Amid the ongoing tensions in West Asia, France and the United Kingdom are gearing up to jointly host a high-level video conference on Friday, aiming to bring together more than 40 nations to work on restoring the freedom of navigation in the conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz.
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the development on X, noting that the meeting will be held in Paris and will focus on building a multilateral and defensive framework to revive safe passage through one of the world’s most crucial energy corridors.
Macron said the conference would gather non-belligerent countries which are ready to contribute to a mission focused solely on reopening navigation in the strait once security conditions allow. He emphasised that the effort is designed to support a peaceful and coordinated global response.
Earlier this week, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer had stressed that more than 40 nations have already been brought together to shape a long-term plan for safeguarding shipping lanes after the ongoing conflict subsides. Meanwhile, President Macron revealed that he had spoken to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump regarding the escalating tensions.
Xi Jinping offers 4-point peace proposal
Abu Dhabi: China’s President Xi Jinping proposed a four-point roadmap for promoting lasting peace in the Middle East during a meeting on Tuesday with Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chinese official news agency Xinhua reported. The proposal comes days after US-Iran ceasefire talks derailed in Pakistan.
Xi's four-point proposal for West Asia war include upholding the principle of peaceful coexistence, adherence to the principle of national sovereignty, abiding by the principles of coordinating development and security, and the need to safeguard international rule-based order.
“Safeguard the authority of the international rule of law. It can’t be ‘use it when it suits us, discard it when it doesn’t’ and we cannot allow the world to revert to the law of the jungle,” Xi stated.
The remarks are widely being viewed as a tacit but sharp rebuke of the US-Israeli war on Iran. While China has repeatedly criticised the joint US-Israeli military campaign as illegal, Xi has made only a handful of public comments about the war.
Talks may resume in two days in Pak: Trump
Washington: US President Donald Trump, on Tuesday, struck an optimistic tone on the prospects for the resumption of direct US-Iranian talks, saying that they could restart in Pakistan within the next two days.
“You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we're more inclined to go there,” Trump said during a telephone interview with a New York Post reporter who is in Islamabad. “It's more likely, you know why? Because the Field Marshal is doing a great job,” he said.
Also read: Tehran calls US blockade a breach of sovereignty
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