Briefly

SOUTH KOREA

APEC adopts joint statement on trade

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's trade gathering adopted a joint statement on Friday that cited "fundamental challenges" facing the global trading system, after a meeting in South Korea. The annual meeting is the first major multilateral trade gathering since US President Donald Trump's announcement of sweeping tariffs. "We are concerned with the fundamental challenges faced by the global trading system," APEC members said in the joint statement. They also said they remained committed to APEC as the main forum for regional economic cooperation and to address the economic challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region.

TURKIYE

Iran, European powers hold nuke negotiations

Iran held talks with European powers on Friday about its nuclear negotiations with Washington. The meeting in Istanbul followed remarks by Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warning of "irreversible" consequences if Britain, France and Germany move to reimpose United Nations sanctions that were lifted under a landmark 2015 agreement. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who was in Istanbul, said in a post on X: "We exchanged views and discussed the latest status of the indirect nuclear negotiations and the lifting of sanctions."

Agencies Via Xinhua