Agreement on Climate Change will be strategicWeekly Letter 90 - 4 pages - PDF With a new international climate agreement due to be finalised at the Copenhagen conference in December 2009, climate change has been the natural focus for the European Commission's Green Week 2009 conference and for the latest Energy Bill of the Obama administration. "With the Copenhagen conference coming up, 2009 has the potential to go down in history as a turning point in the battle to prevent...
On Iran, the EU is to determine the exact nature of the measuresmore - more on Iran The European Union, in particular through the three European members taking part in the talks known as “E3+3 talks” and through the role entrusted to Javier Solana, is fully qualified to take part in the talks with Iran on the nuclear issue completely in line with the other three partners which consist of the United States... Progress in West Africa remains fragile, despite positive trendsmore - more on West Africa While West Africa has witnessed some positive trends recently, including the holding of peaceful elections, progress in the region remains fragile and faces a number of threats, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a report published today. In his report on the work of the United Nations Office for West Africa... 5th Round of the Pakistan-Russia Consultative Group on Strategic Stabilitymore The 5th Round of the Pakistan-Russia Consultative Group on Strategic Stability was held in Moscow, on 29 June 2009. The Pakistan delegation was led by Additional Foreign Secretary, Haroon Shaukat and the Russian delegation by Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Sergei Ryabkov. The two sides agreed to work closely to... Briefing on Obama's upcoming trip to Russia, Italy, and Africamore - more on Obama The delegation will arrive in Moscow on the morning of July 6, that's next Monday. During the course of the day on the 6th the President will have a private and a working meeting with President Medvedev. He will hold a press conference that afternoon in Moscow. After the meeting with President Medvedev, then he... Speech of UK PM Gordon Brown at British Gas Energy Academymore Times are tough at the moment, but the economic slowdown must not be an excuse to slow down the pace of investment and reform - so on Monday the government published our plan for Building Britain’s Future and for putting us firmly on the path to a fairer, stronger and more prosperous society for all. A big part of that will be...
Syrian Vice President Meets with China's Special Envoy on the Middle East Issuemore - more on Syria Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Shara met with Wu Sike, Special Envoy of China on the Middle East Issue in Damascus, capital of Syria. Al-Shara expressed hope that China could play a more important role on the Middle East issue. He said that the Israeli government must first of all withdraw from the occupied territories... Joint Statement of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Russia in Triestemore The Ministers agreed to intensify cooperation, in line with other initiatives of the international community, on fighting terrorism, combating illegal drug production and trafficking as well as promoting good-neighborly relations, regional stability and sustainable development. The Ministers, in particular, decided to explore the potential... Potential to end conflict amid ‘complex’ situation in Afghanistanmore - more on Afghanistan The current situation in Afghanistan – marked by the most intense fighting in years, and upcoming presidential polls – is extremely complex, but if managed well could also become a turning point in ending the conflict, the top United Nations envoy to the country said. “The situation in Afghanistan... Sixth round of Geneva discussions on Security and Stability in Transcaucasiamore The July meeting will take place in complicated conditions. Contrary to Russia’s constructive and transparent stand in favor of preserving the OSCE and UN field missions in Transcaucasia, the western partners and Georgia are doing everything possible to wind up the work of international observers in this troubled region... Transitional Govt of National Unity started in Mauritaniamore - more on Mauritania The UN Secretary-General welcomes the signing late yesterday of the decree establishing a transitional government of national unity in Mauritania. He considers this an important step towards the consolidation of democracy in the country. The Secretary-General reiterates his gratitude to the President of... Kosovo becomes the International Monetary Fund’s 186th Membermore - more on Kosovo The Republic of Kosovo became the 186th member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) when President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi signed the IMF’s original Articles of Agreement at a ceremony in Washington D.C. Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn welcomed President... Government refutes US Embassy Threats of violence in Sudanmore - more on Sudan / Darfur Sudanese government undermines US embassy to Khartoum threats of possible violent actions against the government and western interests in the country. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Ali Al-Sadig said the embassy’s threats are unjustified. He said the Americans have repeated... Defense officials had "constructive" round of US-China talksmore The Pentagon’s top policy official praised this week’s round of talks with Chinese defense officials that centered on developing military relations between the United States and China. Michele Flournoy, undersecretary of defense for Policy, said the two-day discussions in Beijing focused on a range of items including North Korea and counter... Obama calls Energy Bill Passage critical to American economymore - more on Energy Bill In his weekly address, President Barack Obama praised the House of Representatives for passing the energy bill on Friday evening. This historic piece of legislation will not just lessen our dependence on foreign oil, but also spark a clean energy transformation in our economy that will create millions of new... Spiraling violence claims hundreds of lives in Somalia, says UN refugee agencymore - more on Somalia The United Nations refugee agency today voiced its grave concern over the escalating violence and worsening displacement crisis in the Somali capital, where local hospitals report that over 250 civilians have been killed and nearly 1,000 others wounded since fighting erupted last month. Continued fighting, which... Pentagon's Africa Command focuses on drug traffickersmore - more on Africa Command The top US military officer with responsibility for Africa concedes he’s worried about the threat of violent extremists taking hold there, particularly in Somalia, and said US Africa Command is working to help regional governments prevent it. “We clearly worry about the threat of violent extremists taking... Somalia clashes force another 26,000 from their homes, UN saysmore - more on Somalia Ongoing clashes between Government forces and insurgents have uprooted another 26,000 people from the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in the past five days, the United Nations refugee agency reported today. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that there are now 160,000... Russian PM Vladimir Putin met with CEO of Total de Margeriemore "Next year will be declared the Year of France in Russia and Year of Russia in France. I hope that business representatives, both French and Russian, will actively participate in it." Vladimir Putin: We have developed a very good relationship with the French oil company Total. I have known Mr Margerie personally... China to push for early return to dialogue of DPRK nuclear issuemore - more on North Korea China will work with concerned parties to push for an early return to dialogue on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said. China's stance on the issue was clear, Qin said at a regular briefing when asked about China's assistance to the Democratic People's Republic... World, United States support Sudan peace efforts, US official saysmore - more on Sudan / Darfur The international community and the United States support efforts by Sudan’s North and South to complete the 2005 peace accord to ensure the peaceful transformation of Africa’s largest country, US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg says. “We are facing some very important milestones in... Russian President Medvedev gave a lecture at the League of Arab Statesmore Addressing the meeting, the President said that the priority today is to resume Palestinian-Israeli negotiations as swiftly as possible. The Middle East peace process should lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, Mr Medvedev said. The Moscow conference on the Middle... US President Obama made remarks on Iran, with persian translationmore - more on Iran The Iranian people are trying to have a debate about their future. Some in Iran -- some in the Iranian government, in particular, are trying to avoid that debate by accusing the United States and others in the West of instigating protests over the election. These accusations are patently false. They're an obvious... Six-party talks "best way" to denuclearize Korean peninsulamore - more on North Korea China believes that adherence to negotiation, dialogue and the six-party talks is the best way to realize the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang said. China is willing to keep maintain communication and coordination with the involved parties, Qin... President of Russia Medvedev held talks with Egyptian President Mubarakmore During his official visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt, President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev held talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. After one-on-one talks between the presidents, negotiations continued with the participation of the delegations of the two countries. Following the negotiations the presidents signed the... US Congress makes a big step for Reform and Funding of the IMFmore Approval by the US Congress of a package of measures related to the IMF gives a big boost to international funding to combat the global economic crisis and marks a significant step forward in reforming the 185-member intergovernmental institution that has taken a central role in channeling assistance to countries hit... Russian Premier Putin met with Moldovan President Voroninmore - more on Russia - "We have resolved some of the past problems. I'm primarily referring to food supplies to the Russian market. However, as far as I know, some of the issues still require additional discussion. We are ready to talk about all the related issues." Vladimir Putin: Mr President, I am very glad to see you. We have been... Need to Implement Strategic Framework for Peacebuiding Central African Republic, Security Council toldmore - more on Central African Republic - If the Central African Republic was to build on the momentum created by the national political dialogue held in late 2008 and to overcome threats posed by sporadic rebel violence in its northern villages, the United Nations top political official today told the Security Council that the country must take... US ready to respond to any launch of North Korean ballistic missilemore - more on North Korea - The United States has deployed missile defense equipment to the Pacific amid reports alleging that North Korea has threatened to fire a ballistic missile toward Hawaii, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said. “We're obviously watching the situation in the north, with respect to missile launches, very closely... One-China policy key to cross-Straits relations, Chinese official saidmore - more on Taiwan - Cross-Straits relations should develop within the framework of the one-China policy, China's top official for Taiwan affairs said. Both sides across the Taiwan Straits should address easy issues first while leaving difficult ones for later, visiting chief of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Chinese State Council... Britain considers "it's too early to lift Zimbabwe sanctions"more - more on Zimbabwe - "Britain must support Morgan Tsvangirai's brave decision to share power. But that is only a start." Morgan Tsvangirai is due to arrive in London today as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. He will be seeking UK government support and pitching for foreign investment. How should we respond to such an appeal from.. Israeli FM Liberman met with US Secretary Clinton in Washingtonmore - more on Israel - The meeting of the Secretary and the Foreign Minister reflected the strong and enduring bonds between the two nations and underscored the United States’ unshakable commitment to Israel’s security. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman met today in... China and Russia signed five-point joint statement on strategic cooperationmore China and Russia Wednesday signed a five-point statement on bilateral relations and mutual cooperation. Hu, who is on a state visit to Russia, discussed the current situation and prospect of the Sino-Russian strategic partnership of cooperation with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev. The two leaders held in-depth... First EU-Pakistan Summit discussed strengthening of partnershipmore - more on Pakistan - The first EU-Pakistan Summit was held in Brussels on 17 June 2009. The EU and Pakistan welcomed their first ever Summit today as an important and positive step in strengthening their relations. They agreed on further measures for comprehensive cooperation with the aim to engage in strategic dialogue as... Russian Prime Minister Putin met with Chinese President Jintaomore “Despite the global financial and economic crisis, the current economic and political climate has not affected relations between our countries. Our trade – which reached almost USD 56 billion last year – is developing as effectively as our investment cooperation. Our Governments are... Resolution 1244 on Kosovo must be respected, Serbia saysmore Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic sought from the UN Security Council this evening to ensure that all sides respect Security Council Resolution 1244. He said that efforts should not be made to get more countries to recognise Kosovo. Addressing the Security Council session on Kosovo, Jeremic said that no side should... Baltic Sea Region states reach agreement on the Energy Market Interconnection Planmore Eight Baltic Sea Member States signed today a Memorandum of Understanding on the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan with European Commission President, José Manuel Barroso. The Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan (BEMIP) is the fruit of nine months work at the initiative of the Commission to look at... Mutual Defense Treaty remains the cornerstone of the US-ROK relationshipmore The United States of America and the Republic of Korea are building an Alliance to ensure a peaceful, secure and prosperous future for the Korean Peninsula, the Asia-Pacific region, and the world. Our open societies, our commitment to free democracy and a market economy, and our sustained partnership provide a foundation... "Election was a fraud" Iranian protesters saymore Iran's Interior Ministry has proclaimed incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad the victor after votes were tabulated from Friday's nationwide election. Mr. Ahmedinejad won about 62 percent of the vote to nearly 34 percent for his closest competitor Mir Hossein Mousavi. Moussavi complained... SCO leaders calls for enhanced cooperation to tackle regional, international issuesmore Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) concluded their annual summit on Tuesday with calls for constructive dialogues and enhanced cooperation to tackle regional and international issues. The leaders exchanged views in depth on a wide range of regional and international issues, according to a joint communique... Joint statement by on the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgiamore These countries have issued a joint statement expressing regret at Russia's decision to veto a resolution on the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG), on Tuesday 16 June. "We deeply regret Russia's decision to veto a resolution on the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG)... US Rep. Hoekstra warns it is time to stop the assault on the Intelligence Communitymore It’s time to stop this assault on our intelligence community, which is not just wrong but also dangerous. It is having a chilling effect that is discouraging risk-taking and robbing U.S. officials of crucial intelligence. The United States faces serious threats from radical jihadists, weapons proliferation, and global... Remarks by Russian FM Lavrov at Press Conference after CSTO CFM Sessionmore The principal outcome of the CFM session was the fulfillment of the instructions of the CSTO February summit regarding creation of the Collective Operational Reaction Force (CORF). The package of documents is ready; it is an Agreement on CORF and documents concerning procedures for deploying... Security Council voted Resolution 1874 about North Koreamore UN Security Council, acting unanimously, condemns in strongest terms Democratic People's Republic of Korea nuclear test, toughens sanctions. Resolution 1874 (2009) strengthens Arms Embargo, calls for Inspection of Cargo, Vessels if States have "reasonable grounds"... Israeli PM Netanyahu's Speech at the Begin-Sadat Center at Bar-Ilan Universitymore I call on the Arab countries to cooperate with the Palestinians and with us to advance an economic peace. An economic peace is not a substitute for a political peace, but an important element to achieving it. Together, we can undertake projects to overcome the scarcities of our region, like water... Ban stresses preparedness as UN declares global flu pandemic of h1n1more Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today cautioned against undue alarm while stressing the need for preparedness, as the United Nations health agency announced that the world is experiencing an influenza pandemic caused by the new A(H1N1) virus. Earlier today, the head of the UN World Health... South Korea President Lee, US President Obama to hold summit in Washingtonmore According to an announcement, ROK President Lee is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. next week, to discuss North Korea's nuclear program and other pending issues. Diplomatic news agency ISRIA stated that this bilateral meeting between South Korea and the United States will... Dutch FM Verhagen proposed ICC should be authorised to try terroristsmore Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Verhagen will seek to amend the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to expand the Court’s scope for trying terrorists. The Minister announced this intention at a conference of international legal experts in The Hague. A conference on reviewing the Statute will be held at... IAEA DG: "Global Zero is the best long-term option for our survival"more In 2008, the focus of the Agency´s technical cooperation programme - which is developed and implemented with the involvement of all departments - remained on capacity building, an area where the Agency has a unique comparative advantage, as well as on regional cooperation and partnerships with UN and... Russia vetoed extension of the 16-year-old UN mission (UNOMIG) in Georgiamore The Security Council failed today to extend the presence of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) after Russia vetoed a technical roll-over for the nearly 16-year-old operation. China, Libya, Uganda and Viet Nam abstained on the vote on the text, which would have extended the Mission – entrusted with... Top UN-African Union envoy meets Darfur rebel leadermore The head of the joint United Nations–African Union mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has reiterated that there is no military solution to the problems facing the strife-torn Sudanese region, as he met with the leader of a major rebel group. Meeting in North Darfur between Joint Special Representative Rodolphe Adada and the Chairman of.. China advocates balanced, moderate UN resolution on DPRK nuclear testmore China holds that the resolution to be adopted by the United Nations Security Council must be conducive to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and peace and stability in Northeast Asia, a foreign ministry spokesman said Thursday. Concerned parties were negotiating the resolution and China took part in the discussion in... Russo-American July Summit seeks to reduce Nuclear Arsenalsmore President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev committed to reducing their nuclear arsenals through a proposed arms reduction treaty that would take effect late this year. As owners of more than 95 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons, the United States and Russia will lead by example, Obama said after a meeting with...
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