OPEN// Deputy foreign minister inaugurates training to support maritime security in Red Sea
CAIRO, March 10 (MENA) - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates ambassador Abou baker Hefny opened Monday a training program to support maritime security in the Red Sea region.
The program is organized by the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA) with the support of the Japanese government, under the rubric "Combating Transboundary Threats: Towards Enhancing Maritime Security in the Red Sea Region" for a number of civilian and security cadres concerned with the countries bordering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, including Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Sudan, Somalia, Jordan and Egypt.
In a keynote speech before the opening ceremony, the deputy foreign minister referred to repercussions of the Israeli aggression on Gaza on the stability of the Red Sea region and the unprecedented escalation of tension in the area.
Hefny said preserving the security of the Red Sea and freedom of navigation is a collective responsibility that requires intensive international and regional cooperation.
Egypt always accentuates the necessity of integrating Arab and African countries bordering the Red and the Gulf of Aden in all regional initiatives, he said.
The deputy foreign minister stressed the importance of activating the Council of Arab and African States Bordering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden; being a necessary regional framework to enhance cooperation and coordination between member states.
Hefny said the security of the Red Sea is closely related to the crises witnessed by the region, underlining the importance of reaching a just solution to the Yemeni crisis and working to consolidate ceasefire in Gaza, in addition to settling the Sudanese crisis.
For his part, Director General of the CCCPA ambassador Seif Kandil pointed out that the program focuses on several dimensions, including supporting frameworks for enhancing regional and international cooperation through coordinating efforts between coastal states, in addition to addressing legal frameworks to ensure a safe marine environment, along with means to confront challenges of cybercrimes, stressing the Center's keenness - since 2017 - on addressing issues related to Red Sea security and ways to enhance cooperation between the countries of the region.
Successive editions of Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development have addressed importance of focusing on activating the comprehensive approach to peace, security and development, said the CCCPA director general.
The Japanese chargé d' affaires also delivered a speech voicing his country's pride in the partnership with the CCCPA since 2008, pointing out to the importance of the security of the Red Sea and freedom of navigation.
He also said the Red Sea region is part of the Japanese vision related to the formation of the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" (FOIP), praising the role of the Center as an important partner in the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) process.
The TICAD and the Aswan Forum see eye to eye on many topics, for the CCCPA is the Executive Secretariat of the Aswan Forum, said the Japanese chargé d' affaires. (MENA)
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Footage showed protesters in Tehran holding up photographs of commanders killed since the start of the war with Israel, while others waved the flags of Iran and the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah. "I will sacrifice my life for my leader," read a protester's banner, a reference to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to state television, protests took place in other cities around the country, including in Tabriz in northwestern Iran and Shiraz in the south. 12:45 French President Emmanuel Macron said European powers will present Iran with a 'comprehensive diplomatic and technical offer' to end the escalating conflict with Israel. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot is expected to meet Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Geneva later Friday, alongside UK and German officials. Macron said the proposal includes four points: full IAEA access and zero uranium enrichment; limits on ballistic capabilities; restrictions on financing regional proxies; and the release of foreign detainees. He warned that a nuclear-armed Iran poses an 'existential risk' to Israel, but criticised Israeli strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure, saying 'nothing justifies this'. He added that military action alone cannot eliminate Iran's nuclear programme. "No one seriously thinks that this risk (posed by the Iranian atomic drive) can be responded to only through the operations that are currently underway," he said. "There are facilities that are extremely well protected we do not know exactly where the uranium enriched to 60 percent is." 12:00 Several major US airlines have suspended flights to the Middle East, AP reported. United Airlines said it has indefinitely paused flights between Newark, New Jersey, and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. American Airlines announced it is suspending service between Philadelphia and Doha, Qatar, at least through Sunday, and will make 'additional adjustments as needed'. Both airlines said they are monitoring the situation and working to rebook affected passengers. Last week, Delta Air Lines suspended flights to Tel Aviv, where Ben Gurion Airport remains closed to regular scheduled passenger traffic. 11:30 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi ruled out any negotiations with the United States, calling it a 'partner to Israeli crime against Iran'. 'There is no room for negotiations with us until Israeli aggression stops,' Araqchi told Iranian state television, according to Reuters. 11:15 French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, according to the Guardian, held talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of the planned Geneva meeting with his UK, German, and Iranian counterparts. A French diplomatic source said Rubio conveyed that the United States is 'ready for direct contact with the Iranians at any moment.' 11:00 Seven people were injured during Iran's missile attack on the southern Israeli city of Beersheba earlier this morning. According to a spokesperson for Soroka Medical Centre, quoted by The Jerusalem Post, the individuals sustained minor injuries while rushing to shelters during the barrage. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
