Zakharova's fears of Kurdish autonomy in Syria
October 26, 2020, 8:14 am

Zakharova's fears of Kurdish autonomy in Syria

zara saleh

In the recent Russian troops' attempt to expand their presence across the Kurdish region in north-eastern Syria, the local population strongly rejected any presence of Russia's military bases in the area.

When a Russian army patrol tried to enter the village of Ain Diwar, Derik, Rojava (northeast Syria), they were stopped by the villagers and a Kurdish woman angrily pointed the Russian commander and said "what do you want from the Kurds? We don't want you here". This scene has been repeated in several villages and areas that been Russia’s targets to create new bases or military points in the Kurdish self-Administration region and wasn’t the first time Russian troops have faced protests by local Kurds as a message of lack of trust.

Maria Zakharova, the Russia Foreign Ministry Spokesman again has stressed her concern about the situation in north-eastern Syria, on Thursday 22 October, and she said "Obviously, there is an American attempts to divide the Kurds from the Syrian State through feeding the Kurdish separatists tendencies". Arguably, Zakharova considered the US position as a threat to Syria's unity and sovereignty due to the supporting the creation of a "Kurdish state or autonomy" in northeast Syria that led by the Syrian Democratic Forces. Moreover, the Russian diplomats including Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Minister has repeatedly drawn attention to this issue by accusing the United States of supporting the Kurdish autonomy in north-east Syria.

In contrast to that and as a result of the Russia-Turkey agreement in October 2019 which should end the Turkish attacks on Kurdish areas, Moscow has allowed Ankara to occupy the Kurdish border towns of Ras Al-Ayn and Tel Abyad, following a partial American troop withdrawal from few military bases in border areas between Turkey and Syria. Added to that, in Kurdish region of Afrin, Russia has sold it to Turkey as deal for exchange to Eastern Ghouta and left again the Kurds at the mercy of Turkish army and its allies of the Syrian opposition militias and jihadists.

Consequently, the Russian positions and its steps towards the Kurds has aroused a doubt about "Moscow's mission" and the way how to protect the "Syria’s unity and respect for its territorial integrity and sovereignty" as Zakharova has mentioned in her last briefing speech while she was blaming and accusing US of dividing Syrian territories by supporting the Kurdish "separatists". However, Moscow's fail to play the role of guarantor actor between the Kurds and Assad's regime and to bring both sides to the table, has increased the Russia concern and fears about the US influence in northeast Syria.

Simultaneously with that, the US is driving an initiative for Syrian Kurdish unity negotiation with general Mazloum Abdi, the leader of Syrian Democratic Forces. Besides that, the American officials two months ago has declared the US oil company has reached a deal with the Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria to develop and export a crude oil in the areas under the Kurdish control. In this case, the US has left about 500 troops in northeast Syria to protect the oil fields in the area and preventing ISIS to re-emerge again according to American officials. That is why the tensions between Russia and the United States has significantly increased in last months and before the American Presidential election results that might have an important impact on Russian-American relationship including upcoming Syria's fate as well.

Zara Saleh

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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.