In cooperation between Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia and the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Türkiye, the “Renewable Solar Energy Training” was organized for experts studying in the field of renewable solar energy in African countries.

The first stage of the training, planned to be a 2-stage training, was held in Ankara and Konya. A total of 12 engineers and academicians working in the solar energy sector in Senegal, Tanzania, Mozambique and Namibia attended the training.

Within the scope of the training, participants had the opportunity to observe the sector’s experience in Türkiye through field visits and acquire theoretical information on the solar energy sector.

Instructors assigned by the Directorate General for Vocational and Technical Education of the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Türkiye, together with instructors from the Ministry of Energy of Indonesia, provided theoretical and practical lessons to participants in solar energy workshops of the Cezeri Green Technology Anatolian Technical and Vocational High School.

The group visited the Kalyon Solar Technologies Factory, which gives the opportunity to observe all stages of the conversion process from polysilicon to solar panels in a single facility, and had the opportunity to examine their theoretical knowledge on-site. Also visiting the Kalyon Solar Power Plant in Karapınar, Konya, participants received detailed information about the largest solar power plant in Europe.

At the end of the training, a certificate ceremony was held with the participation of TİKA’s Vice President, Dr. Rahman Nurdun; the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations and Partnerships at TİKA, Uğur Tanyeli; the Undersecretary of Political Affairs of the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara, Dhanny Perkasa; the Branch Manager of the Directorate General for Vocational and Technical Education of the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Türkiye, Kadriye Kılıç and the Principal of the Cezeri Green Technology Anatolian Technical and Vocational High School, Mustafa Aydın.

Upon receiving their certificates, participants expressed their gratitude for the training program.

The second stage of the training program will be held in October 2024 in Indonesia, in cooperation with TİKA and Indonesian authorities.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).

Negotiations between the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) (https://ICD-ps.org) and Golden Global Investment Bank have successfully concluded with the signing of a letter of intent, for the proposed extension of a USD 20 million line of finance facility, during the IsDB Group’s 2024 Private Sector Forum. The line will be utilized by Golden Global Investment Bank for onward financing of eligible private sector projects in Türkiye. A definitive agreement will be finalized following thorough due diligence and the acquisition of all requisite internal approvals from ICD.

The signing ceremony held in Riyadh was attended by Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, Acting CEO of ICD, and Metin Akdoğan, Deputy CEO of Golden Global Investment Bank. Commenting on the agreement, Mr. Akdoğan said, “The letter of intent we have signed with the subsidiary of a renowned institution like ICD, a member of the Islamic Development Bank Group which is considered an authority in Islamic Banking, is a testament to our bank’s reliability and reputation in the industry. In addition, this cooperation clearly demonstrates our commitment to the private sector in Türkiye and our desire to contribute to the development of the country. With the support of Golden Global Investment Bank and ICD, private sector enterprises will be poised to increase investments, create new jobs, and strengthen the Turkish economy further.”

In addition to bolstering the Turkish economy, Golden Global Investment Bank aims to forge relationships with new institutional investors and expand its investor base in international markets. The bank has recently completed its first international Sukuk issuance, raising EUR 30 million within the scope of the “Sukuk Issuance Program” amounting to a total of 200 million USD. Golden Global Investment Bank’s credit rating has been upgraded from BBB- (tr) to A- (tr) by JCR Eurasia Rating, an international credit rating firm with Turkish capital, placing the Bank in the high investment level category.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD).

About Golden Global Investment Bank:
Golden Global Investment Bank stands out as Türkiye’s first investment bank dedicated to interest-free banking principles. Officially commenced its operations in June 2020, Golden Global Investment Bank takes a boutique banking approach, prioritizing personalized service and innovative financial solutions. The Bank offers investment banking, transactional banking (cash management and international trade finance) and treasury products and services to corporate and commercial banking customers while adopting interest-free financing. Golden Global Investment Bank reported robust financial growth in 2023. By year-end, total assets had significantly increased by 382.43% to TL 12.4 billion. Equity also demonstrated strong growth, rising 263.47% to TL 1.3 billion. As of January 1, 2024; JCR Eurasia Rating has affirmed Golden Global Investment Bank’s creditworthiness by upgrading the Long-Term National Issuer Credit Rating from BBB- (tr) to A- (tr) within the high investment level category.

About the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD):
ICD is a multilateral organization and a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group. ICD’s mandate is to support economic development and promote the growth of the private sector in its member countries through providing financing facilities and/or investments in accordance with Shariah principles. Additionally, ICD offers advisory services to governments and private organizations to encourage the establishment, expansion, and modernization of private enterprises.  ICD is rated ‘A2’ by Moody’s, ‘A+’ by Fitch, and ‘A-’ by S&P.

Springbok Women head coach Louis Koen applauded his troops for their structured approach in their final match of the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup on Sunday, with the victory over Madagascar not only confirming Rugby World Cup 2025 qualification, but also sealed WXV 2 entry.

The South Africans beat Madagascar by 46-17 (https://apo-opa.co/4dFhkUU) to defend their title as African champions and kept their undefeated record at Stade Makis in Antananarivo, which now stands at six consecutive Tests.

“I am very proud of their effort today, but also in the first two matches of the tournament,” said Koen.

“It is tough playing three matches in 10 days and credit to the players who came out today and executed well. We really played well in the first half to lay the foundation for the win.

“We did concede tries that we will not normally do, but credit to Madagascar, who never stopped trying and pushing hard with the huge crowd behind them. We can certainly learn from these spectators how to support women’s rugby; they were really good today.”

Koen said their opponents’ unconventional approach could easily have worked, but the Bok Women stuck to their patterns and plays and did not allow the home side into the game at all.

“They really play a different style of rugby, but we shut them out in that first half and laid a proper foundation for the win,” said Koen, who took charge of the team just over a year ago and believes the future of the Springbok Women is bright.

“We have a big number of regulars not here at this tournament and it is credit to those less experienced players who stepped up here in Madagascar and made sure we are going to England next year.

“Qualifying for the Rugby World Cup is a massive boost to all involved and I can only thank the stakeholders, players and management who walked this journey together. The game can only grow and improve from here.”

South Africa’s captain, Nolusindiso Booi, agreed with Koen: “We play to inspire the next girl or woman to pick up a rugby ball and I think this win and qualifying for the Rugby World Cup will mean so much to those who want to see the game grow.

“We are on the big stage and belong there, so the next steps are important. We laid the foundation for the next phase and it is so exciting to be part of it. Credit to the players, but so much praise must go to the coaches who prepared us so well for this.”

The Bok Women will arrive in South Africa on Monday and the players will return to their provinces for the Women’s Premier Division.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of South African Rugby.

Note to editors:
Audio notes of Louis Koen and Nolusindiso Booi can be downloaded here (https://apo-opa.co/3ya2JAE).

On the sidelines of the 2024 Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development, the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to further advance their collaboration.

The agreement builds on the existing cooperation between both organizations and underlines their joint commitment to deepen the understanding of drivers of fragility and insecurity, and to promote actions that prevent conflicts and build resilience in Africa.

Speaking on the partnership, Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, African Development Bank Vice President, Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery noted: “Our MoU with SIPRI reflects the Bank’s continued strong commitment to enhance its operational effectiveness in fragile settings. We aim to build resilience at scale on the continent and advance the prevention agenda through innovative partnerships across the humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) nexus. This is in line with the Bank’s new Ten-Year Strategy as well as the Strategy for Addressing Fragility and Building Resilience in Africa.”

This innovative partnership between the Bank and the globally recognized research institute will pursue the following objectives:

Knowledge and capacity building – Deepen knowledge and understanding of the drivers of fragility, conflict and resilience; channel such knowledge, including of best practices and innovations, into policy dialogues and capacity enhancement for the Bank, African member countries and other humanitarian, development, and peace actors.
Operational effectiveness- Enhance the Bank’s programming and project design in fragile contexts and conflict-affected states by strengthening the evidence base of the Bank’s interventions— this includes the Bank’s projects and programs on climate-related peace and security risks.
Partnerships and resource mobilization- Expand and deepen existing partnerships in line with the strategic objectives of the Bank and SIPRI; mobilize resources through collaboration, including at important international forums. The joint knowledge products and related findings can also support resource mobilization for AfDB’s programming.

Accordingly, the partnership framework over the next 5 years will cover research, data, analysis and capacity development; policy and development effectiveness; and partnerships and resource mobilization.

Dan Smith, Director of SIPRI said: “With this new MoU, we will be leveraging our respective expertise and resources to contribute to system-wide approaches to tackle the interconnected issues of fragility, conflict, and climate change.” He continued: “By deepening the understanding of the drivers of conflict and insecurity, and the opportunities for sustainable peace, the partnership aims to enhance the policies, programs and interventions of the Bank and its partners, which will benefit some of the most vulnerable communities across the continent”.

Yero Baldeh, Director, Transition States Coordination Office at the African Development Bank stated: “With regards to the specific outcomes and results expected throughout the MoU duration, these will be captured in an evolving Partnership Workplan guiding the envisioned implementation. The partnership will strengthen the knowledge base, build capacities, inform policy dialogues and mobilize resources.”

The ceremony was prepared by the designated partnership focal points from both organizations, including  Sepideh Soltaninia, Head of the Director’s Office&Partnerships Manager at SIPRI, Frederik Teufel, Lead Coordinator and Jerome Berndt, Principal Fragility and Resilience Officer, of the Transition States Coordination Office at the African Development Bank.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact:
African Development Bank
Amba Mpoke-Bigg
email: media@afdb.org

About SIPRI:
Established in 1966 by the decision of the Swedish Parliament, SIPRI has the legal status of an independent foundation. SIPRI’s vision is a world in which sources of insecurity are identified and understood, conflicts are prevented or resolved, and peace is sustained. SIPRI’s mission is to: (i) undertake research and activities on security, conflict and peace; (ii) provide policy analysis and recommendations; (iii) facilitate dialogue and build capacities; (iv) promote transparency and accountability; and (v) deliver authoritative information to global audiences. 

About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org