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Another New Interim Ceasefire in North-West Syria

Prior his last meeting with his Russian counterpart in Moscow, the Turkish president warned al-Assad’s troops that if they will not withdraw to their previous positions, then they would not have a “head left on their shoulders”.
However, in the wake of the summit that generated another fragile understanding between Russia and Turkey over north and north-west Syria, it is now clear that Erdogan’s threat was simply a humour.
After several hours of marathonic talks between the Russian president, Vladimir Putin and the Turkish president, Rajab Tayyip Erdogan, another ambiguous ‘accord’ was announced. Both countries have agreed about a ceasefire in north and north-west Syria aiming to halt the escalation of violence in Idlib province.
A preliminary understanding of this ‘agreement’ suggests that the Syrian regime has practically won the territories it has recently recaptured from the Syrian opposition factions backed by Turkey. This, in turn, implies that Russia was the candid winner in the last ‘accord’ with Turkey.
Thursday’s deal between Russia and Turkey has created a legitimate foothold for Russia and the Syrian regime in Idlib after several years of involuntary absence.
One of the deal items is the freezing of fighting in front lines and conducting joint patrols between Turkey and Russia. Consequently, from now onwards, Russia will be able to reach the east-west highway running through Idlib.
More importantly, Assad’s success to restore the control over the highway linking Damascus and Aleppo, known as M5. In return, the only point that Turkey's Erdogan can praise in the recent ‘agreement’ is to limit the influx of hundreds of thousands of new Syrian refugees to Turkey.
But the important question in this context is whether this precarious and vague understanding between Russia and Turkey can withstand in the light of various challenges surrounding it.
The primary response of this query is negative. The reason behind this conviction is the vast discrepancy between the nature and essence of Russia’s role, on the one hand, and the nature and essence of Turkey’s role, on the other hand in the Syrian dilemma.
In other words, the points of disagreement between Russia and Turkey in Syria are much more than the common points that are almost non-existent. Russia is in Syria to protect and maintain al-Assad’s regime, while Turkey is there in order to strengthen and empower the Syrian Islamic opposition and to undermine any Kurdish aspirations or endeavours to obtain rights.
Russia and Turkey are asking each other to do some things in north and north-west Syria, in which, both countries are more aware than others about the impossibility of achieving them. On the one hand, Russia is requesting from Turkey to separate the ‘moderate’ armed opposition from the terrorist groups in Idlib.
Moreover, Turkey should stay away from the armed Islamic rebels under the leadership of Jabhat Al-Nusra. But Russia is very cognizant that it is impossible for Turkey to accomplish this request because it is impracticable to asking a herdsman to abandon his herd.
On the other hand, Turkey wants from Russia to stop supporting the Syrian regime’s forces in the battles taking place in north and north-west Syria, at the time that Turkey realises with certainty that the Syrian regime cannot advance on the ground one centimetre without Russian help.
So, it is impossible to convince Russia to stop assisting the Syrian regime to retrieve more lands from the armed extremist factions backed by Turkey.
To sum up, the last summit between the Russian Tzar and the Turkish Sultan was considered as a great victory for Putin and al-Assad’s regime at Erdogan’s expense. “The agreement is unexpectedly more favourable to Russia and Damascus...,” said former pro-Putin lawmaker, Sergei Markov. “Russia is winning on the battlefield and that’s why it’s winning on the diplomatic front.” levant
Perhaps the recent ‘agreement’ between Russia and Turkey over Idlib in north-western Syria will succeed to pause relatively and temporarily the clashes between belligerents on the basis of consolidating the status quo. But that would be a 'warrior's rest' for both sides until new confrontation rounds begin in the near future.
However, the general course of events and developments in Syria, especially, in north and north-west is in favour of Russia, not Turkey. levant
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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