Author: Steven Sahiounie

Emmanuel Macron called on diplomats to step up efforts to pave the way for “lasting peace” Peace in Ukraine cannot be achieved by establishing a ceasefire and maintaining the status quo, French President Emmanuel Macron said. “Peace in Ukraine cannot be achieved through a mere ceasefire that would confirm the actual situation on the ground. In that case, it would mean preparing for another war. There [needs to be] a lasting peace based on respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and international law,” Macron pointed out, addressing an annual conference of French ambassadors. The French leader called on diplomats to step up…

Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said American troops will remain in the country for the foreseeable future American troops’ illegal presence in Syria will continue, General Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, has predicted. The top general claimed that the military contingent will remain in the country to fight remaining ISIS militants. President Bashar Assad’s government has repeatedly demanded that Washington pull out its forces from its territory, describing the US military presence there as illegal. Speaking to Jordan’s Al-Mamlaka TV channel on Thursday, Milley said: “I can’t imagine that the United States would ever walk…

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the Ukrainian army had been unsuccessfully trying to launch an offensive since June 4 The Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 4,855 servicemen over the week, with the most fighters – 1,490 – in the Donetsk area, according to TASS calculations based on the data of the Russian Defense Ministry. The Ukrainian forces lost: 1,180 servicemen in the South Donetsk area, 820 in the Zaporozhye area, 665 in the Kupyansk area, 485 in the Krasny Liman area and 215 in the Kherson area. Since the beginning of the special military operation, the Russian…

The bloc should aim to expand in 2030, the European Council head has claimed The European Union intends to begin discussions on admitting Ukraine and several other countries as early as October, European Council President Charles Michel announced on Monday. Enlargement “is no longer a dream,” Michel told the officials from Albania, Bulgaria and former Yugoslav states gathered at the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia. “As we prepare the EU’s next strategic agenda, we must set ourselves a clear goal. I believe we must be ready, on both sides, by 2030 to enlarge,” Michel said. “This is ambitious, but necessary. It shows that we are…

Commemorating the Government Week (August 24-30), Hamidreza Golpayegani added 158,410 meters were drilled in onshore and offshore operations and the wells were put into operation by affiliated companies of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). He said 13 wells were completed 201 days sooner than expected due to round-the-clock efforts of NIDC’s employees, describing it an invaluable economic task, SHANA reported. According to the chief executive of the company, the number of drilling derricks of his company has reached 64 while the figure stood at 56 when the 13th administration took over. Source: Tasnim

The unveiling ceremony was held in the presence of Deputy Oil Minister Jalil Salari, the CEO of National Iranian Oil Products Distribution and Refining Company (NIOPRDC) and a representative of Venezuela Oil Company. Supporting high capacities of knowledge-based companies is the main priority of the current administration, Salari said, adding that effective steps have been taken at the Oil Ministry to focus on exporting homegrown products to extraterrestrial refineries to prevent the selling of crude oil instead of selling oil products. The domestically manufactured compressor is the first piece of equipment that will be installed at the Venezuelan El Palito Refinery in competition with…

Speaking to IRNA on Monday, Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi described Iran’s membership in BRICS as a valuable move that will strengthen trade and economic ties with the member states. Noting that Russia is one of the member countries of BRICS, he said that it will help electricity exchange between the two countries to develop. The membership will also help to bolster ties with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)’s member states in the field of the exchange of electricity, Rajabi Mashhadi stated. As for the BRICS member states with which Iran shares no border, he said Iran can cooperate with them in the field of development of technologies as well as export of technical…

The President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas chaired this evening a meeting of the heads of the security services at the presidential headquarters in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah. During the meeting, the officials followed up on the latest developments in terms of providing security and safety for Palestinian citizens and preserving the rule of law. The President stressed the need to implement the law, provide security and stability to protect the Palestinian people and all their national institutions, and provide everything that would strengthen the steadfastness of Palestinians on their land, praising the efforts of the Palestinian security services.…

Pointing to the high volume of urea production in Iran, Mohammad Ali Nikbakht said that his ministry is ready to import phosphate fertilizer from this Eastern European country in exchange for exporting urea fertilizer. In his meeting with Vladimir Orlic, the president of the National Assembly of Serbia and accompanying delegation in Tehran, Iran’s agriculture minister stated that the two countries have established amicable relations. “We are trying to expand relations in economic areas, especially in the agricultural sector,” he stated. The Iranian government emphasizes the development of ties with friendly countries, he said. “We have good experience in various agricultural…

European Council President Charles Michel reportedly plans to propose accepting new member states The EU should focus on enlargement as one of its strategic goals in the coming years, European Council President Charles Michel is set to declare, according to the Financial Times. The British daily claims to have obtained an exclusive preview of what the Council chief will propose at a speech in Slovenia on Monday. Michel will reportedly call on the bloc to be ready to add new members by 2030 while “the window of opportunity is open.” “If we want to be credible, we must talk about timing,” Michel’s…