Volodymyr Zelenskey calls for more Russia sanctions, invokes Greek battle cry
April 7, 2022, 6:17 pm

Volodymyr Zelenskey calls for more Russia sanctions, invokes Greek battle cry

Ukraine's president urges Europe to take a stronger stand against Russia (File photo: Volodymyr Zelenskiy official Facebook page)

Reuters reported, Ukraine's president urged Europe to take a stronger stand against Russia in a video address to Greece's parliament on Thursday (Apr 7) that invoked the battle cry of 19th century Greek patriots in the Black Sea port of Odesa.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Mariupol, another port on Ukraine's coast where thousands of ethic Greeks live, had been "reduced to ashes" since Russia's invasion, and called for more humanitarian aid and efforts to evacuate those wounded.

"This is a matter of honour for Europeans to answer," he said through an interpreter, in a speech that won him a standing ovation in the Athens parliament.

The six-week-old war has forced more than 4 million people to flee Ukraine, destroyed cities and prompted a slew of Western restrictions on Russian elites and the economy.

I am grateful to Greece for the humanitarian and defense support already provided to Ukraine. I am grateful for the support of the general sanctions policy of the democratic world. But the war continues. The destruction of Mariupol continues. You have heard these heroes. The deportation of people from the territories where Russian troops came continues. I urge you to use the influence of your state and your opportunities, as a member of the European Union, to organize the rescue of Mariupol. I urge you to do more to make Russia seek peace and even give up its dreams of conquering Ukraine.
Posted by Володимир Зеленський on Thursday, April 7, 2022

Russia has denied targeting civilians and said Ukraine and its Western backers are gripped by discriminatory anti-Russian paranoia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his troops into Ukraine on what he calls a "special military operation" to demilitarise and "denazify" the country. Ukraine and the West say Putin launched an unprovoked war of aggression.

On Thursday, Zelenskiy said Moscow was deliberately trying to ensure that Europeans were left without affordable energy, to provoke inflation and to artificially create a food supply crisis.

Volodymyr Zelensky urges the world to protest against Russian invasion of Ukraine

Zelenskiy said: "No Russian bank has the right to earn money in the financial system."

He added: "They need to be blocked - all of them must be blocked, not only some of them - while this senseless, brutal war goes on - and no Russian ship should have the possibility of entering any port in the democratic world."

Ukraine tells its people to flee homes in the east before Russia attacks

"Freedom or Death," he said during the address, citing the battle cry of the Greek revolutionary society "Filiki Eteria", which was founded by merchants in Odesa in 1814 to free Greece from its Ottoman rulers.

He added, in a reference to Mariupol: "I call on you now openly to create such a union of friends which will be able to save Ukrainians and Greeks in the south of Ukraine."

President Zelensky: 'My heart breaks' after Mariupol theatre bombing

Its foreign minister said on Thursday (Apr 7), Greece will ask the International Criminal Court to investigate alleged war crimes in Mariupol.

Source: reuters

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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.