Category: Foreign Affairs

Peru’s Vice President Dina Boluarte was sworn in as the country’s new leader Wednesday, replacing Pedro Castillo, who was removed by Congress earlier in the day.

With the appointment, Boluarte became the first female president of the politically volatile nation.

Hours earlier, police arrested Castillo after he attempted to dissolve Congress in the morning.

Castillo said in a televised speech that he would demand congressional elections to approve a new Constitution, an announcement he made just hours before lawmakers voted to oust him from office.

“Elections will be called for a new Congress with constituent powers to prepare a new Constitution within a period of no more than nine months,” he said.

The move was immediately condemned by political forces, including the party that brought him to power, Peru Libre (Free Peru), and a series of Cabinet resignations followed.

Vice President Boluarte “rejected” Castillo’s decision to “perpetrate the breakdown of the constitutional order by closing the Congress,” while the nation’s ombudsman called Castillo’s attempt to dissolve Congress a “coup.”

Following the chaos generated by Castillo’s statement, local media reported that the president had gone to the Mexican embassy in the capital Lima to request asylum.

A video circulating on social media showed how the police intercepted the car in which Castillo was being transported and took him to the police station.

Meanwhile, Castillo’s opponents in Congress moved toward a third attempt to remove him from office. Lawmakers voted 101-6 with 10 abstentions to remove the president, citing reasons of “permanent moral incapacity.”

The former president had gone through two unsuccessful impeachment proceedings and was facing investigations for allegedly committing crimes related to a “criminal organization,” but he had denied the allegations, saying “economic interest groups” were looking to oust him.

Peru has had five presidents since 2016, including Castillo, who was elected to serve from 2021-2026.

In 2018, then-President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski faced an impeachment motion but resigned before the vote.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The conflict in Ukraine may end as early as tomorrow if Kyiv shows a political will towards it, a Kremlin spokesman said on Thursday.

“In this case, here you can talk until you’re blue in the face, when it’s all over. (Ukraine’s President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy knows when it can all end, it can all end tomorrow if he has a will,” Dmitry Peskov said at a press briefing in Moscow, commenting on remarks by Ukraine’s leader that the conflict may end in 2023.

Peskov also criticized the remarks of German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit, who defended Ukraine’s strike on Russia’s territory, saying “such statements certainly encourage” Kyiv for new attacks.

“Of course, such statements actually prolong this whole difficult period and do not contribute to the solution of this problem,” the Russian spokesman said.

Commenting on media reports alleging that Uzbekistan refused to take part in Russia-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan “gas union,” Peskov said the journalists twisted facts, as “no one talks about gas in exchange for political conditions.”

This, he said, is “out of the question in the context of the idea of creating this union.”

Asked about Moscow’s response to the Western oil price cap on Russian oil, Peskov said its preparation is coming to an end.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that his country and Saudi Arabia have “enhanced strategic mutual trust” when he arrived in Riyadh to attend the first China-Arab States Summit and the China-GCC Summit.

Xi will also pay a state visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

In a statement, China’s Foreign Ministry said Xi extended warm greetings and best wishes to the government and people of Saudi Arabia on behalf of the Chinese government and people.

He noted that in the 32 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Saudi Arabia, the two countries have enhanced strategic mutual trust and witnessed fruitful practical cooperation in various fields.

“In 2016, the two countries established a comprehensive strategic partnership,” it said.

“President Xi Jinping noted that he has since then worked with King Salman to steer bilateral relations on a path of significant progress, which has not only delivered benefits to both peoples but also effectively promoted regional peace, stability, prosperity and development.”

During his visit, Xi will have “an in-depth exchange of views” with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of shared interest to jointly chart the course for Chinese-Saudi relations.

President Xi noted that he looks forward to attending the first China-Arab States Summit and China-GCC Summit and working with leaders to bring China’s relations with the countries to new heights.

The Chinese president’s visit comes three months after US President Joe Biden visited Riyadh amid an energy crisis caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Xi’s last visit to Saudi Arabia was in 2016.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Brazil’s President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met Monday with US White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

Lula wrote on Twitter that he held a meeting with Sullivan in Brazil and confirmed that he has received an invitation to meet with US President Joe Biden.

“I am excited to talk with President Biden and to deepen the relationship between our countries,” Lula said, sharing flag emojis of both countries.

Lula and Sullivan had “a very broad conversation” touching on regional and global issues, according to Celso Amorim, Lula’s top foreign policy adviser and a former minister of foreign affairs.

Amorim told the press that the two men discussed climate change, the Russia-Ukraine war, UN Security Council reform, the situation in Venezuela and Haiti, the political movements led by former US President Donald Trump and Brazil’s outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro, strengthening regional democracy and development, and technological cooperation.

Amorim said that regarding climate change, the meeting touched on the importance of tackling it but did not go into specifics.

He said both officials underscored the need to find a solution to the ongoing socio-economic and political crisis in Venezuela.

Lula and Sullivan met alongside a number of officials at a hotel in Brazil’s capital, Brasilia.

The meeting lasted 1 hour and 50 minutes, according to news portal Poder360.

Lula is expected to meet with Biden in January after assuming the presidency, according to Amorim.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Monday said gambling money was “partly” used to fund elections in the Southeast Asian nation.

“On the issue of gambling, certainly, this is partly used to finance the elections,” Anwar told a news conference after chairing his first Cabinet meeting in the capital Kuala Lumpur.

“Whether you call yourself a Malay party or Islamic party, notwithstanding, the funds come from the gambling gaming companies,” he said in reply to a question.

The prime minister added he has issued directions to keep a “check” on the issue.

Anwar, who is also the finance minister of Malaysia, said the Cabinet has “decided to cancel a decision made earlier this year on the gambling draws.”

Only eight special draws for 4D numbers will be allowed annually from next year, he added. Four-Digits, or 4D, is a lottery system in Malaysia.

A reformist leader, Anwar, 75, was inaugurated as Malaysia’s 10th prime minister last month and is leading a unity government, formed among his Alliance of Hope or Pakatan Harapan (PH), National Front, or Barisan Nasional (BN) and Sarawak Parties Alliance or Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).

Malaysia held its 15th general elections last month which threw up a hung parliament of 222 seats. PH was leading with 82 seats.

He announced his Cabinet of 27 members last Friday, including two deputy prime ministers – Ahmad Zahid Hamidi of the BN and Fadillah Yusof of the GPS.

On the issue of corruption, Anwar told reporters: “We are determined and I have made it very clear … the ministers are clear on the issue of governance and anti-corruption drive … there is no compromise on that.”

Anwar blamed, what he called, kleptocracy for corruption.

“Kleptocracy means a system that allows leaders to steal. Now, those who have been saying this (accountability) should not confine it to any particular person … it is the system,” he responded to a question.

Without naming anyone, he said: “It is interesting that those who have been using this kleptocracy are themselves very much compromised in many big dealings, benefiting their son, children or in-laws.”

“I must remind them, that if you really want to get to the bottom of it, you must be prepared to be truly transparent and be investigated. Investigations cannot be selective, that is our position,” he added.

Anwar said he believes and trusts his “Cabinet team is determined to ensure that we follow strict rules and principles of good governance.”

He added Cabinet members will take a 20% salary cut until the country’s economy recovers.

On the state-owned 5G network introduced by the previous government, Anwar replied: “It needs to be reviewed because it was not done in a transparent manner.”

Source: Anadolu Agency

“At the meeting, satisfaction was expressed with the development of Azerbaijan-Russia bilateral relations, including economic relations, and the importance of joint work in the fields of transport and infrastructure was noted,” read a statement by the Azerbaijani presidency.

The statement also said bilateral and regional issues related to transport, transit and logistics were also discussed, in addition to “expanding the capabilities of the North-South transport corridor and the Zangezur corridor.”

The Zangezur region was part of Azerbaijan, though the Soviets gave it to Armenia in the 1920s, leaving Azerbaijan deprived of its direct overland route to Nakhchivan.

Following a 44-day conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in September 2020, Baku liberated numerous cities, villages and settlements in Karabakh from Armenian occupation, ending in a Moscow-brokered truce.

Since then, Azerbaijan has focused on planned connections including motorways and a 43-kilometer (26.7-mile) railway through the corridor.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Ursula von der Leyen said Moscow’s war on Ukraine brought death, devastation and suffering, and detailed a plan to confiscate frozen Russian state and private assets to compensate Ukraine.

The video, however, was soon removed and reposted with that sentence cut out.

Ukrainian authorities have declined to confirm the number mentioned by the EU official.

Bohdan Senyk, head of the Press Service of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said: “We cannot confirm this figure, we emphasize that the casualties of the Ukrainian army are official information and are subject to broadcast restrictions.”

Meanwhile, Dana Spinant, deputy chief spokeswoman and director for political communication for the European Commission, thanked “those who pointed out the inaccuracy regarding the figures in a previous version of this video.”

“The estimation used, from external sources, should have referred to casualties, i.e. both killed and injured, and was meant to show Russia‘s brutality,” she said.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Addressing a conference in Jerusalem, Lapid said Netanyahu will seek to carry out judicial reforms to appoint judges to look into his corruption cases.

“The bottom line is he will become the second prime minister in the country’s history to go to prison,” Lapid said.

“There is nothing he won’t do to prevent this,” he added.

Netanyahu has been facing charges of fraud, bribery, and breach of trust since 2020, accusations he vehemently denies.

Ehud Olmert was the first Israeli prime minister to enter jail over corruption charges.

Netanyahu is currently in the process of consultation with right-wing parties to form the upcoming Israeli government, as his coalition secured a simple parliamentary majority that allows him to form the government.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The chairman of the lower house of Kazakhstan’s parliament (Majilis) announced on Wednesday that the elections will be held in the first half of next year.

“Parliamentary elections will be held in the first half of next year, but the president will announce this. Naturally, after that, a new government will be formed. We have to wait until the president announces the deadlines,” Yerlan Koshanov said on the sidelines of the plenary meeting of the Majilis, according to the state-run Kazinform news agency.

The statement came as Kazakhstan’s incumbent President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev won the country’s snap presidential election with 81.31% of the votes, according to final results declared by the country’s election authority on Tuesday.

Tokayev was registered as the winner of the election and Kazakhstan’s president, according to a press briefing by the Central Election Committee.

Votes received by Tokayev amount to about 6.45 million out of around 12 million eligible voters, while the voter turnout was 69.4% in the election, as nearly 8.3 million voters cast their ballots.

Zhiguli Dayrabaev was Tokayev’s closest opponent who received %3.4% of the votes.

Tokayev will be sworn in as the president during an inauguration ceremony on Saturday, the press briefing noted.

Source: Anadolu Agency