Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, May 22

Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 06:08:52|Editor: huaxia
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TEL AVIV -- U.S. President Donald Trump landed in Tel Aviv on Monday, kicking off the second leg of his Middle East visit in Israel and the West Bank.

The presidential Air Force One plane touched the ground at the Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv just after noon, where Trump was accepted in an official ceremony with fanfares and an Israel Defense Forces soldiers' honorary guard. (Israel-Trump-Visit)

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TEHRAN -- Iran's re-elected President Hassan Rouhani said Monday that the recent meeting of the regional Muslim states in Saudi Arabia was a "show, without any political significance."

"The problem of terrorism will not be solved by holding meetings and granting the wealth of a nation to a superpower," he said referring to the recent U.S. arms deal with the Saudis. (Iran-Rouhani-Saudi)

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TEHRAN -- Iran's recently re-elected President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that the Syrian issue should be solved through dialogue and peaceful means.

Rouhani hailed the trilateral efforts by Russia, Turkey and Iran to establish "cease-fire" in Syria and stressed that militarization would not settle the problems of the Arab state. (Iran-Syria)

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ISTANBUL -- Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Monday that "significant progress" has been achieved with Russia in almost every subject in lifting bans imposed by Russia over Turkey's downing of a Russian fighter jet in 2015.

"First step was taken by allowing the seasonal import," Yildirim told reporters in Istanbul prior to his departure for Georgia. "The necessary steps could be taken by taking into account the seasonal demands and needs." (Turkey-Russia-Sanctions) Enditem

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