WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama will host leaders from key US allies Jordan, Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in the coming weeks, amid turmoil in Syria, the White House said yesterday.
The US administration said Obama will host the Emir, H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, on April 23.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II will meet with Obama on April 26 for talks on “Jordan’s political and economic reforms, the humanitarian crisis in Syria, and additional regional issues of mutual concern.”
The US president will then host Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on May 16 for talks on “Syria, trade and economic cooperation, and countering terrorism.”
He will host Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahayan of the United Arab Emirates on April 16.
Al Jazeera hires CNN’s Velshi for US launch
WASHINGTON: Al Jazeera America said yesterday it had hired CNN business correspondent Ali Velshi, as the broadcaster gears up for its launch in the US market later this year.
“We are thrilled to secure Ali’s extraordinary talents and services,” said Ehab Al Shihabi, executive director of Al Jazeera’s international operations.
“Al Jazeera America will be bringing respected, independent reporting to its viewers, and that’s exactly the type of coverage Ali Velshi is known for.”
Velshi has been CNN’s chief business correspondent, anchor of CNN Newsroom, and host of other programmes.
Turkey wants to be
in Arab trade bloc
DOHA: Turkey yesterday proposed to become part of a common market with the Arab world, as Qatar said there were more than 25 Turkish companies operating in its territory and the collective volume of their business had reached a staggering $20bn.
Speaking of the Arab world, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a key Turkish-Arab economic meet in Istanbul yesterday: “Today, we are rediscovering each other again”.
He said a common market comprising his country and the Arab world was the need of the hour. “We must remove all barriers that exit between our people and our countries,” said Davutoglu.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, H E Dr Khalid Al Attiyah, represented Qatar at the Turkish-Arab Economic Summit. Addressing it, he said over 25 Turkish companies were based in Qatar and their total business volume had reached $20bn.
Al Attiyah said he was surprised that when Turkey was trying for membership of the European Union, some in the Arab world were critical and said the country was drifting away from the Arabs.
Now, when it is coming closer to the Arab world, it (Turkey) is being accused of trying to revive its Ottoman heritage, said Al Attiyah.
THE PENINSULA & AGENCIES
