NATO update

 

Secretary General in Tbilisi: NATO supports Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg continued his tour of the South Caucasus on Monday (18 March 2024), meeting with President Salome Zourabichvili and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of Georgia in Tbilisi. During his visit, the Secretary General discussed ways to further strengthen NATO’s partnership with Georgia. NATO is stepping up its cooperation with Georgia in areas such as crisis management, cyber security, military engineering and secure communications. Click here to download the joint press statements by the NATO Secretary General and the Prime Minister of Georgia. The webstory is available on the NATO website.

NATO Secretary General starts South Caucasus visit in Baku, welcomes NATO’s long-standing partnership with Azerbaijan

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ..

 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with Israel War Cabinet member Minister Benny Gantz

March 18, 2024
Ottawa, Ontario

Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with Minister Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s War Cabinet.

The Prime Minister and the Minister discussed the situation in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. Prime Minister Trudeau reiterated his condemnation of Hamas and its brutal attacks against Israel. The Prime Minister and the Minister called for the immediate release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas.

The Prime Minister shared his concern around Israel’s planned offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah and the severe humanitarian implications for all civilians taking refuge in the area. He underscored the need to increase the volume of life-saving humanitarian aid for civilians and to ensure aid reaches all those in need, safely and without delay. He also stressed the need for continued support from Israel in facilitating the exit of Canadians and their families from Gaza.

Prime Minister Trudeau underscored the importance of renewing efforts toward a two-state solution to secure lasting peace in the region. He reiterated Canada’s support for the right of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace, dignity, and security.

The Prime Minister and the Minister reaffirmed the strong bond between Canada and Israel and agreed to remain in contact as the situation continues to evolve.

Associated Links

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Meetings Monday 18 March 2024

● Council of the EU   18/03/2024 21:56 | MEETING | Main results - Foreign Affairs Council, 18 March 2024   The Foreign Affairs Council exchanged views on the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Belarus and the situation in the Middle East, and was informed about current affairs.

Press material Monday 18 March 2024

● Council of the EU   18/03/2024 17:37 | Press release | Green diplomacy: Council conclusions reaffirm the EU’s commitment to work closely with partners to accelerate a global just and inclusive green transition   Today, the Council approved conclusions on green diplomacy, unequivocally affirming the EU’s commitment to promote a just and inclusive green transition, and to support the implementation of global commitments in this regard, in close cooperation with partner countries worldwide through enhanced multilateralism and global action.

Συγκλονιστική η “Μάνα της Ελλάδας”: Η Μαρία Καρυστιανού μίλησε στο Ευρωκοινοβούλιο -και συγκίνησε- για τα θύματα της τραγωδίας των Τεμπών

 https://hellasjournal.com/2024/03/sigklonistiki-i-mana-tis-elladas-i-maria-karistianou-milise-sto-evrokinovoulio-ke-sigkinise-gia-ta-thimata-tis-tragodias-ton-tempon-video/

H Μαρία Καρυστιανού, πρόεδρος του συλλόγου «Τέμπη 2023» και μητέρα ενός εκ των θυμάτων μίλησε στην Επιτροπή Αναφορών του Ευρωκοινοβουλίου.

Η κα Καρυστιανού μαζί με την ομιλία της, κατέθεσε αναφορά για το πολύνεκρο σιδηροδρομικό δυστύχημα στα Τέμπη. Το θέμα συζητήθηκε με τη διαδικασία του κατεπείγοντος....

Αναγνώσατε πατώντας εδώ:

https://hellasjournal.com/2024/03/sigklonistiki-i-mana-tis-elladas-i-maria-karistianou-milise-sto-evrokinovoulio-ke-sigkinise-gia-ta-thimata-tis-tragodias-ton-tempon-video/

NASA's Earth Observatory

MARCH 18, 2024 Natural Events

LATEST IMAGES FROM THE PAST 7 DAYS view archive of natural events

Tropical Cyclone Filipo The storm dropped a substantial amount of rain as it moved across Mozambique. (Mar 12, 2024)       An Underwater Plume From Kavachi A Landsat satellite acquired this image of discolored water drifting from the active underwater volcano. (Mar 15, 2024)

NASA | 8800 Greenbelt Rd., Greenbelt, MD 20771

ΚΥΡΙΑΚΟΥ ΜΗΤΣΟΤΑΚΗ,ΠΡΩΘΥΠΟΥΡΓΟΥ ΤΩΝ ΕΛΛΗΝΩΝ πρόσφατη δραστηριότητα

Δηλώσεις του Πρωθυπουργού Κυριάκου Μητσοτάκη μετά τη συνάντηση των Ευρωπαίων ηγετών με τον Πρόεδρο της Αιγύπτου Abdel Fattah El-Sisi στο Κάι...17 Μαρτίου 2024



Εισαγωγική τοποθέτηση του Πρωθυπουργού Κυριάκου Μητσοτάκη στη συνάντηση των Ευρωπαίων ηγετών με τον Πρόεδρο της Αιγύπτου Abdel Fattah El-Sis...
17 Μαρτίου 2024
Είναι πράγματι μεγάλη χαρά να βρίσκομαι εδώ στο Κάιρο αυτή την πολύ ξεχωριστή ημέρα για τις σχέσεις Ευρώπης - Αιγύπτου και για εμάς, την Ελλάδα και την Κύπρο, που εργαστήκαμε σκληρά μαζί για να φτάσουμε στο σημείο να αναβαθμίσουμε τη σχέση ...




Συνάντηση του Πρωθυπουργού Κυριάκου Μητσοτάκη με θεσμικούς εκπροσώπους αγροτικών φορέων
15 Μαρτίου 2024
Ο Πρωθυπουργός Κυριάκος Μητσοτάκης συναντήθηκε σήμερα με θεσμικούς εκπροσώπους αγροτικών φορέων σε διευρυμένη σύνθεση, στο Μέγαρο Μαξίμου. Ακολουθεί η εισαγωγική τοποθέτηση του Πρωθυπουργού: «Όπως βλέπετε, οι συναντήσεις και οι συσκέψ...


Ενημερωτικό σημείωμα για την επίσκεψη του Πρωθυπουργού Κυριάκου Μητσοτάκη στο Γενικό Αντικαρκινικό Νοσοκομείο Πειραιά «Μεταξά»
15 Μαρτίου 2024
Ο Πρωθυπουργός Κυριάκος Μητσοτάκης επισκέφθηκε το πρωί το Γενικό Αντικαρκινικό Νοσοκομείο Πειραιά «Μεταξά», όπου ενημερώθηκε για την πορεία των εργασιών ανακαίνισης και εκσυγχρονισμού των εγκαταστάσεων του νοσοκομείου, στο πλαίσιο του ευρύτ...

ΠΑ.ΣΟ.Κ.-ΚΙΝ.ΑΛ.:Ενημέρωση

 Ν. Ανδρουλάκης: Ένα ισχυρό ΠΑΣΟΚ θα μπει εμπόδιο στην αλαζονεία, την ατιμωρησία και τη διαφθορά της Νέας Δημοκρατίας

Τη σημερινή επίσκεψη του Πρωθυπουργού στο αντικαρκινικό νοσοκομείο «Μεταξά» σχολίασε ο Πρόεδρος του ΠΑΣΟΚ-Κινήματος Αλλαγής, Νίκος Ανδρουλάκης, κατά την περιοδεία του στον νομό Έβρου. «Ελπίζω να ενημέρωσε η διοίκηση του αντικαρκινικού νοσοκομείου “Μεταξά” τον κ.Μητσοτάκη ότι από τις 6 χειρουργικές κλίνες λειτουργούν τρεις, το πολύ τέσσερις. Με ημίμετρα δεν αντιμετωπίζεται το τεράστιο ζήτημα του Εθνικού Συστήματος Υγείας», τόνισε, υπογραμμίζοντας την ανάγκη για προσλήψεις σε ειδικότητες που λείπουν από το σύστημα, όπως οι αναισθησιολόγοι, με αποτέλεσμα χιλιάδες χειρουργεία να βρίσκονται σε λίστες αναμονής. «Πρέπει να επενδύσουμε στο Εθνικό Σύστημα Υγείας. Τώρα θυμήθηκαν το Ταμείο Ανάκαμψης; Εδώ και μήνες επισημαίνουμε ότι πρέπει να φτάσουμε στα επίπεδα άλλων ευρωπαϊκών χωρών. Δεν μπορεί ο ελληνικός λαός να πληρώνει τις δεύτερες υψηλότερες ιδιωτικές δαπάνες υγείας μετά τη Βουλγαρία. Αυτά είναι αδιανόητα πράγματα, που αυξάνουν τις κοινωνικές ανισότητες», επέμεινε. Αναφερόμενος στις εξελίξεις στην υπόθεση της διαρροής

USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service,update

 

The following GAIN reports were released on March 14, 2024. _______   Argentina: Oilseeds and Products Update Post lowers marketing year (MY) 2023/2024 production to 49.5 million metric tons (MMT), still nearly double last year’s crop, based on a stretch of dry and hot weather in the major production areas despite previous ideal rains following planting. Argentina’s soy crush was up 12 percent in January 2024 despite low stocks due to the disastrous crop the previous year. Sunflower production in MY2023/2024 is revised down to 3.5 MMT on lower planted area and yields. China: Draft National Food Safety Standard of General Principles for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods Notified to WTO On February 9 and February 12, 2024, China notified the revised draft National Food Safety Standard of General Principles for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods to the World Trade Organization (WTO) under G/SPS/N/CHN/1295 and under G/TBT/N/CHN/1827. The proposed date of entry into force is to be determined. This revised draft National Food Safety Standard closely mirrors the recently released draft letter from the Secretariat of the National Food Safety Standard Review Committee analyzed in FAS GAIN Report CH 2024-0021. This report explains the minor modifications between the two drafts and provides an unofficial translation of the draft standard notified to WTO. Stakeholders should conduct their own review of the regulation. China: China Imported Live Seafood Products Market Update  The People's Republic of China (PRC) is one of the largest producers and consumers of seafood in the world. In particular, live seafood products represent a significant market opportunity given the United States advanced cold chain facilities and ability to transport live seafood. This report details the distribution channels for live seafood in China, potential market opportunities, and updates for 2024. Rwanda: Rwanda Passes New Biosafety Law On February 21, 2024, The Government of Rwanda (GoR) published a new biosafety law providing requirements for the transit and utilization of living modified organisms (LMOs) produced through modern biotechnology techniques. This law enters effect immediately.   For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/.

IMF Blog,update

 

Dear MARIA, We just published a new blog—please find the full text below.  More Work is Needed to Make Big Banks Resolvable (Credit: Seibertfilm/iStock by Getty Images) By Tobias Adrian and Marc Dobler Almost a year ago, Credit Suisse, a globally systemic bank with $540 billion in assets and the second-largest Swiss lender, founded in 1856, failed and was sold to UBS. In the United States, Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank failed at around the same time amid Federal Reserve interest rate hikes to contain inflation. With a combined $440 billion of assets, these were the second, third, and fourth biggest bank resolutions since the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was created during the Great Depression. This banking turmoil represented the most significant test since the global financial crisis of ending too-big-to-fail—whereby a systemic bank can be resolved while preserving financial stability and protecting taxpayers. So, what’s the verdict? In short, while significant progress has been made, further work is required. On the one hand, as we note in a recent report, the actions of authorities last year successfully avoided deeper financial turmoil, and the financial soundness indicators for most institutions signal continued resilience. In addition, unlike many of the failures during the global financial crisis, this time significant losses were shared with the shareholders and some creditors of the failed banks.

U.S. Department of State, update (part 2)

Part 1:https://politikinewsaaa.blogspot.com/2024/03/us-department-of-stateupdate-part-1.html

MS HARBUNOVA:  (Via interpreter) Greetings, everyone.  It’s a great honor for me to be here.  Also, receiving this award and being here is a source of great pride.  I’m also immensely grateful to you because you recognized that I was a courageous woman way before I did.  I’m still getting used to that thought.  (Laughter and applause.) Two years ago today I was in a pretrial detention center, having been detained for taking part in peaceful protest.  I was put in a cell for six months only for speaking out.  There, I was subjected to violence, to torture, and they threatened to take my parental rights from me.  They tortured all of us with cold, with lack of medical care.  I didn’t receive a single letter from my daughter, even though she wrote to me every single day.  Political prisoners in Belarus are made to wear a yellow tag like this, like the one I’m wearing.  It’s not a badge.  Five people have already died in custody.  Six people have disappeared; we don’t know where they are.  They are held incommunicado. After an unfair trial, I was sentenced to three years of house arrest.  In fear of further criminal prosecution, I was forced to leave my home.  I was desperate.  I feared for my life, and saying goodbye to my family was extremely difficult.  In the middle of the night, I had to climb over a tall fence at the international border between Belarus and Lithuania and ask for political asylum.  It made me very angry, and I did not give up.  I became the representative for social policy at the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, which is working in exile.  Every day I work to help political prisoners and their families.  Every day I look for work – for ways to secure their release.  I am extremely happy to meet all of you, and I’m very happy to have met my fellow awardees, my dear sisters.  During this time we’ve gained so much energy from each other, so much knowledge, so much new – so many new contacts.  During this program we’ve discussed the issues that our countries are facing.  We look for solutions.  We discussed different options.  You are my inspiration.  Because of you I am not going to give up.  You shine like a diamond in my heart.  (Applause.) Women and girls in Belarus often think, “I am not anybody.  I am not anything special.  There are people who are more worthy than me.  I don’t deserve any award.”  This is how we’re being brought up by patriarchy and dictatorship in Belarus.  We’re taught that we’re nobody. For them, March 8th is just about celebrating the spring and beauty, and women are considered a mere decoration at a workplace and just homekeepers.  We’re never told that we should fight for our rights.  They never talk about equal opportunities and equal rights.  They never let us be heard. There is no law against domestic violence in Belarus.  There is a list of 88 jobs that women are banned from holding, and currently there are at least 187 female political prisoners in custody in Belarus, where they are subjected to torture and violence.