresh fruits and textiles, to Gulf countries over this route every year. In line with the present agreement, Turkish trucks go to Egypt’s Port Said on ships from where they cover a 240-kilometer road until the Port of Adabiya, which is located at the end of the Suez Canal. From Adabiya, they board ships again to go to Saudi Arabia’s Dhiba Port and then to their customers in Gulf countries.

In October 2009, when Turkey enjoyed friendly relationships with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an agreement was signed between the two countries ending visa requirements. This agreement led to great commercial mobilization in the Turkish provinces that have borders with Syria.

With the increasing tourism activities in the region, businessmen in the country’s Southeast began to make new investments and increased their production capacity. When civil war broke out in Syria and relations between Syria and Turkey worsened, commercial activities in the region came to a halt. Following this, the Turkish government found a new, alternative route for the trucks over Egypt.

When the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) administration, which was strongly supported by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, was toppled by Sisi in Egypt, Turkey adopted a very harsh stance against Sisi and bilateral relations became strained. Sisi’s response was also harsh. This is the main reason behind the transit-trade agreement not being renewed.

The amount of exports that is transported via the route in Egypt is around $500 million. Turkey’s failure to ensure the renewal of the transit-trade agreement with Egypt does not mean that it will lose the entire $500 million. There are some alternative routes, but each of them is costly.

Ro-Ro line was a life ring

Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ATSO) President Hikmet Çinçin said the transit-trade agreement with Egypt served as a life ring for exporters at a time when access to Middle Eastern and Gulf countries over Syria became impossible due to the civil war in the country. He said the unilateral cancellation of the transit-trade agreement by Egypt will affect the regional economy and also Turkish exports. Yet, he avoids mentioning the cost that will arise with the cancellation of this agreement.

Çinçin said ATSO has made a study on the alternative routes and come to the conclusion that reaching Saudi Arabia via the Suez Canal is the most reasonable alternative. This route will bring in an extra cost of $1,000 to $1,500 per truck. Although reaching the region from Israel is another alternative, it seems unlikely due to the diplomatic crisis Turkey has with Israel. Iran is another alternative, but since the route would be longer from there with additional costs, it is not preferable. Iraq and Syria are not even considered as alternatives due to the turmoil in these countries.

Hatay Ro-Ro executive board president İbrahim Güler has said they made their decision to use the Suez Canal as of April 24 for their commercial activities. According to Güler, this will lead to an additional cost for carriers. Businessmen who are involved in commercial activities in the Gulf and Arab countries say they will not give up exporting goods to these regions no matter what happens.

Source: ZAMAN

Libyan flights from Turkey, Jordan to make security stop in east

February 25, 2015 By administrator

CAIRO/BAYDA, Libya – Reuters

REUTERS Photo

Egypt is forcing Libyan airliners flying between Turkey and Jordan and the capital Tripoli to stop in eastern Libya to allow the country’s internationally recognized government to screen out potential Islamist fighters, officials said.

The move underscores Egypt’s engagement in Libya to bolster the weak official government, holed up in the east since it lost control of the capital, in its fight against Islamist militants exploiting the chaos that followed the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Egyptian jets bombed suspected Islamist militant targets in the eastern Libyan city of Derna last week after Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) released a video showing the execution of 21 Egyptian Copts.

Libya’s internationally recognized prime minister, Abdullah al-Thinni, accuses a rival government and parliament controlling Tripoli of having ties to radical Islamists, charges they deny.

Thinni is allied to Egypt.

ISIL militants have claimed attacks on foreign missions in Tripoli as well as a rocket strike on the eastern Labraq airport and a twin car suicide bombing in the eastern town of Qubbah, killing more than 40 people.

In a move to control air traffic to Libya, Egypt has said that flights in either direct between the Libyan cities of Tripoli and Misrata, and Turkey or Jordan, via Egyptian air space, must make a transit stop in eastern Libya, Libyan and Egyptian officials said.

Thinni told Reuters Egypt had closed its air space to planes serving western Libyan airports so that departure and passport procedures would be conducted by officials from his government in the east.

“The (air space) was closed for security reasons, to stop terrorists and weapons reaching Libya,” Thinni told Reuters in a written response to questions.

Flight route

An Egyptian aviation official confirmed the ban on flights serving Tripoli and Misrata, saying Cairo would only deal with airports held by the recognised government. The website of Tripoli’s Mitiga airport confirmed the changed flight route.

When Istanbul-bound planes operated by Libyan carriers touch down in Labraq or Tobruk, two small airports in the east, passengers must disembark for passport checks, witnesses said.

Libyan carriers flying to Turkey and Jordan must cross Egyptian airspace as they are banned from Greek or Greek Cypriot air space immediately to the north.

A Reuters reporter visiting Labraq airport saw officials checking identity cards of passengers arriving on Tripoli flights.

In an attempt to stop would-be fighters reaching war zones in Syria or Libya, Egypt has banned travel by Egyptians to Libya and requires young males travelling to Turkey to obtain a permit.

Cairo says it is to train Libyan forces loyal to Thinni and his government, which struggles to make an impact working out of hotels in the small eastern city of Bayda near Labraq airport.

Egypt, like most Arab and Western countries, has withdrawn its embassy staff from Tripoli but has set up a presence in Tobruk, where the elected House of Representatives is based.

The Tripoli government accuses army general Khalifa Haftar, allied to Thinni, of receiving military support from Egypt.

Haftar’s warplanes often attack forces loyal to Tripoli as part of his self-declared war against Islamists. Haftar denies receiving Egyptian support but analysts wonder how his outdated jets can fly almost daily missions.

There has been no official comment from the Tripoli government, but Egypt’s decision to force planes to land in the east is likely to widen divisions in Libya. Some Libyans living in the west have expressed reservations on social media at having to fly through the east.

Turkish and Jordanian airlines no longer fly to Libya.