"Tidbits From TNT" Sunday 9-18-2022

Sep 18

TNT:

Tishwash: Adel Abdul-Mahdi lists the "benefits" of Iraq's accession to the Shanghai Organization

On Sunday, former Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi highlighted the "benefits" of Iraq's accession to the Shanghai Organization, calling for membership of this "rising organization".

Abdul-Mahdi said, in a post followed by "Nas" (September 18, 2022), that "Iraq's accession to the Shanghai Organization, benefits for our country, and the building of a more balanced world, ended days before the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Samarkand (Uzbekistan)

The organization Which today includes 9 great and big countries such as China, Russia, India, Iran and Pakistan, in addition to many partner countries that wish to join and monitor.

He added, "Only nine countries represent more than half of the world's population.

The matter is no less important in terms of space, energies, and wealth. These facts and others should prompt us to request formal accession to this emerging organization, in order to speed up the approach of closer relations with the neighboring Arab and Islamic countries, and with India, Japan, the two Koreas, the countries of Central and East Asia, and of course with China, with which we have many memoranda of understanding and agreements, such as the Belt and Road (Silk Road) and the Iraqi-Chinese agreement in what became known as oil in exchange for reconstruction.

Our accession to the Shanghai Organization has become necessary, especially after many countries applied to join , including Arab countries such as Egypt and the Gulf countries.

For all of this, I call on the Iraqi government to expedite - in accordance with the laws in force- an official application for membership in the Shanghai Organization, and I also call on the legislative authority, according to its powers, to support and facilitate the required procedures. And that all forces view this issue as a supreme national interest, and a sure guarantee for our present and future, away from political differences.

He continued, "According to the data of the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization's Trade Development Report for 20 Years", the total trade value of SCO member states increased from 667.09 billion US dollars in 2001 to 6.06 trillion US dollars in 2020, and their share in total world trade increased from 5.4% in 2001.

To 17.5% in 2020 and 2021, and the GDP of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization amounted to about 23.3 trillion US dollars, which represents about a quarter of the global GDP.

Certainly, these numbers will escalate to become one of the most important globally before the end of this decade, and the joining of more countries and advance their economies and status.

With this measure, Iraq will affirm its Arab, Islamic, Asian, and Eastern affiliations and the importance of that for its present and future in a world of turmoil and division, and to contribute to the birth of a new balanced world in the west, east, north and south so that countries can strengthen their security, economic and cultural independence, end the eras of hegemony, fragmentation of nations, and impose occupation On it, settlement and apartheid, its most prominent example in Palestine, or encouraging acts of secession and assaulting its unity, as in the attempts to separate Taiwan from its mother country China.

With our Arab and Islamic neighbourhood, with Africa and Latin America, and we are also interested in our relations with Europe and North America. In all of this there are great benefits that we reap in our security, economy and sovereignty. link

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Tishwash: Al-Kazemi receives an invitation to participate in the Arab Summit in Algeria

Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi received, on Sunday 18/09/2022, an invitation to participate in the Arab Summit to be held in Algeria.

The media office of the Prime Minister stated, in a statement received by Al-Masala, that Al-Kazemi received the envoy of the Algerian President and Minister of Justice, Abdul Rashid Tabbi, and his accompanying delegation.

The statement indicated that the guest minister conveyed to the Prime Minister the invitation of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to participate in the Arab summit to be held in Algeria next November.

Al-Kazemi affirmed Iraq's keenness to make the summit a success and actively participate in its work, expressing Iraq's aspiration that this summit would play a key role in strengthening the Arab ranks and the unified position on its fateful issues, foremost of which is the Palestinian cause.

Al-Kazemi praised the historical relations between Iraq and Algeria, and the desire to develop them in various fields, stressing Iraq's aspiration to convene the joint ministerial committee between the two countries soon, and to strengthen bilateral work for the benefit of the two brotherly peoples link

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Tishwash: Economic: the state treasury is full and foreigners cannot be charged during large visits

The economic expert, Mustafa Hantoush, confirmed that the state treasury is full and it cannot go towards imposing fees on foreign arrivals during large seasonal visits, pointing to the possibility of imposing fees during normal days on foreign visitors.

Hantoush told Al-Maalouma that "the holy Karbala flocked to 5 million foreign visitors and more than 15 million visitors from inside Iraq to commemorate the Arbaeen visit of Imam Hussein, peace be upon him, and as a large seasonal visit characterized by a spiritual atmosphere, it is not possible to apply or impose fees on visitors even if The amount was only one dollar during such visits."

He added that "Iraq does not need to impose fees on visitors when they enter Iraq during the season of Arbaeen visits or to visit Imam Ali or Al-Kadhim, peace be upon them, in addition to the fact that society does not accept such a culture, especially since there is financial abundance and state coffers are full."

And Hantoush said, "There is a possibility to impose fees on foreign arrivals of up to 50 dollars per person, during normal visits on normal days, and these amounts can go to the benefit and treasury of Najaf, Holy Karbala, or Kadhimiya in order to benefit from them for the benefit of those cities link

Mot: siiiggghhhhhh - Just Had one of Those Daze!! ~~~~