Saudi Arabia will host a second round of Ukraine peace talks on August 5, EU spokeswoman Nabila Massrali told The National on Monday.
Senior EU officials will attend the meeting with about 40 other country representatives, said the official. It comes after a first round of peace talks in Copenhagen in June.
“This meeting will provide an opportunity for further exchanges with global partners and Ukraine on the Ukraine’s Peace Formula, in preparation for an upcoming Global Peace Summit,” Ms Massrali said in an email.
A global summit is expected by the end of the year, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on Sunday.
“Any initiative for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine must be based on full respect for its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders,” added Ms Massrali.
A Saudi Foreign Affairs Ministry source previously told The National that the talks are likely to be held in Jeddah.
Several countries have reportedly confirmed their attendance, including South Africa and Poland, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported details of the meeting on Saturday.
The WSJ said the meeting would take place over two days, on August 5 and August 6.
A Dutch Foreign Ministry representative told The National that they would also attend and welcomed Ukraine's “international outreach” to discuss Mr Zelenskyy's 10-point peace plan announced in December.
“It is up to Ukraine to negotiate their peace and decide over possible outcomes,” they said of the meeting, which excludes Russia.
The choice of Saudi Arabia is widely viewed as an attempt by Ukraine and its western supporters to woo the global South.
Western officials reportedly hope that Saudi Arabia will convince China to participate in the talks. China did not participate in the previous round of talks in Denmark.
Mr Zelenskyy's last visit to Saudi Arabia was during a recent Arab League summit when he attempted to rally Arab support for Ukraine following Russia's invasion last year.
The EU's confirmation of attendance came as the deputy secretary general of the bloc's external action service, Enrique Mora, hosted Rayed Krimly, the head of policy planning at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Brussels.
“Excellent discussion today in Brussels with Dr Rayed Krimly on issues of common interest,” tweeted Mr Mora.
“Challenging times require strong partnerships. The EU is committed to further expand its partnership with Saudi Arabia to tackle challenges in the region and beyond.”
Concrete and Gold
Foo Fighters
RCA records
Masters%20of%20the%20Air
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cary%20Joji%20Fukunaga%2C%20Dee%20Rees%2C%20Anna%20Boden%2C%20Ryan%20Fleck%2C%20Tim%20Van%20Patten%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Austin%20Butler%2C%20Callum%20Turner%2C%20Anthony%20Boyle%2C%20Barry%20Keoghan%2C%20Sawyer%20Spielberg%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Scores
New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs
New Zealand win by 47 runs
'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'
Rating: 1 out of 4
Running time: 81 minutes
Director: David Blue Garcia
Starring: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Most match wins on clay
Guillermo Vilas - 659
Manuel Orantes - 501
Thomas Muster - 422
Rafael Nadal - 399 *
Jose Higueras - 378
Eddie Dibbs - 370
Ilie Nastase - 338
Carlos Moya - 337
Ivan Lendl - 329
Andres Gomez - 322
Race card
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m
6.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,400m
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 1,200m
7.50pm: Longines Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,00 (D) 1,900m
8.25pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m
9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m
9.35pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
