7. Suudi Arabistan kralı
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia sign agreement for construction of cricket stadium in Jeddah
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Thursday that an agreement had been signed with Saudi Arabia for the construction of a modern cricket stadium in Jeddah. In a post on X, the cricket board said the agreement was signed by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation (SACF) chief Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Mohammad Al Saud. Naqvi is currently in Saudi Arabia on an official visit. “For the first time in history, a strategic agreement has been signed between the PCB and the SACF for the construction of a modern cricket stadium in Jeddah,” he said. “The PCB will build a cricket stadium as per international standards and with state-of-the-art facilities. All the facilities will be according to the standards of the International Cricket Council (ICC),” the statement said. It further said that the two boards would jointly work on infrastructure development, technical expertise, stadium planning and operational standards. It said the project would play a key role in enabling Saudi Arabia to host international cricket matches and big events, adding the project would also support the aims under the Gulf country’s 2030 vision. “The project is a milestone for the promotion of cricket in Saudi Arabia,” Naqvi was quoted as saying. “The partnership will bring the cricket community together and become a lasting legacy,” he said. Meanwhile, Naqvi also met with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud, state-run PTV reported. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening security cooperation between the two countries, it said, adding that a memorandum of understanding on security cooperation was signed between the two countries. The pact reflects strong strategic cooperation and deep brotherly ties between the two countries, the report added.
The Third Meeting of the Turkish-Saudi Coordination Council, 6 May 2026, Ankara
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan co-chaired the Third Meeting of the Turkish-Saudi Coordination Council, and met with Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia,...
PM Shehbaz ‘optimistic’ as US, Iran hash out differences
• Premier speaks to Qatari ruler, Tabuk governor; stresses need to protect talks from ‘spoilers’; insists momentum must continue for ‘successful outcome’ • Qatari PM in Oman to discuss Hormuz status; Trump insists it will remain toll-free • Another summit on the cards to mend ties between Iran, Gulf states; Ghalibaf calls for ‘coexistence’ • IAEA to carry out inspections of nuclear sites as Tehran links access to final accord, sanctions relief ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday hoped for a successful conclusion of the peace process between the US and Iran amid efforts by the negotiators to secure a lasting end to the war that engulfed the Gulf region following the Feb 28 US-Israeli strikes on Iran. In separate phone calls, the premier spoke to Qatari ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Saudi Arabia’s provincial governor Prince Fahd Bin Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, with the US-Iran dialogue featuring prominently in the conversations. According to the PM’s Office, PM Shehbaz received a telephone call from Qatar’s royal, in which Doha appreciated Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts that led to the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the US and Iran. He expressed Qatar’s full support for Pakistan’s peace efforts. Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the first round of technical-level talks held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, and stated that positive momentum must continue so that negotiations can be successful. The two leaders also agreed that it would be important to safeguard the talks from detractors, the statement added. A day earlier, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Israel “nearly derailed” the talks with its strikes in Lebanon. The PM reiterated his invitation to the Qatari ruler to visit Pakistan. In response, Mr Al Thani expressed his willingness to visit Pakistan later this year to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional developments. Separately, the PM also received a phone call from Tabuk Governor Prince Fahd, in which the Saudi official lauded Pakistan’s remarkable diplomatic efforts to secure an understanding between the US and Iran. The PM said that Pakistan’s peace efforts were aimed at ensuring regional peace and stability, with the support of friendly countries, including Saudi Arabia. The talks between the US and Iran are expected to resume next week, but the date and venue for these talks have not been confirmed. Both sides, however, continue to make contrasting statements on multiple issues. According to US President Donald Trump, Iran had assured him that no fees would be collected from ships in the Strait of Hormuz. He did not specify whether those assurances would remain in place after the 60-day negotiating period. In comments to the media after a lunch with Republican senators, Trump said, “Iran is agreeing to everything I want, and they have to. Otherwise, we just go back and do what we have to do.” Just a day earlier, Iran and Oman had discussed charging fees in the vital strait. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally transits, was closed by Iran after it was attacked by the US and Israel. Iran lifted its blockade as part of an accord signed with the US last week which extended an ongoing ceasefire by 60 days and set in place a memorandum of understanding aimed at permanently ending the war. Gulf talks on Hormuz Qatar’s PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani travelled to Oman on Wednesday to initiate talks between the Gulf states, Iraq and Iran on the Strait of Hormuz, AFP reported citing an unnamed diplomat. “The Qatari prime minister travelled to Muscat in preparation for talks between Iran, the Gulf nations and Iraq on the operation of the Strait of Hormuz,” the diplomat told AFP, saying the discussions were separate from US-Iran negotiations. The diplomat explained Gulf countries would push for freedom of navigation through the strait and no imposition of fees for transit while Iran was expected to ask for an environmental and security service fee for crossing the vital waterway. Pakistan, which has mediated US-Iran talks alongside Qatar, was also expected to be involved in the regional Hormuz discussions. A separate summit was also expected between the Gulf countries and potentially with other regional neighbours with Iran to mend ties in Saudi Arabia. The separate talks on reconciliation between Gulf countries and Iran expected in Riyadh could also include other regional neighbours, the diplomat said, without specifying a date for the summit. Nuclear disagreement Besides Hormuz, another key sticking point has been Iran’s nuclear programme. US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that Tehran had “fully and completely agreed” to allow UN inspectors to return to the country, but Iran said it had no intention of doing so. The controversy deepened on Wednesday after UN nuclear watchdog head Rafael Grossi said the UN watchdog will carry out inspections in Iran soon following an interim peace accord. “The inspections will indeed take place,” International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Grossi told a press conference in Japan, an audio recording of which the IAEA posted online. “We will be working on the modalities — dates, procedures, places — very soon,” he said of discussions with Tehran. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded that there were currently no plans to grant access to attacked nuclear facilities or nuclear material. He said such issues would only be addressed within the framework of a final agreement with Washington and after “practical steps” to lift US sanctions on Iran. “Paragraph 8 of this memorandum of understanding states explicitly that nuclear activities that are going to be carried out with regards to nuclear material, facilities, will be supervised by the IAEA, in bold letters,” Mr Grossi said. “Obviously, to do that, we will have to inspect… So this is going to happen. Of course, if they (Iran) want to comply with the agreement. If they don’t want (to), it’s another matter.” Tehran appeared to push back on Grossi’s comments. “Media noise cannot be used to impose facts on the ground,” Mr Gharibabadi wrote on X, indicating that inspection arrangements remained contingent on progress in negotiations over sanctions lifting. ‘Declaration of defeat’ Meanwhile, Iran called the deal to end the Middle East war “a declaration of America’s defeat” with its top negotiator Bagher Ghalibaf saying that security in the Middle East must be ensured by the countries of the reigon. “We see the future of the region not in confrontation but in interaction and not in elimination but in coexistence,” Mr Ghalibaf said. “The Islamabad understanding was not the result of pressure and coercion, but rather the result of the resistance and authority of the brave Iranian nation,” he said. However, Trump told reporters at the Capitol that the United Stated is winning in the Iran war. He said, “The war is going very well. As you know, we’re winning by a lot. Iran is making very big concessions. We’ll see what happens — but it has been very, very, very powerful.” Despite these claims, the US president during a meeting with Nato chief Mark Rutte in the Oval Office told him he was “let down” by members of the transatlantic alliance who did not back his war against Iran. “We were let down. We didn’t need help on this at all. We demolished (Iran) literally in the first week but it would have been nice if they would have said, ‘We’d like to help,’” he added. Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2026
Burgenstock'ta ABD-İran Barışı İçin 60 Günlük Yol HaritasıPutin denies economic stagnation after four years of war
Given the uneven course of the Russian economy during the first five months of 2026, Russian authorities, especially President Vladimir Putin, were keen to minimize the impacts of any possible stagnation at the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. When asked by a reporter about Russia’s stagnating economy, Putin avoided a detailed response and paraphrased American novelist Mark Twain, saying "rumors of my death [i.e., the Russian economy] have been greatly exaggerated." Although Putin avoided any reference to the war in Ukraine during his plenary speech, he did address the domestic economy. According to Kommersant, Putin made clear that he did not “foresee any immediate dangers to the economy currently or in the future.” Putin added that “we have essentially come down to the same baseline that Eurozone countries have been living with for years. I am confident that our upward and forward progress is guaranteed.” However, this opinion differed from the recent GDP growth estimate released by his own Ministry of Economy (MinEcon), which projected stagnation for the remainder of the year. In May, the ministry created concern when it lowered its growth estimate from 1.3% to 0.4%. It is important to note that there has been some disagreement with Russian growth projections. For example, in contrast with MinEcon’s figures, in April the IMF raised its 2026 GDP growth forecast for Russia "to 1.1% from January's estimate of 0.8%, due to higher oil and other commodity prices resulting from the Middle East crisis.” As to the budget, while Putin acknowledged the deficit was growing, he clarified it was not as bad when compared with Russia’s counterparts in the West. For example, he acknowledged that Russia’s budget deficit is 2.6 % of GDP but made sure to point out that the EU’s is 3.1% and that the U.S. is 5.9%. Putin’s attitude contrasts with some officials in Russia's Finance Ministry and central bank, who have expressed concerns about Russia’s ability to continue to finance growing defense expenditures. Early last week, Bloomberg reported that these ministries suggest “that spending on the war in Ukraine is on an unaffordable path.” Interestingly, Elvira Nabiullina, the Russian Central Bank Chair, was absent from SPIEF after reportedly calling in sick despite being scheduled to moderate several panels. Given the apparent difference of opinion among Russia’s leading economic policymakers, several Putin administration officials actively sought to allay concerns regarding the economy. For example, Minister of Finance Anton Suliyanov tried to smooth concerns regarding the budget shortfall when he announced that the Russian budget might add nearly one trillion rubles of revenues as a result of the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz. In addition, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Maxim Oreshkin reiterated Putin’s message clarifying that there are "no gaps" in the country's economy. Meanwhile, he asserted that “the European economy has grown by 3% over the past three years, while Russia's has grown by 10% over the same period.” The theme for this year’s event, which ran through the weekend, was “Pragmatic Dialogue: The Path to a Stable Future.” Clearly, showcasing Russia’s stated commitment to sovereignty and multipolarity was the Kremlin’s preferred agenda. For example, according to the Moscow Times, Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said SPIEF has now become a meeting focused on “sovereign countries” while ridiculing Moscow’s “globalist rivals” who usually attend the fashionable Davos Forum in Switzerland. Dmitriev emphasized to the Moscow Times, an independent English and Russian-language online newspaper that “the countries of the Global South are building up their economic strength, actively moving toward partnership with Russia and will be strongly represented.” The conference, which attracted over 20,000 guests from approximately 130 countries, has been referred to as the "Russian Davos.” In its heyday, it attracted investors and policymakers from around the globe who were interested in Russia’s growing economy. Yet the larger delegations now are from Africa, Asia, and Eurasia, while Western countries are increasingly absent since the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Prior to the event, Russian representatives and state media were emphasizing the return of an official delegation from the United States. However, Robert Agee, head of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), dispelled any thoughts of an official delegation attending the event. Russian media had also initially touted an official German business delegation. Nevertheless, the German news outlet DW said the only German (unofficial) delegation to SPIEF was comprised of “several lawmakers from Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.” Indeed, Russia’s Dmitriev confirmed the AfD representatives were in St. Petersburg to discuss concerns pertaining to investigations related to the Nord Stream pipeline. Given minimal Western participation, Russian representatives instead emphasized strong relations with the Global South and BRICS, and highlighted expanded efforts to assert economic sovereignty. According to Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, Russia has shifted its economic emphasis to the Global South and Asia, stating that “we have up to 79% of trade carried at present with these nations." Moreover, the forum’s Russian hosts lavished special attention on the delegation from Saudi Arabia, led by Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud. Saudi Arabia appeared as the guest country at the forum this year as the two countries celebrated the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. As a result, SPIEF granted Saudi Arabia special status which confers the ability to showcase its investment, export, and tourism opportunities and maintain its own national pavilion at SPIEF 2026. Saudi Arabia now joins other Global South countries that have received the honorary status during previous forums, including Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Bahrain. According to the Saudi Energy Minister, the country signed “30 different cooperation agreements, particularly in energy, education, and tourism." Further emphasizing Russia’s economic reorientation to the BRICS and the Global South, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng appeared on stage with Putin for a roundtable after his keynote speech on June 5. During the speech, Putin said the “existing hierarchical model of global trade and cooperation is undergoing profound changes.” This statement referred to his assertion that the current global economic model is in the midst of a significant transition towards multipolarity and that BRICS countries are driving this growth. Furthermore, Putin stated, "If you look at the global GDP of the last five years, you will see that almost half of its annual growth, 49%, is accounted for by BRICS countries. The contribution of the so-called G7 is estimated at 18%." He then cited estimates from the International Money Fund (IMF) and World Bank that predicted economic growth for the G7 countries at 0.5% through the end of the current decade compared with over 4.1% for BRICS countries. Judging from these responses, critics of SPIEF 2026 could rightly assert that Russian authorities did little to clarify the condition of Russia’s economy. However, they may be missing the objective of this year’s event. Ultimately, it is important to understand Russian officials used SPIEF 2026 to strategically shift focus from a global investment event focused on the Russian economy to a gathering focused squarely on asserting Russia’s economic sovereignty and commitment to strengthening the course of multipolarity with its partners in the BRICS and Global South countries. Additionally, they sought to lay the groundwork for a successful BRICS Summit in India in September. Thus, SPIEF 2026 was not selling the Russian relationships and deals of the past, but rather a strategic vision for a new global order during a time of great uncertainty.
Samia, Büyük Güç Rekabeti Ortasında Tanzanya'nın Tarafsız Duruşunu Yineledi