El-Sisi attends key meeting on climate change

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed the importance of reducing emissions, building resilience, and boosting climate finance for developing countries at a closed-door meeting of heads of state and government on climate change. (AP/File)
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Updated 22 September 2022
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El-Sisi attends key meeting on climate change

  • The meeting was advertised in advance as a “frank and informal exchange” of views between leaders
  • Guterres said after the meeting that he had discussed the “triple global crisis” of food, energy, and finance with global leaders

CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has stressed the importance of reducing emissions, building resilience, and boosting climate finance for developing countries.
He was speaking at the closed-door meeting of heads of state and government on climate change, organized in partnership with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The meeting, co-chaired by Guterres and El-Sisi, was advertised in advance as a “frank and informal exchange” of views between leaders and an opportunity to discuss key issues ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference, COP27, to take place in Sharm El-Sheikh in November.
El-Sisi said: “We participated together in this meeting, in preparation for the climate summit in the UK, and today, we are a few weeks away from the 27th climate summit in Sharm El-Sheikh.”
The meeting comes in light of events over the past year which have caused political crises and challenges in food, energy, and supply chains, affecting all parts of the world, said El-Sisi.
These challenges represent additional burdens on all countries, especially the developing ones, he added.
“But we must always rely on objective scientific reports, which unequivocally confirm that climate change remains the most dangerous existential challenge,” said the president.
As a result of rising temperatures, El-Sisi pointed to the recent floods that struck Pakistan and the unprecedented forest fires witnessed in Europe and the US, and called for immediate measures to put climate pledges into practice.
“As an international community, aside from any global condition or political dispute, we will not renege on the commitments we have taken on, the pledges we have made,” said the president.
“The policies we have adopted have already made significant gains in the face of climate change.”
Guterres said after the meeting that he had discussed the “triple global crisis” of food, energy, and finance with global leaders, as well as the climate.
He urged the leaders of the world’s major economies to cease their “fossil fuel addiction,” phase out coal use, and increase investment in renewable energy sources.
The fossil fuel industry “is killing us,” he added.
Four pressing problems were covered during the informal discussions: Loss and damage, adaptation, climate finance, and emissions reduction.


At least 20 Palestinians killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting for aid distribution

Updated 9 min 17 sec ago
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At least 20 Palestinians killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting for aid distribution

  • UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday condemned the killing of more 30 Palestinians
  • He called for an “immediate and independent investigation” into the incident

DUBAI: At least 31 Palestinians were killed and 176 wounded in the attack by Israeli forces near the aid site in the city of Rafah in the south of the territory.
The Israeli military said on Tuesday it fired shots at individuals about half a kilometre from the aid distribution site of US -backed GHF in Gaza.

The individuals were moving towards forces in a way that “posed a threat to them”, the military said.

Three Israeli soldiers have been killed since Israel violated the ceasefire in March, the military also said.

 


One dead, dozens injured as quake hits Turkey's Marmaris

Updated 03 June 2025
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One dead, dozens injured as quake hits Turkey's Marmaris

  • One killed and dozens injured reported the interior minister
  • The quake struck at 2:17 am 10 kilometers off the coast of Marmaris, the AFAD disaster agency said

ANKARA: A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Marmaris area of southwestern Turkiye early on Tuesday, killing one teenager and injuring dozens of people, the interior minister said.
A 14-year-old girl died following a panic attack and some 70 people were hurt in the province of Mugla as they rushed to find safety, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X.
There were no initial reports of buildings destroyed, he said.
The quake struck at 2:17 am (2317 GMT on Monday) some 10 kilometers (six miles) off the coast of Marmaris, the AFAD disaster agency said.
“In Fethiye, a 14-year-old girl named Afranur Gunlu was taken to the hospital due to a panic attack but, unfortunately, despite all interventions, she passed away,” Yerlikaya said.
Marmaris’ governor, Idris Akbiyik, told the station that seven people were being treated for injuries after jumping from windows or balconies in panic but there was no immediate report of any serious damage.
Turkiye sits on top of major fault lines and earthquakes are frequent.
In 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killed more than 53,000 people in Turkiye and destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings in 11 southern and southeastern provinces. Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of neighboring Syria.

 


Israel intercepts Yemen missile, Houthi rebels claim attack

Updated 03 June 2025
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Israel intercepts Yemen missile, Houthi rebels claim attack

  • In a video statement, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group’s “missile force... carried out a military operation” targeting Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv

JERUSALEM: The Israeli army said it intercepted a missile launched Monday from Yemen, whose Houthi rebels claimed an attack targeting Israel’s main airport.
“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted,” the army said in a statement, as loud booms were heard in the skies over Jerusalem.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Israel since the Gaza war broke out in October 2023 with Palestinian militant group Hamas’s attack on Israel.
In a video statement, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group’s “missile force... carried out a military operation” targeting Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv.
Monday’s interception followed another the day before that was claimed by the Iran-backed rebels.
The Houthis, who say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians, paused their attacks during a two-month Gaza ceasefire that ended in March, but began again after Israel resumed its military campaign in the territory.
While most of the projectiles have been intercepted, one missile fired in early May hit inside the perimeter of Ben Gurion airport for the first time.
Israel has carried out several strikes in Yemen in retaliation for the attacks, including on ports and the airport in the capital Sanaa.
 

 


Can sanctions relief deliver quick wins for Syria’s economy?

Updated 03 June 2025
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Can sanctions relief deliver quick wins for Syria’s economy?

  • A major boost came when Saudi Arabia and Qatar announced they would jointly fund salary support for Syrian state employees
  • Experts want legal clarity and investor safeguards to be put in place quickly for loans, grants and investments to start flowing in

LONDON: Like a relic from another era, its promise long faded, the Syrian pound still lingers in the wallets of shopkeepers and shoppers in Damascus. Yet, green shoots of hope are sprouting across the war-weary nation.

That rekindled sense of optimism owes much to US President Donald Trump’s pledge to ease sanctions and signs of regional support for Syria’s economic recovery.

A major boost came on May 31, when Saudi Arabia and Qatar announced they would jointly fund salary support for Syrian state employees, many of whom have struggled for years on paltry and irregular wages.

The pledge builds on earlier Gulf efforts to stabilize Syria’s economy and signals a deeper commitment to reconstruction. On May 12, Saudi Arabia and Qatar settled Syria’s $15.5 million in arrears to the World Bank’s International Development Association — a key step that reopened access to loans and grants.

The international backing comes at a crucial moment. After 14 years of war and isolation, Syria’s economy has nearly collapsed. Exports have dried up, foreign reserves have fallen to just $200 million, the currency has lost 99 percent of its value, and more than 90 percent of Syrians live below the poverty line.

The new interim government, led by President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, inherited a damaged economy and the sanctions that helped undermine it. (AFP)

Trump’s March 13 announcement in Riyadh sparked spontaneous celebrations in the capital’s streets. But even amid the jubilation, many Syrians recognized that true recovery would take more than a policy shift — and much longer to materialize.

“Partial sanctions relief sends a political signal, not a legal guarantee,” Harout Ekmanian, public international lawyer at Foley Hoag LLP in New York, told Arab News.

“Investors remain cautious, and there is a risk of overcompliance with any remaining sanctions that are in place, particularly in sensitive sectors like banking,” he said.

He added that the need for “a complete lifting of the tangled web of sanctions to facilitate investment from compliance sensitive investors from the US and Europe” cannot be overstated.

Delaney Simon, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group’s US program, concurred. “If Trump is actually planning to lift all or even most sanctions on Syria, he is doing something virtually unprecedented in the recent history of sanctions relief,” he told Arab News.

He cautions, though, that “lifting sanctions is not straightforward.”

“It will require a massive bureaucratic and possibly political lift in Washington, including mobilization of different arms of the US government including the Treasury, State and Commerce departments and Congress,” Simon said.

Even with formal relief, private firms may be slow to re-engage. “Relief on paper might not translate to relief in practice,” he said. “The private sector may be wary of engaging with Syria once the restrictions are lifted.”

Despite those concerns, Simon urges patience. “President Trump has a tough road ahead to make good on this commitment, but he should persevere,” he said. “He is right that lifting sanctions gives Syria a chance at greatness.”

For now, such an outcome remains uncertain. The most severe Western sanctions were imposed in 2011 by the US, EU, UK, and others in response to the Assad regime’s crackdown on protesters.

Following the ousting of Bashar Assad in December, the new interim government, led by President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, inherited a damaged economy and the sanctions that helped undermine it.

Washington’s measures were among the most sweeping: a near-total trade embargo, asset freezes, and secondary sanctions targeting foreign firms doing business with Syria. The Caesar Act of 2020 imposed additional restrictions, further isolating Assad’s regime.

Renewed violence has erupted in several areas, including rural Damascus, Homs, and the Alawite-dominated coast, now largely controlled by HTS, the group that led the offensive to oust Assad. (AFP)

Signs of change came on May 23, when the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General License 25, lifting most of those restrictions. The relief, however, comes with conditions: political reform, respect for human rights, and counterterrorism commitments from Damascus.

Soon after, the EU and UK followed suit, underscoring a broader Western alignment with the Al-Sharaa government. Still, experts say sanctions relief alone will not revive an economy ravaged by years of conflict.

A key next step is rejoining the SWIFT financial network. Bankers in Damascus expect the connection to be restored within weeks, enabling smoother international transactions and potentially unlocking billions in remittances from Syrians abroad.

Nevertheless, global banks remain cautious, awaiting clearer legal guidance from Western governments. “Syria’s financial system is a black box that nobody understands,” Stephen Fallon, a banking and sanctions expert, told The Economist newsmagazine. “If I run a Western bank and I accidentally receive funds from terrorists, it’s me the American regulators will come after.”

Foley Hoag’s Ekmanian sees potential short-term gains but says they depend on legal clarity. “Sanctions relief can act as a pressure valve by easing immediate economic distress, but without legal clarity on asset recovery and investor protections, quick wins may remain elusive,” he said.

INNUMBERS

• $15.5m World Bank arrears paid by Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

• $200m Left in Syria’s foreign currency reserves.

• $400m Frozen assets that, if recovered, could support reform.

(Sources: World Bank, Central Bank of Syria, & Reuters)

Access to frozen reserves could help stabilize liquidity. But long-term recovery, he added, depends on structural reform and investor confidence — both difficult to achieve.

Syria’s central bank holds just $200 million in foreign exchange reserves, Reuters news agency reported — a steep decline from the $18.5 billion the International Monetary Fund estimated before the war. It also retains nearly 26 tonnes of gold, currently valued at over $2.6 billion.

The interim government hopes to unlock up to $400 million in frozen overseas assets to fund reforms, including recent salary hikes for public workers. But the actual value, location, and timeline for repatriation remain unclear.

Switzerland has identified $118 million in local banks, according to Reuters, while The Syria Report estimates another $217 million is in the UK.

US President Donald Trump pledged to ease sanctions and signs of regional support for Syria’s economic recovery. (AFP)

Ekmanian emphasized that even modest gains “hinge on the credibility of the sanctions relief architecture.” He noted that “if businesses fear snapback sanctions or regulatory ambiguity, even the thawing of restrictions won’t translate into meaningful economic movement.”

Predictability, he said, underpins international investment. “International investment law tells us that predictability is key,” he said.

“While sanctions relief can unlock trade routes and aid, without legal assurances and investment protection commitments, Syria risks a piecemeal recovery vulnerable to geopolitical shifts.”

Beyond legal guarantees, Syria must overhaul its domestic institutions. “Legal frameworks must catch up with policy signals,” Ekmanian said.

“Re-engagement with Syria under international economic law requires more than opening bank accounts,” he explained. “It demands credible reforms to the domestic legal framework, judiciary, arbitration frameworks, debt transparency, and governance of sovereign assets.”

He also warned of legal risks that could deter investors: a growing docket of war-related tort and atrocity litigation in European and US courts under universal jurisdiction and terrorism exceptions to sovereign immunity.

“Even with various US sanctions and EU Council Regulation 36/2012 partially relaxed, this needs to be accompanied by steps to ensure that the new government and Syrian people are not unduly burdened by the prior regime’s liabilities,” he said.

Ultimately, he said, “modest sanctions relief can ease humanitarian transactions and marginally bolster foreign-exchange buffers, but it cannot deliver a durable uplift in trade, investment or debt restructuring without parallel movement on governance, transparency, and human-rights benchmarks that anchor international economic law.”

Syria’s external debt is another major obstacle, estimated by the new government to be between $20 billion and $23 billion — high relative to its 2023 GDP of about $17.5 billion. Much of it was accrued under Assad through military and oil-related loans from allies such as Iran and Russia, complicating restructuring efforts.

Despite these hurdles, some see progress. “US sanctions relief will be a major step not only towards economic recovery, but also towards ending the cycles of violence that have trapped Syria for over a decade,” said Nanar Hawach, a senior Syria analyst at the International Crisis Group.

Many Syrians recognize that true recovery would take more than a policy shift — and much longer to materialize. (AFP)

He argued that economic collapse has contributed to insecurity by weakening services, deepening grievances and driving recruitment into armed groups. “Lifting sanctions could help reverse that dynamic,” he told Arab News.

Syria’s post-Assad transition remains unsettled. Renewed violence has erupted in several areas, including rural Damascus, Homs, and the Alawite-dominated coast, now largely controlled by HTS, the group that led the offensive to oust Assad.

The group has since absorbed rival factions, some still having Daesh-aligned extremists in their ranks. Elsewhere, sectarian clashes have hit Homs and rural Damascus, while the interim government struggles to contain unrest among Druze in the south and Kurds in the northeast.

Still, the psychological effect of sanctions relief may prove powerful. “The most immediate benefit is psychological: a clear boost in investor confidence,” Hawach said.

“Even when sanctions were partially eased in the past, most banks and companies, especially international ones, avoided Syria out of fear of getting blacklisted,” he said. “Simply put, the word ‘Syria’ was enough to trigger overcompliance,” but a shift is noticeable now.

He noted that some regional investors are already engaging with Syria. “Some have already taken the decision to invest and are now looking into the technical aspects of it,” he said. “There’s a lot of momentum. It’s looking very promising.”

Since May 13, several regional investors have announced major projects. On May 29, Syria signed a strategic agreement with a consortium led by Qatar’s UCC Holding to build four gas power plants and a 1,000-megawatt solar facility — a $7 billion investment expected to meet over half the country’s electricity needs.

In another sign of momentum, DP World, the Dubai-based ports operator, signed an $800 million agreement to develop and expand the port of Tartus — the largest foreign investment in Syria since sanctions relief began.

After 14 years of war and isolation, Syria’s economy has nearly collapsed. (AFP)

Diaspora entrepreneurs are also stepping in. Mohamed Ghazal, managing director of Startup Syria, a community-led initiative supporting Syrian entrepreneurs, says Syrian startup founders are targeting key sectors for recovery: infrastructure, public services, agriculture, digital services, and food security.

“These sectors can generate jobs quickly, particularly in construction, agriculture, and tech,” Ghazal told Arab News. He also cited healthcare, education, and fintech as areas for investment, especially given Syria’s push to reconnect with global financial systems.

“Vocational training, online learning, digital health services — these are where youth and diaspora professionals can really contribute,” he said.

As Syria begins its journey back into the international community, the road ahead is still rocky and the challenges daunting. Yet, for the first time in years, the nation appears to be moving toward a new era — one shaped not by conflict and sanctions, but by constructive diplomacy, reform and cautious optimism.

 


Syria reopens Lebanon border crossing for Eid Al-Adha travel

Updated 03 June 2025
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Syria reopens Lebanon border crossing for Eid Al-Adha travel

  • Parliament tackles drug smuggling crisis amid health safety concerns

BEIRUT: Syrian authorities announced the reopening of Al-Arida border crossing with Lebanon, which closed in December 2024 due to an Israeli raid during the war with Hezbollah.

Syria’s Land and Sea Ports General Authority said in a statement that the border crossing located in Rif Tartus was reopening.

It informed travelers that Al-Arida border crossing would be manned on Tuesday morning, despite ongoing restoration and maintenance work, to facilitate movement during Eid Al-Adha.

The crossing is located on Lebanon’s northern border and connects the ports of Tripoli and Tartus.

Israeli warplanes struck the crossing on Nov. 27, 2024.

Ten days after the Syrian authorities removed the rubble and rehabilitated the crossing, it was struck again by Israel, leading to its permanent closure.

Dozens of Syrian families who had fled to Lebanon are now returning to their villages in Syria, while legal crossings are witnessing active overland tourism between Syria and Lebanon.

The two countries share five legal border crossings, including the Masnaa crossing, which is the closest to Damascus, and the Jdeidet Yabous crossing located in the Rif Dimashq Governorate.

Additionally, there is the Aboudieh crossing, which consists of a 45 km bridge passing through the Syrian village of Dabousieh, and the Jousieh crossing, situated in the Qusayr area of Rif Homs, which serves as the gateway from northern Bekaa to Homs and is located 40 km from the city.

The Talkalakh crossing in the Wadi Khaled area of northern Lebanon connects to Syrian territory in western Rif Homs, alongside Al-Arida crossing.

It was primarily designated for transporting goods and trucks carrying phosphate and sand from Syria to Lebanon, and other goods in the other direction.

Despite the measures that Syrian and Lebanese authorities have started to implement to regulate border crossings and close many illegal routes in the mountainous border regions, smuggling activities have resumed on both sides.

Recently, the Syndicate of Pharmaceutical Importers in Lebanon raised concerns, urging action to combat the issue of illegal, smuggled, and counterfeit medicines flooding the Lebanese market.

The Lebanese judiciary is continuing its investigations into the smuggling of medications from Egypt and Turkiye into Lebanon.

So far, they have detained several Lebanese and Syrian nationals suspected of being involved in these operations.

The investigations have focused on around 50 pharmacists and 60 pharmaceutical traders in Lebanon.

The Parliamentary Health Committee held a meeting dedicated to the issue of smuggled and counterfeit medicines.

Lebanon previously lifted subsidies on medicines — except for those designated for patients with chronic illnesses — during the economic crisis that struck the country in 2019. 

Public Health Minister Rakan Nasreddine, Justice Minister Adel Nassar, and representatives from the Interior and Defense Ministries participated in the meeting, along with the heads of relevant security agencies.

MP Bilal Abdallah told Arab News the committee thoroughly discussed methods to regulate the pharmaceutical market in Lebanon and safeguard citizens from medication smuggling operations.

“The danger arises from smuggled medicines, which may be expired, improperly stored, or non-compliant with safety standards.

“This poses a serious threat to patients, particularly since smuggling often targets costly medications intended for cancer patients and individuals with chronic illnesses.

“The Ministry of Health has documented dozens of cases where citizens’ health deteriorated after consuming such medicines.”
 
Abdallah, who is both a legislator and a practicing physician, stated that the parliamentary committee had instructed customs and security forces to enhance inspection protocols.

He highlighted the positive influences of Syria’s political transition, stating that “Syrian authorities are now more effectively monitoring the situation and preventing smuggling through unauthorized border points.”

The Lebanese Pharmaceutical Importers Association, participating in parliamentary hearings, confirmed that all medications registered with the Health Ministry and distributed by international manufacturers are continuously available in Lebanese markets.

However, the association emphasized an important distinction regarding smuggled substances, clarifying that “products entering Lebanon through illegal channels cannot be regarded as legitimate pharmaceuticals, as authentic medications require verified component analysis and official documentation submitted to authorized regulatory bodies.”