All posts tagged: envoys

Your guide to Trump’s Europe envoys – POLITICO

Your guide to Trump’s Europe envoys – POLITICO

Published by Sam

Diplomatic credentials? Optional. Deep pockets and loyalty to Trump? Essential. As Donald Trump rolls out his picks for U.S. ambassador posts in Europe — think fast-food executives, Broadway producers, billionaire donors and family insiders — one thing is clear: this isn’t traditional statecraft. Take Andrew Puzder, the former fast-food CEO and future U.S. ambassador to the EU (pending Senate confirmation). Like many of Trump’s nominees, he has no diplomatic experience but only strong political and business ties. Of course, Trump isn’t the first president to favor political appointees over career diplomats — Democrats do it too. But is this just business as usual, or does Trump’s selection signal a deeper shift in U.S. foreign policy? Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by Ivo Daalder, former U.S. ambassador to NATO; Suzanne Lynch, author of POLITICO’s Global Playbook; and POLITICO’s labor reporter based in Washington, D.C., Nick Niedzwiadek, to break it all down. Will economic interests take precedence over diplomacy? Will these new ambassadors help maintain transatlantic ties — or, as Daalder puts it, will they be forces …

Donald Trump appoints Gibson, Stallone and Voight as ‘special envoys’ to Hollywood | US News

Donald Trump appoints Gibson, Stallone and Voight as ‘special envoys’ to Hollywood | US News

Published by skeptic

President-elect Donald Trump has announced the appointment of actors Mel Gibson, Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone as ambassadors to help make Hollywood “bigger, better and stronger”. Mr Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social the actors, all supporters of the president-elect, had been appointed as his “special envoys” to the world-famous filmmaking hub, which he described as a “great but very troubled place”. The 78-year-old Republican, who will take over from President Joe Biden after he is sworn in on Monday, said it was “my honour” to announce the appointments of “these three very talented people”. He said: “They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood, which has lost much business over the last four years to Foreign Countries, BACK-BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!” Image: Mel Gibson at a special screening of the film Monster Summer in Los Angeles in September. Pic: Reuters Mr Trump said the actors “will be my eyes and ears, and I will get done what they suggest”. He continued: “It …

New US-China climate envoys to hold their first in-person talks in Washington

New US-China climate envoys to hold their first in-person talks in Washington

Published by skeptic

state department —  The United States’ and China’s new climate envoys are holding their first in-person talks on Wednesday and Thursday in Washington, leading a bilateral working group discussion to accelerate concrete climate action. Some analysts caution that political and economic tensions between the world’s two largest emitters of carbon dioxide, or CO2, could hamper progress on the climate front. This week’s talks will take place against the backdrop of the Biden administration’s probe into Chinese-made electric vehicles, or EVs, and calls to increase tariffs on the import of solar panels from China to protect domestic producers. John Podesta, senior adviser to U.S. President Joe Biden for international climate policy, and Liu Zhenmin, the People’s Republic of China’s special envoy for climate change, along with relevant officials from both countries, will convene this week’s working-group talks. Liu Zhenmin, China’s special envoy for climate change, arrives past demonstrators to attend a new session of talks at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit, Dec. 11, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. “The meeting will focus on areas identified …

US, Egypt ‘hopeful’ of Gaza truce as envoys meet in Cairo

US, Egypt ‘hopeful’ of Gaza truce as envoys meet in Cairo

Published by skeptic

According to the Hamas source, the latest plan proposes an Israeli withdrawal from two main roads through the coastal territory to allow Gazans to return to the heavily impacted north. Hamas negotiator Zaher Jabareen told AFP that “success or failure” will be determined by “the ability to reach a permanent ceasefire decision” – a condition Israel has rejected before – and to agree “clear” plans for reconstruction of war-battered Gaza. The Axios news website, citing Israeli officials, reported that Israel’s latest proposal includes a willingness to discuss the “restoration of sustainable calm” after hostages are released. HOSTAGE RELEASE TALKS As diplomatic efforts intensified, a State Department official said Blinken will also travel to Israel and neighbouring Jordan later this week. His Saudi counterpart, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, said Sunday the international “political system” had failed in its response to the “catastrophe” in Gaza. Prince Faisal told the WEF summit that only “a credible, irreversible path to a Palestinian state” will prevent the world from confronting “this same situation” again in the future. Israeli …

Russia says Western envoys at Navalny funeral meddling in Russia

Russia says Western envoys at Navalny funeral meddling in Russia

Published by Sam

By Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia on Tuesday accused Western ambassadors in Moscow of meddling in Russia’s internal affairs by attending the funeral of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, saying their behaviour raised questions about the point of such envoys. The Ukraine war has triggered the deepest crisis in Russia’s relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and President Vladimir Putin has warned that the West risks provoking a nuclear war if it sends troops to fight in Ukraine. Russia was dismayed by what Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on March 4 was a refusal by European Union ambassadors to meet him for a conversation ahead of Russia’s March 15-17 presidential election. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, remarking on the envoys’ refusal, told Russian state television anchor Vladimir Solovyov: “The question indeed arises among everyone: what are they doing and why, how do they interpret their conduct on the territory of our country if they do not perform their most important function?” Solovyov noted that EU ambassadors attended the March 1 funeral …

China’s embassy condemns Philippine envoy’s remarks on South China Sea

China’s embassy condemns Philippine envoy’s remarks on South China Sea

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BEIJING: China’s embassy in the Philippines said on Sunday (Mar 3) that it “strongly” condemns the Philippine ambassador to Washington’s recent China-related remarks, saying they “disregarded basic facts”. The remarks “wantonly hyped up the South China Sea issue and made speculations and malicious smears against China”, the embassy said in a statement. Jose Manuel Romualdez said on Wednesday that while the United States sees both the South China Sea issue and a potential Taiwan conflict as “serious concerns”, he believed the “real flashpoint is the West Philippine Sea” given “all of these skirmishes happening there”. The Chinese embassy said: “Inviting wolves into the house and engaging in small circles will not only not help resolve the differences in the South China Sea, but on the contrary will complicate the regional situation, and undermine regional peace and stability.” It urged Romualdez to stop spreading the “China threat theory” and “paranoia of persecution”, and to refrain from “acting as a spokesperson for other countries”. The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. …

Hamas, Qatari and US envoys convene in Cairo for Gaza ceasefire talks

Hamas, Qatari and US envoys convene in Cairo for Gaza ceasefire talks

Published by Sam

Gaza’s health ministry collects data from the enclave’s hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent. The health ministry does not report how Palestinians were killed, whether from Israeli airstrikes and artillery barrages or errant Palestinian rocket fire. It describes all casualties as victims of “Israeli aggression”. The ministry also does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.  Throughout four wars and numerous skirmishes between Israel and Hamas, UN agencies have cited the Hamas-run health ministry’s death tolls in regular reports. The International Committee of the Red Cross and Palestinian Red Crescent also use the numbers. In the aftermath of war, the UN humanitarian office has published final death tolls based on its own research into medical records. The UN’s counts have largely been consistent with the Gaza health ministry’s, with small discrepancies.  For more on the Gaza health ministry’s tolls, click here. (FRANCE 24 with AP)  Source link

Russian envoys feel the heat over Navalny’s death – POLITICO

Russian envoys feel the heat over Navalny’s death – POLITICO

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“The EU must take action against the political oppression in Russia,” Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström said. “This is particularly important given the fact that on February 16, Alexei Navalny died in Russian captivity.” The U.K. Foreign Office summoned the country’s Russian ambassador on Friday to “express our outrage at Mr. Navalny’s death,” Leo Docherty, Britain’s Europe minister, told the House of Commons on Monday. “We made clear that we hold the Russian authorities fully responsible,” Docherty said. Britain will “explore all options” to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin to account, he added. “No one should doubt the dreadful nature of the Russian system. Years of mistreatment at the hands of the state had a serious effect on Mr. Navalny’s health,” Docherty said. “His death must be investigated fully and transparently. The Russian authorities must urgently confirm the location of Mr. Navalny’s body to his family, and allow them access to it.” The Finnish foreign ministry on Monday summoned the Russian ambassador “to emphasize that Russia is responsible and to demand a full and transparent …

Nagorno-Karabakh: envoys from Azerbaijan, Armenia to meet in Brussels as thousands flee | Nagorno-Karabakh

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Envoys from Baku and Yerevan were set to meet in Brussels for talks on Tuesday as thousands of refugees fled Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan’s lightning takeover of the majority ethnic Armenian enclave. Last week, an offensive by Baku’s forces established Azerbaijani control over the breakaway region, forcing ethnic Armenian fighters to disarm. Tuesday’s meeting in Brussels will be the first such encounter since the offensive but the leaders of both countries are scheduled to meet next month. Simon Mordue, chief diplomatic adviser to European Council president Charles Michel, will chair the talks, Michel’s spokesperson said. Azerbaijan and Armenia, along with EU heavyweights France and Germany, will be represented by their national security advisers. Several days after the fighting, the first refugees arrived in Armenia on Sunday and 6,650 people have so far entered, Yerevan said on Monday. Many have fled to Goris, a resort town near the border with Armenia that is now at the centre of an exodus of refugees that could swell up to 120,000 people. “I built my home for 30 years and …