Puppet Masters

FM Zarif: Tehran welcomes Russia's concept for Persian Gulf security

Sputnik
Mon, 02 Sep 2019 15:47 UTC

Iran welcomes Russia's initiative on Persian Gulf security and is ready to sign a non-aggression pact with its neighbours, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday after talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.

"As for the Persian Gulf security, our stand is really close to the Russian stand. I believe security can be ensured through cooperation and synergy, not resilience ... We have heard [taken note of] Russia's initiative for regional security. We welcome the initiative ... We are also ready to sign a relevant agreement, a non-aggression pact with our neighbours in the Persian Gulf. So, we welcome Russia's concept ... and encourage our Russian friends to move further on the matter."

In response, the Russian diplomat stressed that both Moscow and Tehran are interested in seeing Persian Gulf countries agree on mutually acceptable ways to stabilise the situation in the region. Describing Iranian and Russian initiatives on the matter, Lavrov said:

"Both we and the Islamic Republic of Iran are interested in seeing all the sides, all the countries, all the coastal nations of the Persian Gulf and their international partners, agree on mutually acceptable ways to ensure security in this region, which is the world's top-important region."

The Russian Foreign Ministry unveiled in late July, amid US-Iranian tensions in the region, the Collective Security Concept for the Persian Gulf Region, proposing a "renouncement of permanent deployment of troops of extra-regional states" in the Gulf. The concept promotes multilateralism as the core of the new security system in the region.

Comment: From RT: 2/9/2019: UK mulls drone deployment to Gulf

Britain is considering sending unmanned aircraft to the Persian Gulf, according to reports. The drones would aid military patrols in the region purportedly aimed at protecting British vessels from Iranian naval forces.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) has a number of Reaper drones stationed in Kuwait, which are currently participating in missions over Iraq and Syria. These aircraft could soon be re-assigned to provide surveillance as tankers are escorted by the British Navy through the Strait of Hormuz, Sky News reported.

A senior British naval officer told the outlet that Britain believes Tehran poses a threat to merchant vessels. "The direct threat to those British merchant vessels still stands. We've seen nothing to suggest that Iran is going to abide by its international obligations," Commodore Dean Bassett said.

Putin to sign landmark permanent treaty of partnership with Mongolia

RFE/RL
Mon, 02 Sep 2019 06:16 UTC

Russian President Vladimir Putin will sign a permanent treaty on friendship and extensive strategic partnership with Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga on September 3 during a two-day visit to the east Asian country, according to an interview published on the Kremlin's website. The document builds on the existing 1993 Treaty of Friendly Relations and Cooperation and will have no expiration date.

It will "take our bilateral ties to a fundamentally new level," Putin told Mongolian newspaper Odriyn Sonin in an interview that was translated into Russian.

Putin leaves late on September 2 to Mongolia's capital of Ulan Bator where he'll first take part in commemorating the 80th anniversary of the two countries' combined victory over Japanese forces on August 20-September 16, 1939, along the Khalkhin Gol River. That victory "was one of the reasons why Japan didn't attack the Soviet Union in 1941 and it delayed its entry into World War II," Putin said.

Infrastructure projects will be high on the agenda, including for the state-run Russian Railways company to upgrade the Ulan Bator Railway. Putin said:

"This is an important transportation artery for Mongolia. Today, Russian-Mongolian cooperation is comprehensive and multilateral, and covers the political, trade, economic, investment, financial, agricultural, scientific, educational, cultural, and sports areas."

China's state news agency blasts Western attempts to 'kidnap Hong Kong' warning the end of Beijing's patience

Mitsuru Obe
Nikkei Asian Review
Mon, 02 Sep 2019 02:11 UTC

China issued a stern warning to Hong Kong protesters as well as the West on Sunday, reiterating that it will not tolerate any attempt to undermine Chinese sovereignty over the city.

"The end is coming for those attempting to disrupt Hong Kong and antagonize China," stated a commentary piece published by the state's Xinhua News Agency.

The strongly worded message was directed at "the rioters and their behind-the-scene supporters" -- which can be taken as an accusation of Western meddling. It said that "their attempt to 'kidnap Hong Kong' and press the central authorities is just a delusion," adding, "No concession should be expected concerning such principle issues."

The warning came as thousands of people blocked roads and public transport links to Hong Kong's airport. The demonstrations, which started in response to a proposed bill that would have allowed extradition to the mainland, have morphed into a broader rejection of Beijing's growing control over the semiautonomous city.

Comment: More details from the news release: Chinese state media warns 'end is coming for those attempting to disrupt Hong Kong'

See also:

Bank of China has approved over $140 billion of credit to fund 600 major projects under Belt and Road Initiative

RT
Mon, 02 Sep 2019 15:04 UTC

The Bank of China (BOC) has said that, by the end of June this year, it had approved more than $140 billion of credit and funded over 600 major projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Over the past few years, it has continuously invested in economies along the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (jointly known as the BRI), according to the bank.

It has established overseas institutions in 24 countries and regions associated with the initiative. Since 2015, the BOC, which is the fourth-largest commercial lender by assets in China, has issued BRI themed bonds five times in seven currencies, with a total value of $14.6 billion.

The interest of international investors, particularly European, in BRI-themed bonds has grown significantly in the past few years, according to the lender.

Comment:

Lavrov blasts France's ongoing discrimination against Russian media

Paul Antonopoulos
Fort Russ News
Mon, 02 Sep 2019 17:10 UTC

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he discussed with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian the harassment of Sputnik and RT in Paris and stressed the inadmissibility of discriminating against Russian media.

"The situation is not very optimistic, the correspondents of RT France and Sputnik still have no accreditation before the Elysee Palace [headquarters of the French Presidency], if that does not changed in the next couple of days," he said when speaking before the students of the Moscow International Relations Institute (MGIMO).

The foreign minister said that he had raised this issue during the visit of the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, to France, noting that such treatment of journalists contradicts "all the norms of civilized conduct and the agreements approved on numerous occasions within the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe "(OSCE).

Comment: There has been a dedicated effort in several Western countries to shut down Russian media outlets. What is the West, that bastion of liberty and free speech, afraid of? Oh yeah, factual un-spun news that help an average person make sense of the world. Can't have that now, can we? France is particularly discomfited with RT's excellent coverage of the Yellow Vest protests, something the BBC, a mere 200 miles off, refuses to mention.

West's "humanitarian" propaganda claims less and less believable as Syrian war nears endgame

Tony Cartalucci
New Eastern Outlook
Sun, 01 Sep 2019 16:50 UTC

Headlines emanating from the West regarding Syria's ongoing war have a common theme - allegations of Syria and Russia's "ruthless barrage" of the northern region of Idlib.

So often - however - has the US and its allies falsely invoked "humanitarian concern" that these headlines fall on informed and discerning ears who not only reject it, but have cemented in their minds a familiarity with this ploy that will make it all but impossible to use it again on whatever battlefield the US shifts its foreign policy to next.

Like a Broken Record

CBS in its article, "Syrians trapped by Assad's ruthless Russian-backed barrage in Idlib beg for help," peddles an all-too-familiar narrative of helpless, innocent civilians in desperate need of "help." That "help," of course always comes in the form of US intervention and the eventual, total destruction of the nation as was the case for Libya in 2011.

Georgian government steps down - PM Mamuka Bakhtadze announces resignation

RT
Mon, 02 Sep 2019 16:27 UTC

Mamuka Bakhtadze has resigned as Georgian prime minister, meaning that the former Soviet republic will have to appoint a new head of government and cabinet ministers amid a lingering political crisis.

Bakhtadze, who was appointed prime minister last June, announced his resignation on social media, saying that the purpose of his nomination was to boost the "strategic development" of his country.

"I have therefore decided to resign because I believe that I have fulfilled my mission at this stage," he explained.

Comment: The US is carrying on its soft-power efforts to detach countries that were former members of the Soviet Union in order to encircle Russia. By using NGOs like the National Endowment for Democracy, the US is trying to make things appear to be the 'wish of the people'.

China lodges another tariff suit against the US at the WTO

Aly Song
CNBC
Mon, 02 Sep 2019 16:17 UTC

China has lodged a case against the United States with the World Trade Organization over U.S. import duties, the Chinese commerce ministry said on Monday.

The United States began imposing 15% tariffs on a variety of Chinese goods on Sunday — including footwear, smart watches and flat-panel televisions — as China began imposing new duties on U.S. crude, the latest escalation in a bruising trade war.

The latest tariffs actions violated the consensus reached by leaders of China and the U.S. in a meeting in Osaka, the commerce ministry said in the statement. China will firmly defend its legal rights in accordance with WTO rules, it said.

Comment: This is only the latest in a number of actions taken by the Chinese government to defend themselves in the U.S.-initiated trade war. In a war of attrition, China is more likely to win out. The Empire grossly underestimates their patience.

Memory loss or lying snake? Democrats have a Joe Biden problem

Danielle Ryan
RT
Mon, 02 Sep 2019 13:25 UTC

Democrats have a Joe Biden problem. The former VP might still lead the polls, but with serious concerns raised about his memory and mental state, nominating him to face Donald Trump in 2020 is a risk the party can't afford.

Biden relayed a moving story of military heroism and his own role in honoring a US Navy captain to a rapt audience last week. The problem was, as the Washington Post reported, "almost every detail in the story appears to be incorrect." In fact, Biden combined elements of three different events into "one story of bravery, compassion and regret that never happened."

The generous interpretation here is that Biden did not intentionally lie, but genuinely mixed up the details due to failing memory. The cynical interpretation is that he embellished in order to play up his own role in the tale to win some campaign brownie points. Whatever the case may be, there's no good way to spin it.

Comment:

Chinese state media warns 'end is coming for those attempting to disrupt Hong Kong'

Echo Xie
South China Morning Post
Sun, 01 Sep 2019 11:33 UTC

© Xiaomei Chen
Police use tear gas to disperse anti-government protesters in Admiralty during another day of clashes on Saturday.

Communist Party mouthpiece Xinhua on Sunday condemned the increasingly violent anti-government protests in Hong Kong, warning that "the end is coming for those attempting to disrupt Hong Kong and antagonise China".

The news agency's commentary did not threaten specific action to end the protests, other than repeating unwavering support for the Hong Kong government and police actions to end them.

But the commentary - the latest in a series of strongly worded statements from Beijing - did lay out three bottom lines "that must not be crossed".

Comment: Pepe Escobar commented about the protests:

Look at the video in and around HK's airport. Imagine if Western "forces of order" - as the French love to brand them - would allow anything remotely similar to happen at JKF, Heathrow or Charles de Gaulle.

And by the way, NOT A PEEP by Western MSM on the 42nd straight week of Gilets Jaunes/Yellow Vests protests in France.

You can watch the videos here.

See also:

But we're going into a mini 'ice age'! HAARP has nothing to do with this...

tekdude

Ehret an idiot beyond belief

smertzasmert

.. .. are wheel barrel sales are up too?

Jibrish

I doubt any pureblood would object to the "vaccinated" being masked, but if they (the "vaccinated") still feel unsafe then maybe their problem is...

HashAttack2

I said this would happen...now they are looking to mandate companies with less that 100 employees...shits getting real, people[Link]

Bezel Bub

Puppet Masters

FM Zarif: Tehran welcomes Russia's concept for Persian Gulf security

Putin to sign landmark permanent treaty of partnership with Mongolia

China's state news agency blasts Western attempts to 'kidnap Hong Kong' warning the end of Beijing's patience

Bank of China has approved over $140 billion of credit to fund 600 major projects under Belt and Road Initiative

Lavrov blasts France's ongoing discrimination against Russian media

West's "humanitarian" propaganda claims less and less believable as Syrian war nears endgame

Georgian government steps down - PM Mamuka Bakhtadze announces resignation

China lodges another tariff suit against the US at the WTO

Memory loss or lying snake? Democrats have a Joe Biden problem

Chinese state media warns 'end is coming for those attempting to disrupt Hong Kong'

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