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World

The US, Qatar join hands to disable terror financing flows

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Newsroom24x7 Staff

Doha, Qatar: The US and Qatar on Tuesday signed a bilateral agreement chiefly aimed at counterterrorism activties globally.

The agreement we both have signed on behalf of our governments represents weeks of intensive discussions between experts and reinvigorates the spirit of the Riyadh summit. The memorandum lays out a series of steps the two countries will take over the coming months and years to interrupt and disable terror financing flows and intensify counterterrorism activities globally -The US Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson

Addressing media-persons jointly, Foreign Minister of Qatar Al-Thani said with reference to the agreement of Riyadh and the charter of the Gulf Cooperation Council that the agreement that has been signed now between the US and Qatar with Kuwait playing the mediatory role that it’s a separate bilateral agreement between Qatar and the United States which has been underway and in discussion for weeks now, and it has nothing related directly to or indirectly to the recent crisis and the blockade imposed against Qatar.

Al-Thani said Qatar supports the role carried out by the Kuwaiti mediator and supported by the United States. We have been very much positive and forthcoming in engaging in a constructive dialogue which will result for a solution, he said adding that has been the behavior of the state of Qatar from the beginning of this crisis. He also expressed the hope that the countries that have imposed a blockade on Qatar would behave in the same manner.

The Qatar Foreign Minister said that they (The US and Qatar) have agreed on many points, and have signed a memorandum of understanding on combating financing of terrorism. This comes in the context of bilateral cooperation between the U.S. and Qatar, he said adding it is a result of the joint efforts to develop mechanisms to combat financing terrorism and exchange information and expertise to develop this mechanism and to develop the institutions between different countries.

The main output of of the present exercise was the memorandum of understanding pertaining to combating financing terrorism, an issue hat has been staring Qatar in the face as for long, the blockading countries have accused Qatar of financing terrorism. This was especially underscored by Al-Thani. The state of Qatar is the first country to sign this memorandum of understanding with the United States. We invite the other blockading countries to join signing this understanding, he said emphatically.

On the leaking the agreement of Riyadh and the timing of it, the Foreoign Minister of Qatar said the leaking of the Riyadh agreement the previous night and the timing of the leaking, show clear efforts to diminish the role by Kuwait and the mediation by Kuwait, and the efforts exacted by the United States to mediate this crisis. If this leaking reflects anything, it only reflects the approach by the blockading countries, similarly to what they did when they leaked the list of demands. This brings into question the level of trust in these countries in international relations. Usually, commercial companies show respect for this agreement, let alone respected countries and states.

Al-Thani furthr said: “As for the campaign that accompanied this leaking and the accusation that Qatar did not respect the agreement, these are falsifications and Qatar has committed itself and respected this agreement, and this can be proven. This is not a unilateral agreement. This is a multilateral agreement. And the statement – the agreement does not singularly single out Qatar to adhere to this agreement. And this is a clear violation of the blockading countries because they did not use any of the dispute settlement mechanisms, and as a result, if there are any grievances, these shall be discussed either according to the agreement of Riyadh or according to the charter of the GCC.”

The US Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson said that the United States has one goal: drive terrorism off the face of the Earth. He quoted the US President Donald Trump: “Every country in the region has an absolute duty to ensure that terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil”, and said that the agreement the agreement that has been signed on behalf of the governments of Qatar and the US represents weeks of intensive discussions between experts and reinvigorates the spirit of the Riyadh summit. The memorandum lays out a series of steps the two countries will take over the coming months and years to interrupt and disable terror financing flows and intensify counterterrorism activities globally. The agreement includes milestones to ensure both countries are accountable to their commitments.

Tillerson said together, the United States and Qatar will do more to track down funding sources, will do more to collaborate and share information, and will do more to keep the region and our homeland safe.

 

 

 

 

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh signs $ 35 million agreement with World Bank to streamline delivery of public services

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Newsroom24x7 Desk

delivery of public servicesBhopal: An agreement for IDA credit of USD 35 million from World Bank for ‘Madhya Pradesh Citizen Access to Responsive Services Project’ was signed in New Delhi today.

This agreement will build the capacity, simplify the process and expand the ambit of delivery of public services.

Union Joint Secretary Economic Affairs Raj Kumar signed the agreement on behalf of Government of India and Onno Ruhl, Country Director, World Bank (India) on behalf of the World Bank.

The Implementing Entity Agreement was signed by Executive Director of State Agency for Public Services, Madhya Pradesh Department of Public Services Management, on behalf of the state Government and the Country Director, World Bank (India) on behalf of the World Bank.

The project size is USD 50 million, of which USD 35 million will be financed by the Bank. Remaining amount will be funded out of State Budget. The duration of the Project is 5 years.

World

COP21 – Climate summit moves towards its final format

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Newsroom24x7 Desk

cop21Paris : Delegates participating in the COP21 Climate summit put in the best of their efforts and reached to the penultimate round of shaping up of the agreement in Paris, a work which lasted most part of the night and brought forth a near-final version of the agreement at Le Bourget climate centre. Negotiators at the Paris climate summit have been working meticulously in the post sunset hours trying to reach a global agreement, with talks in their final day. It is hoped that the deal would be inked anytime today. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who is chairing the summit, told negotiators about the optimism with which the deal was getting inked, and assured them with promising words like – I think we will make it.

A new global agreement that would stake out a long-term strategy for dealing with climate change, would take the shape of a final inked deal which will be signed here in Paris and would come into being in 2020. The good news is that a draft document finalized on Wednesday, running to just 29 pages in total, was considerably smaller than previous versions. And the better news is — the latest version, delivered after consultations throughout Thursday, was 27 pages. Fabius, who led the delegates in discussion through the night, told the negotiators – we are into the final lap which separates us from a universal, legally binding, ambitious, fair and lasting agreement which the world is waiting for.

The draft has salient attributes. Some of them are — it has cut the options on the long-term goal of the proposed treaty. It states that temperature rises must be kept well below 2C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5C. Detailing part of it reveals that the number of square brackets, indicating significant disagreement, had been reduced to around 50, a major improvement on early format when they ran to more than 900.

However, some campaigners were not happy with Thursday’s draft, saying it denied ‘climate justice’. They expressed opinions in the likes of — rich countries have a responsibility to ensure a fair global deal for everyone, not just themselves, and as we move into these final hours of negotiations poorer countries must not settle for anything less. Other agreeing voice showed optimism in the likes of — the draft has affirmed the need to set quantified funding goals for both climate change mitigation and adaptation for the years after 2020. Some added — this is a very encouraging development and we strongly urge negotiators to keep this in the final agreement.

India has put up its bet on solar energy and is committed to contributing positively towards climate restructure and saving the planet from depleting resources, in the best way it can.

World

Kosovo agitators throw petrol bombs at Police over MP’s arrest

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Newsroom24x7 Desk

protests kosovoKosovo : Kosovo and Serbia recently signed a landmark agreement, but protests have been on a rise ever since by many Kosovo leaders against the deal with Serbia. Opposition MP of Kosovo parliament, Albin Kurti set off tear gas in parliament last week over the deal between Kosovo and Serbia. He was taken into questioning for this act by police, but later released yesterday. The arrest triggered further protests by supporters of opposition leaders. The agitators today violently protested and raised voive against the police on Kurti’s arrest. Demonstrators in Kosovo’s capital Pristina threw petrol bombs and stones at police in a protest over the arrest of opposition MP Albin Kurti. About 200 protesters chanted Kurti’s name as they threw missiles at the ranks of police officers. Police retaliated, fired tear gas and advanced in an attempt to push the protesters back.

Kosovo’s ethnic Albanians broke away from Serbia in an armed revolt in 1999, and then unilaterally declared independence in 2008. Belgrade rejected the move and still considers the breakaway territory as its southern province. Later, Kosovo split from Serbia in 2008 supported by a Nato bombing campaign against Belgrade, which did force Serbia to get off the state, but Kosovo could not get an official recognition by Serbia.

Under the April 2013 Brussels Agreement, Serbia did not accept Kosovo’s independence but agreed to co-operate in ways that would allow it to operate more like a sovereign state. Since then, the road of progress has been soewhat patch-worked. Step by step, however the situation advanced and reached a stage recently when finally talks regained their momentum and the landmark deal between Serbia and Kosovo got signed. Both sides have stated that more or less, they have got what they wanted from the latest deal. Kosovo’s foreign minister claimed it was a de facto recognition of independence. Serbia’s prime minister said it ensured representation for ethnic-Serbs in Kosovo. It should also mean Serbia can now move forward with its negotiations to join the EU.

Kosovo has a majority Albanian population, but under the new agreement – 10 areas with large Serb populations will be able to manage issues such as the local economy and education. Both sides aspire to join the EU. From Serbia’s EU perspective, it relies on implementing a 2013 EU-brokered agreement on normalizing ties with its southern neighbor. The EU-brokered agreement grants more powers to the prominent Serb areas of Kosovo. Opposition MPs say it will deepen the ethnic divide and increase Serbia’s power in the country, hence the protests.