Pakistan Signs Preliminary Free Trade Agreement with GCC
The South Asian nation has been facing a severe economic crisis, and has been left at the mercy of strict IMF measures
Pakistan and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have concluded their talks on a free trade agreement between Islamabad and the Arab states, resulting in the signing of a preliminary deal on 28 September.
The final round of these talks was held from 26 to 28 September at the GCC headquarters in Riyadh, according to a statement from the Pakistani Ministry of Commerce.
On 28 September, the GCC said via social media that the “initials” of the free trade agreement had been signed by GCC Secretary-General Mohammed al-Budaiwi and Pakistani Trade Minister Jawhar Ijaz.
The agreement “comes in recognition of the importance of strengthening trade relations and economic cooperation with countries and international blocs,” the GCC statement added.
Pakistan “looks forward to … the rapid implementation of the agreement, which will represent a new chapter in the economic relations between the two parties,” Islamabad’s Ministry of Commerce said.
...The South Asian country has also stepped up energy cooperation with Russia in search of economic alternatives.
On 27 September, Pakistan received its first shipment of liquefied petroleum gas from Russia, which it said was purchased in Chinese currency.
Related Reading: Related Reading: 6/16/23 —BRICS: 10 Asian Countries Agree to Ditch The U.S. Dollar
"In conclusion, apart from BRICS countries, now ASEAN nations will move away from the U.S. dollar. It is reported that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is also planning to move in the same direction."
7/26/23 — The End of the Petrodollar, the Rise of BRICS is Here
At the China-GCC conference in December, as reported by VOA:
" 'China will continue to import large quantities of crude oil from GCC countries on an ongoing basis,' he said, also vowing to expand other areas of energy cooperation including liquefied natural gas imports.
Xi said China would make full use of a Shanghai-based platform 'to carry out RMB [yuan] settlement of oil and gas trade’-- a move that, if Gulf countries participate, could weaken the global dominance of the U.S. dollar."
Regarding Saudi Arabia, the Gulf kingdoms would be “repeatedly stressing” their desire to remain neutral despite the US’s pressure to get involved in the middle of the geopolitical showdown between US/NATO and the BRICS axis.
VOA would report: "Saudi officials have repeatedly stressed that they value deep ties with Washington but will not hesitate to explore relationships elsewhere.
'We are very much focused on cooperation with all parties and I think competition is a good thing,' Prince Faisal said Friday, adding that Riyadh will also continue to have strong relations with the U.S. 'across the board.'
'We will continue to work with all of our partners, and we don't see it as a zero-sum game by any means,' he added.
'We don't believe in polarity.'
“We don’t believe in polarity”…. well that’s neat Prince Faisal.. but as we know, the problem is the US does.
🔗Source: The Cradle
Substack | Twitter | Minds
📡 Follow:
@G3News
Police in Winona Minnesota are stunned after every single one of their Flock cameras were suddenly removed in a single night.
According to the police department, all 8 of the town's cameras were cut down and hauled away.
Police are asking for the public's help to identify the individual, but the public has been responding with comments such as:
"The Flock cameras tore themselves down"
"Whoever did it, was fishing with me"
"Whoever it was, was at Bible study with me"
Follow @zeeemedia
Website | X | Instagram | Rumble
Nearly 20,000 people are publicly vouching for a man accused of cutting down Flock cameras in a small West Virginia town.
People commented:
"He was saving my neighbor's dog from a fire all day, couldn't be him."
"This man is innocent. I saw him serving at a soup kitchen."
-"Couldn't be him. He was helping me replace the roof on a homeless shelter."
The man, Wesley Jackson, has pleaded Not Guilty.
Follow @zeeemedia
Website | X | Instagram | Rumble
US diesel crack surpasses $100 a barrel for the first time on supply disruptions
... and the supply of refined fuels is already nearly exhausted. A hard landing is visible ahead, for farmers, for trucking, and ... well, for everything that requires food (people) and energy (the entire economy).
These are very likely the final days of relative normalcy during which to prepare. Get ready.
🌾 🌍 🚜 JPMorgan warns a massive global food supply crisis could begin next year as fertilizer shortages tighten agricultural supply.
JPMorgan is the latest institutional research desk to warn that the next global food crisis may already be taking shape, driven by what its analysts describe as the "Five Ws": War, Weather, Warehousing, Water, and Waste.
In a new report titled Food Security Is National Security: A Compounding Storm, a team led by London-based senior global economist Nora Szentivanyi warned that disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz and the emergence of a potentially historic El Niño could weaken crop yields, constrain agricultural production, and keep food inflation elevated through the first half of 2027.
"Successive shocks since COVID have compounded, eroding food production capacity and keeping food price pressures elevated into 2027," Szentivanyi said, warning that "this is not a short-lived shock; it has reduced the likelihood of near-term disinflation, and the food ...