News

France’s Macron flies to Moscow in bid to ease Russia-Ukraine standoff

Published

2 years ago

07/02/2022

MNN

Sources close to President Macron say one aim of his visit was to buy time and freeze the situation for several months, at least until a “Super April” of elections in Europe –– in Hungary, Slovenia and, crucially for Macron, in France.

French President Emmanuel Macron will be flying to Russian capital Moscow in a risky diplomatic move, seeking commitments from President Vladimir Putin to dial down tensions with Ukraine, where Western leaders fear the Kremlin plans an invasion.

Macron who is flying to Moscow on Monday has made a frenetic series of phone calls with Western allies, Putin and the Ukrainian leader over the past week.

He will follow up on Tuesday with a visit to Kiev, staking a lot of political capital on a mission that could prove embarrassing if he returns empty-handed.

“We’re heading to Putin’s lair, in many ways it’s a throw of the dice,” one source close to Macron told Reuters news agency.

Two sources close to Macron said one aim of his visit was to buy time and freeze the situation for several months, at least until a “Super April” of elections in Europe –– in Hungary, Slovenia and, crucially for Macron, in France.

Russia has massed some 100,000 troops near Ukraine and demanded NATO and US security guarantees, including that NATO never admit Ukraine as a member. It denies allegations that it plans to invade Ukraine.

Painful setbacks

The French leader, who has earned a reputation for highly publicised diplomatic forays since he took power in 2017, has both tried to cajole and confront Putin over the past five years.

His efforts have brought close dialogue with the Russian leader as well as painful setbacks.

Soon after his election, Macron rolled out the red carpet for Putin at the Palace of Versailles, but also used the visit to publicly decry Russian meddling during the election.

Two years later, the pair met at the French president’s summer residence.

But Macron’s many overtures did not prevent Russian encroachment into traditional French spheres of influence in Africa, culminating late last year with the arrival of Russian mercenaries in Mali.

French officials think they are supported by the Kremlin.

Electoral dividends for Macron

Eastern European countries who suffered decades under Soviet rule have criticised Macron’s cooperative stance on Russia, leery of Macron’s talk of negotiating a “new European security order” with Russia.

To counter critics ahead of the trip and take on the mantle of European leadership in this crisis, Macron has been at pains to consult with other Western leaders this time, including Britain’s Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden.

The French president’s visit to Moscow and Ukraine comes less than three months before a presidential election at home.

His political advisers see a potential electoral dividend, although Macron has yet to announce whether he will run.

“For the president, it’s an opportunity to show his leadership in Europe. That he is above the fray,” one French government source said.

Source: TRT

News

President Muizzu sends condolences over death of Iranian President Raisi

Published

10 hours ago

20/05/2024

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has expressed sorrow and extended heartfelt condolences following the untimely death of Iranian President Dr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi in a tragic helicopter crash. The crash also claimed the lives of Iran’s Foreign Minister Abdollahian and other senior officials.

In a post of social media, President Muizzu conveyed his deepest sympathies, praying to Almighty Allah to bless the souls of those lost in the incident and grant them Jannatul Firdaus. He extended his thoughts and prayers to the bereaved families and the people of Iran during this time of profound grief.

President Muizzu emphasised the solidarity of the Maldivian government and its people with Iran, underscoring support in this period of mourning. He acknowledged the devastating impact of the accident and reinforced the Maldives’ commitment to standing by Iran in the face of this tragedy.

The expression of condolences comes amidst ongoing efforts in Iran to cope with the loss of their leader and other senior officials, highlighting the shared grief and unity between the two nations during this difficult time.

Source(s): PsmNews

World

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi & Foreign Minister dead in helicopter crash

Published

11 hours ago

20/05/2024

Ebrahim Raisi, 63, was elected president in 2021, having had a decades-long career in the country’s judicial system under his belt

Iranian state media have confirmed that President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash in the country’s northwestern province of East Azerbaijan. His entire entourage, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Governor of East Azerbaijan Malek Rahmati have also perished, Press TV said.

The head of state had traveled to the border region after joining Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on Saturday to inaugurate a dam. Raisi had pledged to visit each of Iran’s 30 provinces at least once a year, and was thus regularly moving around the country.

Reports of a “crash landing” began circulating earlier on Sunday, with Iranian state media citing Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi. According to media outlet IRNA, the weather was foggy in the area where the presidential helicopter is believed to have gone down.

According to the media, Raisi was traveling in a US-made Bell 212 helicopter. Low visibility and the impassibility of the area made search operations difficult, IRNA also wrote. Though rescue teams reportedly launched a search operation within an hour of the incident, adverse weather conditions hampered the process.

According to the media, Raisi was traveling in a US-made Bell 212 helicopter. The rescuers finally managed to locate the crash site on Monday morning with the help of Turkish surveillance drones. The wreckage was discovered in the woodland area of a mountain slope. The aircraft was heavily damaged and charred. There were no signs of survivors, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said.

With Raisi’s passing, First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber is expected to take office as interim leader.

A representative of the republic’s conservative wing, Raisi, was elected back in 2021. Before assuming Iran’s top job, he had worked his way up from Prosecutor and Deputy Prosecutor in Tehran in the 1980s and 1990s all the way to Attorney General and, later, Chief Justice.

Source(s):RT News

News

Technical Chinese team to assist in 5M tree planting programme

Published

1 day ago

19/05/2024

The Ambassador of China to the Maldives Wang Lixin has affirmed that a technical team of China will visit the Maldives to conduct a soil analysis, prior to the commencement of the five million tree planting programme.

Addressing the media, Ambassador Lixin stated that the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy is engaged in collaborative efforts with the Chinese company, Fujian Forestry Administration regarding the programme. The ambassador further disclosed that the technical team will conduct a comprehensive study on the soil and will identify and elucidate the various types of plants which can be cultivated in the Maldives easily.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced the national initiative to plant five million trees across the country at the high-level segment of the Twenty-Eighth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai.

The programme will commence annually on June 5, commemorating World Environment Day. Trees will be planted in all residential islands and resorts under the programme. The administration previously revealed that neighbouring nations will be contributing trees to the initiative.

Source(s): PsmNews