ISLAMABAD, 26 October 2021, (TON): Prime Minister Imran Khan met with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) Summit in Riyadh and discussed bilateral ties among other matters including Afghan crisis.

A statement issued by the PM Office said that the prime minister paid tribute to the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz in the progress and development of the kingdom.

He also lauded the crown prince for the ‘Saudi Vision 2030’, aimed at transforming the socio-economic development of the kingdom in the 21st century.

While discussing bilateral ties, the prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s deep fraternal relations with Saudi Arabia and highlighted the significance Pakistan attached to its strategic ties with the kingdom.

He also expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia for its steadfast support to Pakistan at every crucial juncture.

“The two leaders agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation across all fields,” read the official statement.

The premier warmly congratulated the crown prince on successfully organising the MGI Summit on climate change. He added that the moot clearly demonstrated the commitment of the Saudi leadership to take tangible steps for effectively tackling the challenge of Climate Change.

ATHENS, 26 October 2021, (TON): The Egyptian and Greek air forces completed a training exercise using combat aircraft at a Greek air base.

According to a statement by Egypt’s military spokesman, the training included a number of joint flights, training on long-range air operations, experience exchanges and training in managing air operations.

It came as part of large-scale joint exercises between the armed forces of both countries and efforts to improve military cooperation.

Egyptian paratroopers and Russian air landing forces also carried out a number of activities and events as part of joint military training, which will continue until Oct. 29.

Weapons and jump training took place during the exercise, which comes within the framework of joint cooperation between the Egyptian and Russian armed forces.

NEW YORK, 26 October 2021, (TON): After the military seized power from the transitional government in Khartoum on Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the coup and “all actions that could jeopardize Sudan’s political transition and stability.”

He called for the immediate release of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and all others who have been arbitrarily detained, along with “the immediate reconstitution of the governing arrangements provided for under the constitutional document.”

He said “the unlawful detention of the prime minister, government officials and politicians is unacceptable and contravenes the constitutional document and the partnership critical for the success of Sudan’s transition.”

Guterres urged all stakeholders to swiftly return to dialogue and engage in good faith to restore the constitutional order and Sudan’s transitional process.

He added that the United Nations reiterates its unwavering commitment and support to the realization of Sudan’s political transition. Any attempts to undermine this transition process puts at risk Sudan’s security, stability and development.

RIYADH, 26 October 2021, (TON): Saudi Arabia’s King Salman is set to head the Kingdom’s delegation at the annual G20 summit in the Italian capital, Rome, next week, state news agency reported.

The statement said that the king’s decision to head the delegation virtually comes “in response to the kind invitation received by King Salman from Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit to be held on Oct. 30-31.”

It added “the Kingdom expresses its appreciation for the efforts made by Italy to ensure the work of the G20 presidency succeeds this year through joint collective action.”

As a member of the group’s Troika, Saudi Arabia also reaffirmed its keenness to continue efforts to make the summit a success.

The current members of the Troika include Saudi Arabia, former president of the G20, Italy, the current president and Indonesia, next year’s president.

ROME, 26 October 2021, (TON): The state of bilateral relations between Italy and KSA is excellent, Italian Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Manlio Di Stefano said after he met Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraji in Riyadh.

Di Stefano is in Saudi Arabia to participate in the summit of the Middle East Green Initiative, as part of Italy’s commitment to the action on climate change as President of the G20 and co-President of COP26.

Di Stefano said “with the Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraji we verified the excellent state of bilateral relations and discussed regional scenarios. It was a valuable opportunity to understand Saudi Arabia’s current position on Libya, Afghanistan and Yemen, as well as on the state of its relations with Iran.”

He explained that from his meeting “emerged the increased need for mediation in the various theaters, so that these situations of instability can finally normalize to the benefit, first of all, of the most vulnerable parts of the population. The Italian government, also holding the lever of the G20 presidency, is making every possible effort in this direction.”

Di Stefano met also the Saudi Minister of Commerce, Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi. The representatives of the two governments, Di Stefano said, “examined the great business possibilities that are opening up for companies in this moment of post-pandemic economic revival.”

Italy is now the seventh largest commercial supplier to Saudi Arabia.

WASHINGTON, 26 October 2021, (TON): The State Department said that it will partner with private groups to help Afghans who have resettled in the United States after Americans pulled out their troops from the country and the Taliban took over the government in Kabul.

Tens of thousands of Afghans have arrived in the United States as part of an American evacuation. Many of them would have been at risk had they remained because of their work over the previous 20 years with U.S. and allied troops or with other U.S. and foreign agencies.

The State Department said “the new program will allow a group of adults to form "sponsor circles" to provide initial support to the refugees as they arrive and help them settle in communities across the country.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement "Americans of all walks of life have expressed strong interest in helping to welcome these individuals.”

"The Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans harnesses this outpouring of support and enables individuals to become directly involved in the welcome and integration of our new neighbors."

The much-lauded Swiss quality of life has a dark side - namely levels of consumerism and convenience that jack up the national carbon footprint.

RIYADH, 26 October 2021, (TON): Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb met Executive Director of the UN Human Settlements Program Maimunah Mohammed Sharif to discuss boosting quality of life in the Kingdom’s cities as part of Vision 2030.

Cooperation between the Kingdom’s Quality of Life Program and the UN program was also discussed, especially governing standards for its application in the Middle East.

The UN program aims to promote a better urban future, including the sustainable and fair development of human settlements.

The Quality of Life Program is one of the programs that seeks to achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

BRUSSELS, 26 October 2021, (TON): The EU condemns the detention of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other members of the civilian leadership by Sudan’s military forces.

We call on the security forces to immediately release those they have unlawfully detained. The actions of the military represent a betrayal of the revolution, the transition, and the legitimate requests of the Sudanese people for peace, justice and economic development.

The right of peaceful protest must be respected; violence and bloodshed must be avoided at all cost; we also urge communication networks to be open.

The EU will continue to support those working for a democratic Sudan with a fully legitimate civilian government ensuring peace, freedom and justice for the Sudanese people.

WARSAW, 26 October 2021, (TON): Minister of National Defense of the country Mariusz Blaszczak said “the number of Polish soldiers helping to guard the border with Belarus will be increased to 10 thousand.”

Blaschak wrote on Twitter “we are increasing the number of soldiers helping the Border Guard by 2,500. In the near future, about 10,000 soldiers from the 12th, 16th and 18th divisions will monitor the impenetrability of the border.”

As previously reported by the Border Guard, over the weekend, two groups of illegal migrants tried to storm the border of Belarus and Poland by force. They threw stones and sticks at the border guards and soldiers of the Polish Army. Two soldiers had to be hospitalized.

Recently, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland reported an increase in the number of detained illegal migrants on the border with Belarus and accused the official Minsk of creating a migration crisis.

In connection with this situation, the President of Poland introduced a state of emergency on the territories bordering with Belarus, and the army and the police were involved in protecting the border.

WASHINGTON, 26 October 2021, (TON): U.S. President Joe Biden will take part in a virtual summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the first time in four years Washington will engage at the top level with a bloc it sees as key to its strategy of pushing back against China.

The U.S. embassy in Brunei told media that Biden will lead the U.S. delegation for the ASEAN-United States summit, part of a series of ASEAN leaders' meetings this week.

The United States has not joined the meetings at the presidential level since Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, attended an ASEAN-U.S. meeting in Manila in 2017.

Analysts say Biden's meeting with the 10-nation bloc reflects his administration's efforts to engage allies and partners in a collective effort to push back against China.

They expect Biden to focus on collaboration on climate change, supply chains and infrastructure.

He is also expected to assure ASEAN that a recent U.S. focus on engagement with India, Japan and Australia in the so-called Quad format and a deal to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines are not intended to supplant ASEAN's central role in the region.

Edgard Kagan, senior director for East Asia at the White House National Security Council, stressed last week that Washington does not see the Quad as "an Asian NATO" and that it was not intended to compete with ASEAN.