• Hamas still open to Gaza truce talks, says Ismail Haniyeh

    Hamas chief said in a televised speech that Israel was unwilling to meet Hamas's conditions for a deal that would have seen hostages held by fighters exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Mediators had been pushing for a new truce in the war, now in its sixth month.
  • China pledges to ‘work with all’ for results at Abu Dhabi WTO conference

    Abu Dhabi, UAE--China is willing to work with all parties to achieve more pragmatic results at the 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) held in Abu Dhabi, according to the country's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao on Sunday. During his meeting with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO...
  • Red Sea issue puts Yemen peace process on hold

    DUBAI, UAE- As Houthi attacks roil the Red Sea and Western air raids target the rebels, moves to end Yemen's long-running war are at a standstill, threatening further woe for a country on its knees. As recently as December, painstaking negotiations were gaining ground and the United Nations said the warring...
  • Export Bahrain and HKTDC sign agreement to ramp up trade ties

    Manama, Bahrain--Export Bahrain and Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) have signed a strategic partnership agreement to strengthen trade ties and create new avenues of opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises in the Kingdom of Bahrain.  The strategic partnership agreement seeks to foster mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation. It...
  • UAE, Mauritius conclude CEPA talks, set to boost trade

    The CEPA will cover trade in goods and services, investment facilitation amongst others. Once implemented, it will accelerate robust growth in non-oil bilateral trade between the UAE and Mauritius, which in H1 2023 stood at US$63.1 million, with opportunities strongest in chemicals, metals and petroleum products sectors.
  • COP28 focused on achieving balanced package in negotiations: Majid Al Suwaidi

    Dubai, UAE-- The COP28 Presidency is focused on achieving a balanced package in the negotiations, according to Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi, COP28 Director-General and Special Representative, noting that they hosted a stocktaking plenary to outline progress made at the technical level and hear feedback on building areas of convergence. During...
  • EU clinches ‘historic’ deal on AI law after long negotiations

    The EU's internal market commissioner, Thierry Breton. called the deal as historic, regulating artificial intelligence models such as ChatGPT. Negotiators in Brussels nailed down curbs on how AI can be used in Europe, which they said would not hurt innovation in the sector nor the prospects for future European AI...
  • Treaty on strategic partnership between Russia and Iran 85% ready: Lavrov

    Tehran, Iran--A treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Iran is about 85 percent ready, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. "The work on a new big treaty is at an advanced stage. I would say that it is 85 percent agreed. Several specific issues are yet...
  • EU support for Ukraine’s membership unequivocal, says Spanish PM

    Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that his visit to Kyiv on the first day of Spain's EU presidency showed the bloc's "unequivocal" commitment to Ukraine's bid to join the 27-nation bloc. "My being here on the first day of the six-month presidency... demonstrates a clear and unequivocal political commitment......
  • Botswana inks new deal with De Beers

    GABORONE, BOTSWANA -  Botswana has reached an eleventh-hour deal with diamond giant De Beers after months of tense negotiations that saw the continent's top producer threatening to cut ties with the storied company. The Botswana government and Anglo-American, the majority owner of De Beers, have reached an "agreement in principle", the...
  • Arab Groups supports negotiations on UN Security Council reform

    New York, US--The Arab Group has welcomed the adoption by the UN General Assembly by consensus of a resolution on continuing intergovernmental negotiations on reforming the UN Security Council  during the next session. The step will allow member states to continue working collectively, in order to formulate a common understanding...
  • UAE and Russia hold talks to eliminate double taxation

    Dubai, UAE--The UAE and Russia have held the second round of negotiations on the double taxation agreement on income and capital. The talks follow the ministry’s efforts to further strengthen cooperation frameworks for tax matters, provide full protection to taxpayers from double taxation and avoid the obstruction of the free...
  • Indirect talks with US ongoing via Oman, says Iran

    Iran said it has continued indirect negotiations with the Unites States through the Sultanate of Oman over its nuclear deal and a possible prisoner swap. Iran's nuclear program has long been the subject of scrutiny from Western powers, resulting in sanctions that have crippled the country's economy.
  • Iran’s Raisi, France’s Macron discuss ways to promote ties

    Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in a lengthy phone call discussed ways to promote ties, state media reported. "The two sides discussed how to promote relations especially about ongoing negotiations and regional developments," IRNA state news agency quoted Raisi's deputy chief of staff Mohammad Jamshidi...
  • GCC secretary general exhorts boosting trade relations with UK

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--The GCC has called for the strengthening of trade and investment relations with the United Kingdom amid the ongoing negotiations over a GCC-UK free-trade agreement. The call was made by the organization's secretary general Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi during a meeting with Kemi Badenoch, UK business secretary in Riyadh...
  • Biden-McCarthy ‘productive’ debt ceiling talks fail to uplift markets

    After their latest get-together on Monday, the Republican Speaker said: "I felt we had a productive discussion. We don't have an agreement yet, but I did feel the discussion was productive in areas (where) we have differences of opinion." He added that negotiators would "work through the night" to move...
  • UAE begins talks with Thailand under CEPA to boost trade

    Seeking to widen its foreign trade and grow national economy, the UAE has signed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations with Thailand. The UAE has already signed several such agreements with many countries, and signing the deal with Thailand is part of that endeavor. The first round of talks will...
  • Tunisia’s main workers union criticizes IMF loan talks

    TUNIS, TUNISIA - Tunisia's largest union on Monday attacked the government's handling of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a loan to bail out the North African country as it slides deeper into debt. Tunisia is seeking a bailout package worth nearly $2 billion from the IMF, which conditions...
  • UAE, Georgia sign Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

    The UAE and Georgia signed a joint statement confirming the successful conclusion of negotiations towards the UAE-Georgia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi and Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Levan Davitashvili...
  • US backs two-state solution in call to Palestinian leader

    US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken reaffirmed Washington's commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a phone call with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the State Department said. The move came as Israel's former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has not endorsed the two-state idea, is set to...
  • GCC, S. Korea begin sixth round of talks on free trade agreement

    SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - The sixth round of revived negotiations between the Riyadh-based Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Republic of Korea to reach a free trade agreement was launched in the South Korean capital of Seoul Tuesday and lasts until October 28. The two sides expressed readiness to advance...
  • S. Korea, Arab nations to hold new round of FTA talks

    SEOUL, S. KOREA - South Korea and a group of Arab countries will hold another round of negotiations for their free trade deal next week, Seoul's trade ministry said Sunday. South Korea and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will begin the sixth round of official talks for a bilateral free...
  • UK in talks with Qatar and Norway to import energy

    Amid crippling energy shortages, the British government is negotiating with Qatar and Norway to secure new long-term gas contract, according to media reports. The reports said that Prime Minister Liz Truss is in favor of the deal, which would secure long-term energy sources and cut down the cost of the...
  • US to impose ‘further costs’ on Iran over protests crackdown

    Widespread street demonstrations sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, who died following her detention by morality police for allegedly breaching the country's strict Islamic dress code, are in their third week.
  • Israel no longer partner for peace, says Palestinian leader

    Israel is impeding progress toward a two-state solution and can no longer be considered a reliable partner in the peace process, Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas told the United Nations. His remarks come a day after Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said he supported a two-state solution, but Abbas said the...
  • Josep Borrell says Iran nuclear talks in “stalemate”

    Less than a month after signs emerged of a possible signing of the nuclear deal, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that negotiations to bring Iran and the US back are in stalemate. He has been the main driver for more than a year to try to revive the...
  • Lebanon-Israel maritime talks to conclude in days: Lebanese official

    Negotiations between Lebanon and Israel have been mediated by the US to delineate a shared maritime border.
  • Iran terms statement on nuclear talks “unconstructive”

    Castigating the three European powers for an “unconstructive” statement about negotiations aimed at reviving a 2015 nuclear deal, Iran has asked Germany, France and Britain to provide a solution to end what it called as disagreements “instead of entering the phase of destroying the diplomatic process.”
  • UN session on high seas biodiversity ends without pact

    United Nations member states ended two weeks of negotiations without a treaty to protect biodiversity in the high seas, an agreement that would have addressed growing environmental and economic challenges. After 15 years negotiators on Friday have yet to reach a legally binding text to address the multitude of issues...
  • GCC and UK set sights on signing Free Trade Agreement

    Dr. Nayef Al Hajraf, Secretary-General of the GCC, voiced hope that the talks would lead to an ambitious Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and open new horizons for joint investment.
  • US continues mediation in Lebanon-Israel maritime border dispute

    “Progress towards a resolution can only be reached through negotiation by the two governments,” State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said.
  • GCC and UK aim to boost trade beyond current figure of $34bn

    The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the UK began negotiations in Riyadh to boost trade, which stands at $34 billion.
  • WTO to lift Covid vaccine patents, but many doubt it will work

    The World Trade Organization agreed Friday to temporarily lift patents on Covid-19 vaccines after two years of bruising negotiations, but experts expressed skepticism that the deal will have a major impact on global vaccination inequality.
  • GCC, Korea discuss intra-trade during FTA talks

    The two sides launched their negotiations on June 6, during which they discussed many topics aimed at enhancing investments between the two sides.
  • Saudi, Kuwait to develop gas field despite Iran complaint

    Saudi Arabia and Kuwait will develop a disputed gas field despite Iranian objections, while urging Tehran to engage in negotiations, a statement said Wednesday. The Gulf allies will honour their deal, branded "illegal" by Iran, to develop the Arash/Dorra maritime gas field, the Saudi foreign ministry said.
  • Iran FM says US ‘imposing new conditions’ in nuclear talks

    Iran's foreign minister said Sunday that Washington is "imposing new conditions" in the negotiations to restore the 2015 nuclear agreement.
  • IMF, Lebanon strike conditional deal on $3 bn aid

    The IMF announced Thursday a conditional agreement to provide Lebanon with $3 billion in aid to help it emerge from a severe economic crisis, following months of negotiations. The deal is "a visa stamp for donor countries to begin co-operating with Lebanon and to put Lebanon back on the global...
  • Russia says will scale down Kyiv offensive; Ukraine, West sckeptical

    Vladimir Putin’s pledge to scale down military activity was met with skepticism in Ukraine and Western capitals, with the Pentagon saying Moscow had merely repositioned a ‘small number’ of forces near Kyiv, but could be preparing a ‘major offensive’ elsewhere.
  • Ukraine retakes Kyiv suburb, as negotiations for peace resume

    Ukrainian troops "liberated" the suburban town of Irpin, Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky said, wresting a key gateway to the capital's northwest from Russian control, even as its negotiators prepared to meet Russian counterparts for face-to-face talks in Istanbul on Tuesday.
  • Deadly strikes rock Ukraine despite talks with Russia

    With Russia threatening to take ‘full control’ of several major cities in Ukraine, the fourth round of talks failed to deliver a breakthrough on the 19th day of the invasion, even as the US tried to talk down China from helping its neighbor.
  • Russia bears down on Ukraine as talks signal progress

    As Russia continues to attack cities across Ukraine in general and Kyiv in particular, talks between the two countries are said to have made at least some progress. However, matters have also been complicated with harsh stances elsewhere, like Russia threatening to abandon US astronauts at the International Space Station.
  • UAE, Philippines ink deal to bolster trade ties

    The UAE is already the Philippines’ biggest export partner in the Middle East.
  • Iran minister says nuclear talks nearing ‘good agreement’

    "The initiatives of the Iranian side and the negotiations that have taken place have put us on the right track," Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said.
  • Iran detects new ‘realism’ from west in nuclear talks

    Negotiations to restore the accord began last year but stopped in June as Iran elected ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi.
  • Iran nuclear talks set for pause amid European ‘concern’

    Negotiations in Vienna aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal are to be suspended Friday, Iranian media said, as European diplomats expressed "disappointment and concern" at the latest proposals from Iran. Iran said it has submitted two draft proposals for the nuclear agreement, which has been in tatters since the...