Moscow has blasted Washington’s recent crackdown on its diplomatic facilities on US soil as “state hooliganism.” Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a BRICS summit in China, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, “I am inclined to call what is happening state hooliganism.”

Washington seized control over three Russian diplomatic posts in the US on Saturday amid strong protests by Moscow. The US move to shut down Russia’s consulate post in San Francisco along with two trade posts in Washington and New York came in retaliation for Moscow’s last month decision to significantly reduce American diplomatic staff in Russia.

Russia slammed Washington’s crackdown on its diplomatic missions as a violation of international law. The Russian Foreign Ministry also summoned a US diplomat in Moscow to protest Washington’s measures. On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would respond harshly to any US measure designed to hurt his country.

The diplomatic standoff between the two sides first broke out last December, when the outgoing Washington administration expelled 35 Russian diplomats in retaliation for yet unsubstantiated Russian interference in the US electoral process.

Moscow did not respond in kind back then, reportedly for having received signals that the incoming administration of President Donald Trump would be more favorable towards Russia.

While Trump himself has been perceived as open toward warmer relations with Russia, the US Congress slapped more bans on Russia over the alleged election interference, prompting Moscow to order a significant cut in the number of US diplomatic staff last month.

Source: Presstv

US Senator John McCain has denounced President Donald Trump’s lack of experience, saying members of Congress will cooperate with the president whenever possible but they are “not his subordinates.”

“We must respect his authority and constitutional responsibilities,” the Arizona Republican said during an international economic and policy conference in Lake Como, Italy.

“We must, where we can, cooperate with him. But we are not his subordinates. We don’t answer to him. We answer to the American people,” he stressed.

McCain, a fierce critic of President Trump, emphasized the importance of Congress as a check on presidential power, adding, “We should value our identity as members of Congress more than our partisan affiliation.”

McCain, who is the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, further said that Trump’s rhetoric and lack of experience have thrown the country’s relationships with foreign allies into doubt.

“I realize that I come to Italy at a time when many are questioning whether America is still committed to remaining engaged in the world, to upholding our traditional alliances, and standing up for the values we share,” McCain said.

“I also realize — and there is no point in avoiding a little straight talk here — that this doubt has much to do with some of the actions and statements of our president.”

McCain said there is a “real debate” in the United States about the role it must play internationally and that the future of the world “will turn, to a large extent, on how this debate in America is resolved.”

The remarks echoed a speech McCain made back in May in Australia, where he warned that Trump had “unsettled America’s friends.”

Trump has worried many traditional US allies by his controversial statements on foreign policy matters and US alliances with other countries. The president has also isolated the United States by pulling the country from the Paris Climate Accord.

Source: Presstv

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says cooperation between Iran and South Africa can play a leading role in promoting peace and stability across the world.

“Iran and South Africa can make valuable efforts for [improving] international peace and stability and [serving] the interests of developing countries through joint cooperation in international circles,” Rouhani said in a meeting with South Africa’s Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete in Tehran on Saturday.

He added that the two countries share a stance on many regional and international issues and have “good and effective” cooperation in international organizations.

The Iranian chief executive praised growing relations between Tehran and Pretoria, saying, “The Islamic Republic of Iran’s will is to strengthen all-out relations with African countries, particularly South Africa.”

Rouhani also threw his country’s weight behind bolstering cooperation with South Africa in various economic fields, including mine, energy, tourism and banking sectors, expressing Tehran’s readiness to export technical and engineering services to Pretoria.

Need for enhanced international cooperation

For her part, the speaker of South Africa’s National Assembly said her country shares views with Iran on many international issues and stressed the importance of developing cooperation with the purpose of promoting global peace and friendship.

Mbete said Pretoria is determined to strengthen cooperation with Tehran in all areas.

Iran-South Africa cooperation on anti-terror fight

Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said the Islamic Republic and South Africa are cooperating with each other in the fight against terrorism.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Mbete, Larijani added that the two countries could boost cooperation in the fields of oil, gas, petrochemistry, transportation and investment.

The top Iranian parliamentarian expressed hope that Mbete’s visit to Tehran would pave the way for boosting mutual ties, particularly in trade.

Iran’s membership to BRICS

The speaker of the South African parliament said her country is willing to make all efforts to help Iran join BRICS, the association of five major emerging national economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Mbete praised Iran’s achievements in the field of education, adding that Tehran can play an influential role in a forum like BRICS.

Culled from Presstv

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has urged China to be more active diplomatically to resolve the ongoing crisis on the Korean Peninsula. Le Drian said on Friday that he and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had held a telephone conversation to review the Korean Peninsula situation a day earlier.

During their talk, Le Drian and Wang agreed that another round of United Nations sanctions needed to be implemented. Le Drian said he called on Wang to advise Beijing, which is Pyongyang’s main trade partner, to do its utmost to enforce the sanctions.

The French foreign minister said, “We must anticipate, there is a United Nations resolution that France voted for, to put in place sanctions on North Korea.” He warned that North Korea would, in a few months, have the capability to send long-range ballistic missiles anywhere across the globe. “In a few months that will be a reality,” he warned.

Le Drian said France supported intensifying efforts by the international community to push forward the denuclearization process on the Korean Peninsula. He said Pyongyang needed to resolve its issues through negotiations. “North Korea must find the path to negotiations.”

Wang, for his part, said his country “always strictly carries out related United Nations Security Council resolutions.” Beijing is “playing a positive role in seeking a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula,” he said. Wang added that other parties involved needed to jointly work to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea has repeatedly asked the United States and South Korea to stop military drills in the region. Pyongyang sees the annual drills as a prelude for future invasion. North Korea says it needs its missiles and nuclear weapons as a deterrent against the US and its regional allies’ hostility, aggression and expansionist policy in the region.

Culled from Presstv