Open
Sources: Europe - Analysis
French
energy company Total to explore for oil in northern Jutland
more The
Danish Energy Agency has given the French energy group Total
a concession to explore for oil and gas for six years in Vendsyssel
in northern Jutland, reports regional newspaper...
Ukraine
and Germany will work on improving their economic cooperation
more Ukraine
and Germany will work consistently to develop their trade and
economic relations, President Viktor Yanukovych said at the joint
press conference with German Chancellor Angela...
The Presidency of the EU Council is a real coordination challenge
more This
is the 12th time Belgium assumes the Presidency of the EU Council.
One might even say that Belgium has this task "in its bones".
Nevertheless, it remains a fact that the coordination...
Serbia will not give up Kosovo-Metohija nor EU
membership
more Deputy
Prime Minister for European Integration Bozidar Djelic said that
we should not expect Serbia's application for the EU membership
to be discussed in September, but that it is...
Azerbaijan, Turkey signed document on Strategic Partnership and
mutual support
more Presidents
Ilham Aliyev and Abdullah Gul have signed an "Agreement
on strategic partnership and mutual support between the Republic
of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Turkey". The...
British PM Cameron made his first official visit
to the U.S.
more British
PM David Cameron has travelled to Washington for his first official
visit to the United States since becoming Prime Minister. The
PM and President Obama are scheduled to meet on...
Cyprus problem is an obstacle to the fulfillment of Turkey's
European aspirations
more President
Christofias noted in a speech that Turkey’s behaviour is totally
inconsistent. "Although Ankara proclaims that it urgently
wants a solution, yet its actions and its behaviour fail to...
The German
constitution said Yes to the Treaty of Lisbon
more The
Treaty of Lisbon is constitutional. However, the has called for
strengthened rights of participation for the German parliament,
the Bundestag, and the representation of the 16 German...
Serbia, Turkey to boost economic, political cooperation
more Prime
Minister Mirko Cvetkovic and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip
Erdogan agreed in Belgrade that the two countries should continue
boosting cooperation in the fields...
German-Polish-Russian Triangle to enhance confidence-building
more Enhanced
confidence-building and regional cooperation between Germany,
Poland and Russia – these were the goals of the first consultations
between the three countries at state...
EU to become "a global player instead of a payer" with its
Diplomatic Service
more In
a debate on the EU diplomatic service with Catherine Ashton on
Wednesday, most MEPs who spoke saw the political agreement reached
in Madrid as an excellent starting...
Negotiations
on draft Danube Strategy to be held in Brussels
more Serbian
Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Bozidar Djelic
stated today that Serbia will hold official negotiations concerning
the Danube Strategy with the European...
Ukraine
is an important strategic neighbour for Germany
more Germany
will continue to support Ukraine on its path to economic success
and stability, as well as towards the European Union.Federal
Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle made this...
U.S. Secretary Hillary Clinton met with Ukrainian President
Viktor Yanukovych
more Clinton
said "The president and I had a very productive meeting.
We discussed ways that Ukraine and the United States can deepen
and expand our strategic partnership, moving forward...
In a counter-insurgency, the human terrain is the decisive
terrain, Petraeus told the press at NATO
more During
a Press conference with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen
and the incoming Commander of the ISAF, General David Petraeus
explained that "We...
Britain’s Foreign Policy in a Networked World
more Foreign
Secretary William Hague set out UK foreign policy approach in
a milestone speech. He explained that "economic power and
economic opportunity are shifting to...
EU Response to economic crisis, implementation of new institutions
and 2020 Strategy
more This
six-month period has seen an immediate response to the economic
and financial crisis; the design and approval of a strategy for
growth and employment, including reforms...
EU diplomatic service: Madrid deal likely to be endorsed next
week
more A
week after the Madrid deal on the European External Action Service
(EEAS) was struck, Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee debated
Elmar Brok's draft report on its...
New NATO
Headquarters will be built in Belgium
more The
new Headquarters, which is planned to be complete by 2015, will
be of a sufficient size and flexibility for the new NATO. It
will also use the latest environmental technologies, to...
Norwegian
Arctic and High North Policy. Opportunities and Challenges
more The
Arctic merits – and receives - increasing consideration from
many states, for ecological, economic and geopolitical reasons.
We welcome this. Developments in the Arctic have global...
In Cyprus, leaders held another round of UN-backed reunification
talks
more The
Greek Cypriot leader and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart held
another round of talks aimed at reunifying the Mediterranean
island of Cyprus, a United Nations official said, with...
Political
agreement on EEAS is a good result, said MEPs
more The
deal struck on the European External Action Service (EEAS) in
Madrid lays the basis for a strong EU diplomatic service, Parliament’s
negotiators told Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs...
Non-proliferation focus of sixth annual NATO Weapons of Mass
Destruction conference
more Prague
will host the Alliance’s sixth Annual Conference on Weapons of
Mass Destruction (WMD) Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation
on June 24-25, 2010. The event will...
NATO SG tackled "Security policy in an era of budgetary
constraint"
more For
most of our nations, the last 20 years have been a period of
unprecedented economic growth. Globalisation has been a major
factor in that economic growth. It has been typified...
The EU and the ACP countries will sign the revision of the
Cotonou agreement
more Next
Tuesday (June 22, 2010), the European Union and the 79 countries
of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) will sign the
second revision of the Cotonou agreements in Ouagadougou...
A peaceful settlement in Cyprus lies with the Cypriot parties
themselves, Russia said
more Russia,
which actively participated in the formulation of the document
adopted by the Security Council, stands firm that the primary
responsibility for a peaceful settlement in Cyprus lies with...
European Council stressed EU's unity in fighting the financial
crisis
more
(pdf) The EU has met the worldwide financial crisis with
united resolve and has done what was necessary to safeguard
the stability of the Economic and Monetary Union. In particular,
in May...
UN Security Council extends mandate of UN peacekeeping force
in Cyprus
more The
Security Council today extended by six months the mandate of
the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Cyprus, where the
world body is facilitating talks aimed at reunifying the...
"We are facing the risk of a new age of nuclear
insecurity," Hague told British Parliament
more In
recent years, the NPT has come under unprecedented pressure from
a combination of factors: the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North
Korea; the risks of terrorist groups acquiring nuclear materials...
U.S. President Obama decided the Continuation of the National
Emergency
with respect to Belarus
more President
Obama took this action to deal with the unusual and extraordinary
threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United
States constituted by the actions and policies...
Finland’s strategy for the Arctic region drafted
more On
June 4, 2010, the Cabinet Committee on European Union Affairs
adopted the proposal for Finland’s strategy for the Arctic region
which was presented to the Committee by a working...
EU and US agree joint anti-terrorism strategy to defend their
values
more At
the meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council (JAI) in
Luxembourg, the EU and the US approved a Joint Declaration on
the fight against terrorism, based on the robust defence...
Baltic Sea
region's future - faster and deeper integration
more The
European Union supports and promotes the region through the Baltic
Sea Strategy, specially designed to encourage regional cooperation.
Today, the governments of all the countries in...
President Buzek presented EU Energy Community initiative to
fellow MEPs
more Strong
political backing from EU Member States is needed for improved
EU energy networks, common R&D funding for alternative energy
sources, and oil and gas purchasing groups, EP...
Spain confident of closing deal to improve security of EU gas
supply security
more Spain
told the other member countries about the progress made in talks
with the European Parliament to approve the supply security regulation,
which the European Commission started...
The EU and ASEAN move towards greater cooperation on a biregional
and global level
more Ministers
and high representatives of the European Union and the Association
of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries met this Wednesday,
on the thirtieth anniversary of the first...
Djelic, Moratinos discussed next steps of Serbia on path to
EU
more Deputy
Prime Minister for European Integration and Minister of Science
and Technological Development Bozidar Djelic met with Spanish
Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos in Madrid...
EU and Russia support greater cooperation in the fight against
terrorism
more The
European Union and Russia agreed on Wednesday to strengthen their
cooperation in the fight against organised crime and terrorism,
and reiterated their determination to reach an operational...
UK's first priority is to reduce the deficit and restore economic
growth
more Her
Majesty Elizabeth II delivered her most gracious speech to both
Houses of Parliament on May 25, 2010. "Action will be taken
to accelerate the reduction of the structural budget deficit.
A new Office...
Spain defends single internal market as alternative in times
of crisis
more Spain's
Secretary of State for the European Union, Diego Lopez Garrido,
defended the importance of fully developing the potential of
the single internal market, especially at a time when...
Eastern Partnership
a priority during Slovakia’s EU Presidency
more The
Foreign Ministers of the 27 Member States and 6 partner states
will discuss the future of the programme with particular focus
on its further orientation and funding. Slovakia considers the
Eastern Partnership...
Solution
on Cyprus well within reach, UN Secretary-General said
more Considerable
progress has been made over the past six months in United Nations-sponsored
talks on the unification of Cyprus and a solution is well within
reach even as the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot...
Germany supports a Future for Palestine and for a Palestinian
State
more German
assistance for the Palestinian territories is now a decades-old
tradition. As one of the largest donors here, Germany is helping
in particular to build infrastructure, put the economy onto a
sustainable...
Historic agreement reached between the EU and Central America
more The
EU Spanish Presidency has declared its satisfaction with the
trade agreement reached with Central America and believes that
this, together with other agreements signed with Peru and Colombia
and the resumption...
UN Britain made a Briefing at the Security Council on the situation
in Kosovo
more According
to Britain, following local elections, the Kosovan government
established four of the six new Kosovo Serb majority municipalities
envisaged in former UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari’s Comprehensive...
EU and Mexico agreed to substantial collaboration on security
more The
European Union and Mexico agreed on an Executive Action Plan
which details specific proposals for cooperation on matters such
as security, combating organised crime, defending human rights...
Measures sent a clear signal that the euro zone is stable,
Germany said
more The
EU finance ministers decided on measures and on a mechanism to
maintain the financial stability of the euro zone, a package
worth 500 billion euros. The euro-zone states...
Armed violence prevents development and causes human rights
violations
more In
an opening speech at Oslo Conference of Armed Violence, Norway's
Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre said "Armed
violence is a different issue. It is more complex as...
Baltic Cyber Shield to train technical skills for countering
cyber attacks
more An
International Cyber Defence Exercise on May 10-11, 2010 the Baltic
Cyber Shield gave its participants a practical hands-on experience
in defending computer networks...
EU Foreign ministers prepare for "Europe 2020" summit
more The
General Affairs Council (GAC) meeting on May 10, 2010 will focus
on preparing for the leaders' summit to be held in June, which
will bring the six months of the Spanish Presidency...
Internet is an international political challenge, French FM
Kouchner wrote
more French
foreign minister wrote that "modern technology leads to
the best and the worst. Extremist, racist and defamatory websites
and blogs disseminate odious opinions in real...
NATO members must prepare to meet future challenges together
more NATO
SG Rasmussen told Bucharest University that "clearly, nowhere
is Alliance solidarity required more than in Afghanistan. NATO
has never before undertaken such a...
German Chancellor Merkel called for politics to re-establish
primacy over markets
more The
financial crisis and the situation in Greece rapidly became the
central issues under discussion. Angela Merkel underscored that
fact that it was the euro which has helped us weather...
Ukraine needs stability rather than political
games, Yanukovych declared
more Answering
questions of journalists in Yenakiyeve today about recent activities
of the opposition, particularly the attempts to create so-called "Ukraine
Salvation Committees”, Viktor Yanukovych...
EU-Latin America Summit in Madrid will be "historic",
says minister
Moratinos
more The
Sixth EU-Latin America and the Caribbean Summit, which will get
underway on 17 May in Madrid, will be “a historic summit
that the Spanish Presidency wants to be a landmark...
China attaches
great importance to the ties with France
more Chinese
Premier Wen said that China attached great importance to the
ties with France, and valued the traditional friendship between
the two peoples. "A stable and cooperative China...
Greece's austerity
programme "ambitious and sustainable"
more Chancellor
Angela Merkel is confident that the austerity package adopted
by the Greek government will keep the euro stable. Now the measures
must be put into practice. The International Monetary...
“We will continue to maintain a creative stance during the resumption
of the talks”, Cyprus
President Christofias told
more Christofias
called on the Turkish Cypriot leader Mr Dervis Eroglu to return
to the negotiating table on the basis of common sense and to
honour all that the two leaders have agreed...
Climate policy has foreign and security dimension, German FM
Westerwelle explained
more Representatives
of 45 countries are gathering for the Petersberg Climate Dialogue
to discuss the way ahead for international climate protection.
Germany and Mexico are...
Albanian DPM
Meta received NATO Secretary General Rasmussen
more During
this meeting they discussed on the situation in the region, developments
in Afghanistan, the new strategic concept and the Alliance reform.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign...
Finland and Austria to initiate cooperation between Baltic
Sea and Danube strategies
more Minister
for Foreign Affairs Alexander Strubb and Foreign Minister of
Austria Michael Spindelegger had their first bilateral meeting
as Foreign Ministers during Minister Spindelegger's visit to...
Finnish
FM Minister Väyrynen said Arctic action should be founded on cooperation
more Minister
for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen calls for cooperation
between the stakeholders in Arctic action, rather than taking
competing positions. The Minister...
EU holds first summit abroad with Japan since Treaty of Lisbon
came into force
more As
their bilateral summit in Tokyo drew to a close this wednesday,
the EU and Japan agreed to set up a high-level group to explore
opportunities for economic and political collaboration...
Measures
needed to overcome challenges in the Arctic
more Finnish
FM Värynen said "We are faced with new and increasingly
diverse challenges in the North. On one hand, we are benefitting
from a wider access to natural resources as well as opening of...
There is full coordination between Turkey and Azerbaijan on
their next steps
more Davutoglu
said Turkey was not an ordinary country and Ankara was taking
deep interest in the developments in Azerbaijan, Armenia and
Georgia. “We don’t want status quo to continue in the...
A new NATO Strategic Concept for the Alliance will be unveiled
by November
more Secretary-General
Anders Fogh Rasmussen told Belgian Royal High Institute for Defence
that "Later this year, at our Summit in Lisbon in November,
we will unveil a new Strategic Concept...
Turkey
deeply regrets Obama's statement on Armenian history
more Written
statements issued regularly each year on the 24th of April by
the Presidents of the United States has been repeated by President
Obama this year as well. We deeply regret...
NATO Foreign Ministers held talks on new Strategic Concept
more NATO
Foreign Ministers discussed today in Tallinn ways to modernise
the organisation and held talks on a new Strategic Concept, the
document that will shape and guide the Alliance...
Medvedev and Yanukovych turned a new page in relations between
Ukraine and Russia
more Yanukovych
announced that over the next 10 years Ukraine will receive real
investment provided by Russia in the form of resource aid, specifically
natural gas, andhis experts have...
Obama is a "very good leader," Georgia's President
Saakashvili told Harvard University
more Mikheil
Saakashvili stressed his attention on the development of democracy
in Georgia, on August war, Russia-Georgian relations, on the
ongoing economic reforms in Georgia, on the...
Privacy concerns voiced ahead of new round of SWIFT and PNR
negotiations
more Various
issues must be resolved before Parliament approves the next EU-US
agreement on financial data transfers via the SWIFT network,
argued many MEPs in a debate on SWIFT on...
Danube can be transport route while protecting its
ecosystem
more Austrian
Foreign Minister Spindelegger stressed the specific feature of
the strategy for the Danube Region, which - contrary to the North
Sea Strategy – has included non-EU Member States...
EU and Eurocontrol progressively reopen European airspace
more The
ministers of transport of the EU, who held an extraordinary meeting
on Monday via videoconference, agreed on the need to provide
a joint response to the air crisis caused by the ash...
The EU
and Asia commit to reinforcing economic cooperation links
more The
EU and Asia commit to strengthening economic cooperation links
as a result of the “lessons learned from the crisis”, declared
the Second Vice-President and Minister of Economy...
Solution
must come from Cyprus itself, Droutsas told Davutoglu
more They
talked and decided to cooperate more closely on all levels. The
main purpose of Droutsas visit here to Ankara is to prepare Turkish
Prime Minister Erdogan’s visit...
Lithuania and Poland to partner in shaping common EU
energy policy
more The
Presidents of Lithuania and Poland have agreed that both countries
will engage more actively in shaping the common energy policy
of the European Union, particularly...
French President Sarkozy plans official visit to Turkmenistan
more The
establishment of the Turkmenistan-France working group on cooperation
in the energy field along with the mixed commission on economic
cooperation will help...
Nagorno Karabakh conflict should be solved in stages
more Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov received French National Assembly
deputies Christian Batay and Rolan Blum, Foreign Ministry’s press...
Europe’s Christian identity: how to define it in the 21st century?
more How
to "rediscover and promote" the Old Continent’s Christian
identity in the 21st century, in light of current global trends.
This was the theme of Italian Foreign Minister Frattini’s...
Germany and Turkey intend to further intensify their close
relations
more Chancellor
Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced
in Ankara that a German-Turkish university is to be established.
Another topic on...
EU counts on Turkmen gas in Nabucco project
more "The
European Union is making plans for the implementation of Nabucco
project taking into account Turkmen gas," Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister of Foreign Affairs...
After the Global Financial Crisis, the Road ahead for Europe
more Address
at the Warsaw School of Economics by IMF Managing Director Dominique
Strauss-Kahn who sees a historic opportunity to create the European
institutions needed to deliver...
China is a strategic partner for Belarus, PM Sergei Sidorsky
declared
more "Belarus
is a reliable ally of China. China is a strategic partner for
us," said the Belarusian head of Government. He remarked
that top officials of the two countries lead an...
EU HR/VP Ashton presented vision for European External Action
Service
more
(pdf) Presenting her proposals, Catherine Ashton said: "The
Lisbon Treaty offers the opportunity to build a modern policy
for the modern world – moving beyond traditional...
Slovakia-Hungary relations need new approach, not new basis
more Slovakia's
FM Miroslav Lajcak said at an expert conference that good neighbourly
relations between Hungary and Slovakia have been and still are
of great significance for the...
Dubaigate: passport abuse "intolerable", British FCO
told
more British
Foreign Secretary David Miliband has requested formal assurances
from the Israeli Government that there would be no abuse of British
passports in the future...
EU membership Serbia’s central strategic priority
more Foreign
Minister Vuk Jeremic stated in Brussels after a meeting with
EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule that EU membership continues
to be the Serbian government’s central...
Powerful forces of change are affecting many foreign policy
areas
more Norway's
FM Jonas Gahr Støre gave an address to the Storting. He
said that "in foreign policy, as in all policy areas, it
is individual issues that attract attention: new settlements...
World Bank seeks closer partnership with Belarus
more The
World Bank has expanded the scope of financial support for Belarus
and hopes for a closer cooperation with our country, World Bank
Vice President for Europe and Central...
Kosovo is today an independent and sovereign country, Sejdiu
told NAC
more (President)
Sejdiu referred to the strategy for the north. He said that the
strategy aims at integrating those members of the Serb community
who are being kept hostage...
Britain better equipped to respond effectively to the immediate
threats
more British
Prime Minister Gordon Brown made a statement on the National
Security Strategy Progress Report submitted to Parliament on
March 22, 2010. In Afghanistan, Britain was...
President Christofias still believes that the Cyprus problem
can be solved
more However,
he declared, "if the Cyprus problem is not solved, I repeat,
I will not ever again submit my candidacy. And this you will
see in practice. Of course, I hope the Cyprus...
Development a prerequisite for all peaceful co-existence, Frattini
said
more Afghanistan
is a country battered by decades of conflict that has not got
a strong democratic tradition, where institutions are still fragile
and security and development...
Europe ensures security of gas supplies by beefing up draft
regulation
more MEPs
have beefed up rules to ensure that households will not be deprived
of gas in winter, as has happened in both 2008 and 2009. Parliament's
Industry Committee made proposed...
Uzbek and Kazakh leaders discussed bilateral relations
more Presidents
Nazarbayev and Karimov discussed bilateral and multilateral cooperation
in information, energy and environmental security. At the same
time, taking into...
Jordanian King Abdullah received EU foreign policy chief Ashton
more During
a meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy, Baroness Catherine Ashton, King Abdullah warned
of the serious nature of Israel's provocations...
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown reiterated support for
Turkey’s
EU bid
more In
a joint press conference with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
on March 17, 2010, Gordon Brown said Europe would benefit from “the
cultural, economic and political strength...
U.S. President Obama met Taoiseach of Ireland Brian Cowen
more They
also discussed the economy. And on both sides of the Atlantic
they are seeing stabilization of the economy, but obviously they
want more than just stabilization, the two...
David Miliband met Chinese Ministers to foster greater dialogue
more Continuing
his visit to China, David Miliband met with Chinese Foreign Minister
Yang Jiechi, Premier Wen Jiabao and State Counsellor Dai Bingguo
to discuss major international foreign policy issues. Speaking
before his meetings the Foreign...
MI5's Intelligence and Security Committee published
annual report
more Parliament's
Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) has issued its annual
report for 2008-09, examining the expenditure, administration
and policy of the Security Service...
Swedish Riksdag's made recognition of 1915 massacres in Armenia
more FM
Carl Bildt comments on the Riksdag's recognition of the 1915
massacres: It should be noted that the vote went against the
report of the Parliamentary Committee...
A constructive relationship between Greece and
Turkey is in the interest of
both nations
more Clinton: "Prime
Minister Papandreou's continuing efforts to strengthen Greece’s
relations with Turkey. He has shown great leadership through
the example of his own...
Ukrainian-Russian relations clear, long-term,
partnership and strategic
more President
of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych is sure he will be able to find
consensus with Russian side on all problems in gas trade, he
said in the interview to Russian TV...
NATO, the Mediterranean and the broader Middle
East region
more Speech
by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the NATO-Jordan
Public Diplomacy Conference: The Mediterranean Dialogue was established
15 years ago...
Ukrainian President Yanukovych
wants to change the situation for the better more During
his visit to Brussels, the European capital, President of Ukraine
Viktor Yanukovych gave an exclusive interview to BBC Ukrainian
service the first detailed interview...
Crisis management is a must despite difficulty,
Finnish FM told
more Comprehensive
crisis management is today an agreed concept. We have learned
our lessons from the Balkans, from Afghanistan and from every
modern crisis management...
EU-Morroco at an unprecedented and decisive
meeting
more From
6 to 7 March 2010 the European Union and Morocco will hold a
pioneering summit in Granada, which will be the first between
the two entities; the Spanish Presidency hopes...
EU supports Turkmenistan's energy strategy
more The
European Union supports the reformist policies of Turkmenistan,
said the EU special representative for Central Asia, Pierre Morel,
during a meeting with Turkmen...
The Spanish Presidency views Turkey's entry
into the EU as a positive move
more Spain's
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, advocated
the possibility of Turkey joining the EU in the future, claiming
that it's membership of the EU..
The EU Competitiveness Council focused on the
2020 Strategy
more The
Competitiveness Council held in Brussels dealt “essentially” with
the 2020 Strategy from the perspective of the Internal Market
according to the Spanish Secretary of State...
Ukraine is in a very difficult situation,
President Yanukovych
declared more Viktor
Yanukovych, the opposition leader who won Ukraine's recent election,
has just been inaugurated as the country's new president. He
took the oath of office in the Verkhovna Rada...
EU to expand Operation Atalanta against
piracy in the Indian Ocean
more The
ministers of defence of the European Union agreed on Wednesday
to expand the objectives of Operation Atalanta to include control
of Somali ports where pirate ships are...
EU-Latin American countries held intense trade talks
more Representatives
from seven Latin American countries, grouped into two blocs -
Central American and Andean - have been discussing various trade
agreements with the EU since...
U.S.-EU Passenger Name
Record (PNR) agreement reviewed
more The
U.S.-EU PNR agreement sets forth commitments for the processing
and transfer of PNR for flights between EU Member States and
the United States. The agreement includes...
Belarus, Moldova sign
agreement on economic cooperation in 2010-2013
more Belarus
and Moldova are interested in expansion of the trade and economic
cooperation, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Ivan Bambiza noted
during the opening of...
Spanish FM Moratinos
urged EU to improve relations with Cuba
more Spanish
Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said on Monday in Madrid
that the European Union’s policy toward Cuba is “hardly
satisfactory” and urged this regional...
Yushchenko urges Yanukovych to work
on consolidation of Ukraine
more President
Yushchenko is assured that the new President of Ukraine should
focus on consolidation of Ukraine, he said today at a press conference
held at the Presidential...
Greece has one month to show first
results of adjustment program
more The
16 countries of the Eurozone have set Greece a one-month deadline
to show the first results of its public finances plan. If the
situation is not satisfactory "additional...
Ministerial Meeting for EU-Brazilian
Political Dialogue
more The
Ministerial Meeting for Political Dialogue between the European
Union and the Federative Republic of Brazil will be held today
at Viana Palace in Madrid. The meeting will be...
Interview Ukraine
after the Presidential Elections
more Donetsk-based
Political Science Ass. Prof. Kirill Cherkashin answered our questions
following the election of Viktor Yanukovych as President of Ukraine.
The possibility of court...
EU discussed on economic situation
and Greece
more The
European Council president has called this extraordinary meeting
to allow the twenty-seven member states to analyse their economic
plans for the coming years. All euro area...
Karabakh was never a part of independent
Azerbaijan, Sargsyan declared
more Sargsyan:
The newest history of Europe is one of overcoming differences
through cooperation. Armenia has always been a proponent of this
approach. It lies at the heart...
European security has been seriously
weakened, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov told
more The
dramatic changes in the world over the past twenty years could
not but influence the international agenda. We are now faced
with the question of its transformation and change. The...
Azerbaijan President
met with Turkish FM in Munich
more President
of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today met here Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. During the meeting, they praised the
level of political relations between the two...
Spanish FM Moratinos
set out priorities of EU Spanish Presidency
more At
the start of his speech, the Spanish minister pointed out that,
with the Treaty of Lisbon coming into force, the single spokesperson
for the Commission on foreign affairs is...
British Minister for Europe delivers
keynote speech at LSE
more In
a speech to be delivered at the LSE on 4 February, Minister for
Europe Chris Bryant will argue that Britain, with the support
of the EU, should adopt a more ambitious approach...
Priorities of the French Presidency
of the United Nations Security Council
more Within
the framework of its presidency of the United Nations Security
Council (UNSC) from February 1 to 28, France will focus on peacekeeping
and the fight against transnational threats...
Turkmen leader Berdimuhamedov
met counterpart Sarkozy in Paris
more President
of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of the
French Republic Nicolas Sarkozy met at the Elysee Palace on 1
February. The meeting was attended..
U.S. Secretary Clinton met with French counterpart Kouchner
more The
work on Iran is (inaudible) greater intensity and France’s
leadership is especially important. The international community
is united in its resolve regarding Iran’s...
MEPs debated NATO's future role with Madeleine Albright
more EU-NATO
co-operation, the new international security environment, NATO's
relations with Russia and "open door" policy, and the
importance of winning public support when...
The major international
security challenges in 2010: Italy's role and vision
more Italian
FM Frattini: Afghanistan: for a civil surge – I shall begin
by commenting briefly on Afghanistan, an issue you are well familiar
with. As you know, Italy reacted positively and...
Northern Kosovo remains a flashpoint of tensions, top UN envoy
warns
more Northern
Kosovo remains a flashpoint amid continuing tensions between
Kosovo Serb and Kosovo Albanian communities there despite a greater
understanding over reconstruction...
EU, U.S. seek greater coordination
in the fight against terrorism
more The
informal meeting of Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs of
the EU (JHA) that begins today in Toledo will devote most of
the first day to analysing, jointly with the United States...
Spain wants immediate application
of the Copenhagen Agreement
more The
Spanish Minister of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs,
Elena Espinosa believes it is important that the Spanish Presidency
of the EU, during its six month's term, works...
Belarus hopes for better EU export
terms
more Belarus
hopes the terms of export to the European Union will improve,
said Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky as he met with
Poland Vice Premier, Economy Minister...
Cyprus and Israel sign agreement on
commercial shipping
more Cyprus
and Israel have signed a bilateral agreement for cooperation
in the sector of commercial shipping. The agreement was signed
yesterday, in Nicosia, by the Minister of Communications...
Serbia still wants to rule over Kosovo, Sejdiu declared
more Sejdiu:
Despite the incredible efforts to achieve a resolution through
discussions, this simply was impossible, because in the many
meetings for over two years in Vienna, where the discussions...
Turkey has not changed
its stance on Cyprus problem
more The
President of the Republic Demetris Christofias assured that he
would continue to do everything in his power to deal with the
economic crisis for a better and more just society and to...
Germany and Turkey to intensify cooperation
more Federal
Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle wants to further intensify
relations with Turkey. During his inaugural visit to Ankara,
Westerwelle spoke of a strategic dialogue between...
Spain has "clear
pro-European vocation"
more In
the article, the full application of the Treaty of Lisbon is
singled out as the Spanish Presidency's top priority, in order
to make progress with coordinating national economic policies...
Cyprus protested over
national airspace violations by Turkish military aircraft
more The
Republic of Cyprus’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations
Ambassador Minas Hadjimichael sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General
on 18 December 2009 protesting...
Ukrainian President sure democratic forces should unite in
2010 election
more President
Victor Yushchenko is sure that democratic forces of Ukraine should
unite in 2010 Presidential election, he said at the meeting with
media of western regions. According to him consolidation...
Visit of European Parliament delegation
to Tehran postponed
more Foreign
Ministry spokesman said Monday the visit of a delegation from
European Parliament to Iran is postponed. Ramin Mihman-Parast
said the date of the European Parliament's visit will be set...
Vigilance key to tackling terrorist
threat, British PM declared
more The
Prime Minister has said the UK must never be complacent about
the threat of terrorism following the failed terror plot on a
US-bound flight on Christmas day. The UK will examine a range
of...
It is official, Serbia applies for
EU membership
more This
afternoon, Serbia submitted a formal application for membership
of the EU. Serbian President Boris Tadic handed his country’s
application for EU membership to Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik...
BBC4 introduced the new art of diplomacy
along with the FCO
more The
Foreign Office has been the subject of a two part documentary
series, presented by James Naughtie, for BBC Radio 4. The documentary
looked at the work of the FCO in London and abroad...
The Role of Baltic
Sea Strategy, Northern Dimension and Russia
more I
would like to start by congratulating STETE on organising this
kick-off seminar for the St. Petersburg project and for choosing
a very timely topic for today’s discussion. The theme of
this seminar, the role of...
Azerbaijan President
Aliyev met OSCE Minsk Group officials
more President
of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today received Co-Chairs of the
OSCE Minsk Group – Ambassadors Robert Bradtke of the United
States, Bernard Fassier of France and Yury Merzlyakov of Russia – as
well as...
British and French leaders agree to set up a one-off tax in
relation to bonuses
more Europe
led the way last year in facing down the global financial crisis,
restructuring our banking system and strengthening the global
financial system. The European Union was also at the forefront
in calling for a...
Strengthening the Transatlantic Economy:
Moving Beyond the Crisis
more The
U.S.-European economic relationship is one of the central drivers
of the world economy. To put it in perspective, the value of
U.S. goods and services exports to the EU is over five times
the value of our exports to...
Ukrainian-Russian gas trade agreements
should be renegotiated
more President
Victor Yushchenko took part in a talk show at Sumy Regional State
TV. During the program the President made comments on the budgetary
process, Ukrainian-Russian relations in energy sector, the need...
Turkmenistan and European
Union discussed prospects for partnership
more Following
the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, which is designed
to lay the foundations for the functioning of the EU in the coming
years, cooperation between Turkmenistan and the EU will successfully
continue...
U.S. Treasury's Sobel's remarks to
9th Annual Parliamentary Transatlantic Forum
more Sobel:
Over the past day, you have heard from leading experts on the
critical regional challenges facing the United States. I would
like to discuss an equally important global challenge--promoting
economic growth...
U.S. Assistant Secretary Philip Gordon
spoke about current U.S. - European Relations
more Gordon:
I’d like to start with the issue of general US engagement
and the relationship with Europe. Some are recently asking the
question whether the global challenges that the United States
faces around the world -- Iran...
EU concerned over lack of progress
in Middle East peace process
more The
General Affairs Council today discussed and adopted conclusions
on the countries involved in the EU's enlargement. At the Foreign
Affairs Council, ministers sent a clear signal about the need
for the parties to...
Progress in the process
of settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh issue
more As
a result of five party meeting a joint statement was adopted,
in which the sides express their satisfaction with the progress
reached during the meetings of Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan,
which became more...
First Statement of Catherine Ashton as EU High Representative
more The
Lisbon Treaty has now entered into force, and I was delighted
to be able to join some Parliamentarians here yesterday to mark
this momentous occasion. The Treaty gives us new possibilities
and new opportunities...
Foreign Affairs Ministers to discuss key NATO issues in Brussels
more Allied
Foreign Ministers will gather for official talks at NATO’s Headquarters
in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, 3 and 4 December 2009, to
discuss a broad range of issues on NATO’s agenda. Topics will
include...
Yushchenko: 2010 Presidential election
in Ukraine will be democratic and transparent
more President
Victor Yushchenko is convinced that the January 2010 presidential
election in Ukraine will be transparent, fair and democratic,
he said in today's interview with international news channel "France
24". "I have...
U.S. and EU should be more engaged
in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement
more “US
and EU should be more engaged in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement”,
told analyst of Swedish Institute of International Affairs. He
pointed out that, there is a belief that key countries, like
Russia or United States play...
Albanian FM Meta visited
Kosovo which he said has a European perspective
more During
the meeting, President Sejdiu thanked Mr. Meta for the strong
support that Republic of Albania has, is and will provide to
Kosovo and for Minister Meta’s unwavering commitment of
supporting Kosovo in major processes of...
Top posts filled at the European Union
with President Van Rompuy
more The
names of the individuals appointed to the three top posts discussed
at the informal summit between the EU’s heads of state
and government, were presented. Herman Van Rompuy was appointed
permanent President of the European Council...
Russian President Medvedev
took part in the 24th EU-Russia summit
more The
summit discussed current international political issues and Russia’s
cooperation with European countries as part of broad-ranging
dialogue in the political, trade and economic, and humanitarian
spheres. Major energy projects, energy cooperation...
British PM Gordon Brown’s annual speech on Foreign Policy
(2009)
more The
Prime Minister has delivered his annual speech on foreign policy.
These are the four great issues of our time, and what they have
in common is that - global in nature - they require global solutions.
None can be answered by one country or...
Spain: managing the transition to a new Europe
more Minister
for Europe, Chris Bryant, will be visiting Madrid this week for
a series of meetings covering key items on the European agenda
including Spain's forthcoming presidency of the EU. Chris Bryant
will be spending time with his Spanish counterpart, Diego López
Garrido, to discuss a range of bilateral...
The global change we need: Campaigning Diplomacy
more Foreign
Secretary David Milliband spoke to the Fabian Society on the
challenge of engaging citizens on foreign policy issues. This
is a conference about the lessons of the Obama campaign and the
first year of the Obama Administration. I want to look at foreign
policy, but not at a particular issue, theory or policy...
EU and Turkey's cooperation on curbing irregular immigration
more The
October 2009 European Council has welcomed the beginning of the
reinforced dialogue on migration with Turkey and called for concrete
steps to be rapidly taken, in particular as regards readmission
and border control. Today, the EU and Turkey have agreed to intensify
their cooperation to meet the common...
Indian official gave insight into the upcoming EU–India
summit
more With
a population of 1.1 billion, India is one of the largest nations
in the world and the world’s largest democracy. With a
rapidly growing economy, an awareness of climate change and the
challenges of global warming, and as an important player in the
region, India is a major cooperation partner for...
2009 United States-European Union Joint Declaration and Annexes
more We,
the leaders of the United States and the European Union, met
in Washington to renew our global partnership, and to set a course
for enhanced cooperation that will address bilateral, regional
and global challenges based on our shared values of freedom,
democracy, respect for international law, human...
The Franco-German friendship is close to our hearts
more If
Germany and France pull in one direction, it is an important
contribution to the European process. This was underlined by
Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and his French counterpart
Bernard Kouchner in Paris. After his inaugural visit in The Hague
on Monday morning, the French capital provided the...
Strong Britain in a strong Europe, speech by British FM Miliband
more David
Miliband delivered a speech at the IISS arguing that it's in
the British national interest for the EU to develop a strong
foreign policy: My case today is a simple one. It is that it
is very strongly in the British national interest for the EU
to develop a strong foreign policy; that to be frightened of
European foreign policy is...
German Chancellor Angela Merkel reelected in the first round
more Chancellor
Angela Merkel has taken the oath of office in the German Bundestag
in Berlin. This morning she was reelected Chancellor in the first
round of voting. Of 612 valid votes, 323 were for and 285 against
with four abstentions. After the vote, the Federal President
Horst Köhler presented the Chancellor with her certificate
of...
European Union's Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region
more On
26 October 2009, the EU countries agreed to adopt a common strategy
for the Baltic Sea region. Sweden’s Minister for EU Affairs
Cecilia Malmström is delighted with the decision, and thinks
that it will be of crucial significance for the region’s
environment, prosperity and competitiveness in the future. This
is one of the Swedish Presidency’s...
Ukraine plans to sign agreement with Russia on Black Sea Fleet
more The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs is preparing an agreement to be signed
by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Russian Government
on cooperation in inspecting areas where the Russian Black Sea
Fleet is stationed in Ukraine. "A meeting will take place
on October 28-29 in Kyiv between Ukrainian and Russian experts...
Speech by Albanian DFM Ilir Meta at the Foreign Policy Forum
more Albania
has gained a new status and role in international relations,
as a logical outcome of the growing partnership with all the
structures of regional and global security, following NATO membership
in April of this year. We are in an important and constructive
process with the European Union after the entry into force on
1 April...
Azerbaijan's occupied territories our own lands, Turkish FM
said
more "We
consider Azerbaijan`s occupied territories our own lands and
will continue our struggle to liberate them”, Turkish Minister
of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoglu told journalists here. He
noted “Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity is as much important
as our own for us”, adding “this is the key principle
of Turkey`s foreign policy”. Davutoglu...
Russian DFM Grigory Karasin on Black Sea Fleet-related Issues
more Question:
How are negotiations on the future of the Black Sea Fleet in
Ukraine going? Karasin: In a normal mode. Experts of the two
countries are meeting, and the working groups are holding sessions.
June 2009 saw the seventh meeting of the Russian-Ukrainian State
Commission’s Sub-Commission on the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s...
America Central Europe and a Partnership for the 21st Century
more Remarks
by U.S. Vice President Biden: Ladies and gentlemen, it's an honor
to be back in Romania. This is not my first trip, nor God-willing,
will it be my last. And it's great to be back in Central Europe
to help mark an extraordinary season of change. Twenty years
ago, the world watched in awe and admiration as the men and women...
Russian PM Vladimir Putin met with German business leaders
more Transcript
of the beginning of the meeting. Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon,
friends, colleagues. Our meetings have become a tradition - over
the past few years we have been meeting in this format - a bit
smaller or larger group - nearly every year. These meetings are
usually attended by the top executives of the leading German...
President Christofias: Turkey must normalise her relations
with Cyprus
more - Remarks
by Special Adviser of the Secretary-General Alexander Downer Turkey
is constantly demanding the lifting of the so-called isolation
of Turkish Cypriots, something that has nothing to do with
that country’s EU accession course or with EU decisions,
said the President of the Republic Mr Demetris Christofias.
According to the Cyprus News...
“We will not change our position whatever happens”,
Turkish FM
more “Our
government and people do not make difference between the Turkish
and Azerbaijani flags. Both are Turkic flags and valuable for
us. Azerbaijani lands are holy for us and liberation of those
lands from the occupation is a prior of Turkey’s national
issues. We will not change our position whatever happens”,
Turkish Foreign Minister...
FM Level Meeting of Russia-EU Permanent Partnership Council
more Moscow
has taken note of the remarks that Japan’s Land and Transport
Minister, Seiji Maehara, made on October 17 after viewing from
the sea the Southern Kurils about Russia’s “illegal
occupation” of these islands. It is regrettable that unacceptable,
inappropriate and legally meaningless remarks steeped in a confrontational
spirit were...
Russian-American Working Group on Arms Control met
more The
first meeting of the Working Group on Arms Control and International
Security was held in Moscow on October 12 as part of the Russian-American
Presidential Commission established after the bilateral summit
in Moscow in July this year. The co-chairs of the group are Sergey
A. Ryabkov, Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Ellen...
Kosovo-Macedonia Diplomatic Relations Step for Regional Stability
more The
United States warmly welcomes the establishment of diplomatic
relations between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of
Macedonia, as well as the successful completion of the demarcation
of their shared border. We commend the leadership of both countries
for their resolve in taking a significant step toward Euro-Atlantic
integration...
Defending the Realm, Speech by Jonathan Evans, MI5 Director
more Operating
a security service within a liberal democracy does of course
pose problems and occasionally dilemmas. A "purist" liberal
might argue that there should be no domestic intelligence service
separate from law enforcement: within the law the State should
not restrict the activities of its citizens. Such a doctrine
is comforting in its...
Need for better monitoring to combat human trafficking in Europe
more Trafficking
in persons is an under-detected crime in Europe, according to
a new United Nations report, which calls for better information
sharing and monitoring to combat this scourge. “Trafficking
in Persons: Analysis on Europe” is produced by the UN Office
on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and shows that less people – 1
in 100,000 – are being...
EU Enlargement: Progress in the Western Balkans and Turkey
more (pdf)
The Commission adopted its annual strategy on EU enlargement.
The communication highlights the progress the Western Balkans
and Turkey made towards European integration during a difficult
year of global economic crisis, and spells out the main challenges
facing them in the months and years to come. In the light of
the progress...
Turkish Prime Minister met with Azerbaijani Parliamentarians
more 11-man
delegation of Azerbaijani parliament visiting Turkey met with
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. Following the
meeting, chairman of Azerbaijani parliament’s committee
of international relations Samad Seyidov briefed journalists.
It was broadcasted live by Turkish news channels. Samad Seyidov
expressed their...
Dmitry Medvedev met with Czech President of the Republic Klaus
more Cooperation
in the nuclear energy sector, including development of joint
projects, was one of the main subjects on the agenda. Mr Medvedev
and Mr Klaus also discussed current international affairs, in
particular solutions to the global financial crisis with reference
to the results of the G20’s Pittsburgh summit, the creation
of a new European...
Czech Republic (must) honour the commitments it has taken
more (pdf)
Barroso: After the resounding yes vote in the Irish referendum,
the democratic decision approving the Lisbon Treaty has now been
taken in all 27 member states, whose governments have neg otiated
and signed the Treaty. I had the opportunity to be present at
the completion of the ratification process in Poland last Saturday,
whereby Poland...
Georgian Special Forces didn't send terrorists to the Chechnya
more Regrettably,
it is not the first case when Russia, by circulating misleading
reports, tries to accuse Georgia of creating the catastrophic
situation in the North Caucasus, for which Russia itself is to
be blamed. The propaganda noise stirred up by the Kremlin on
the normalization and stabilization of the situation has failed
to cover up the actually existing...
Ukraine was never offered deployment of anti-missile complexes
more "I
would not like a lot of fuss to appear here around this subject.
I can start with the simplest: the Ukrainian side has not received
any offers", said President Yushchenko during press conference
for the Ukrainian media in Chisinau. However, the Head of State
stressed, of course, Ukraine would like to find its place in
the planetary and the European...
"Normalization talks with Turkey should move forward",
Obama said
more The
President called Armenian President Sargsian yesterday to commend
him for his courageous leadership and to encourage continued
progress on normalization of relations with Turkey. The President
underscored the U.S. position that the normalization talks should
move forward without preconditions and within a reasonable...
Turkey is a vital supply route for the Netherlands, Dutch FM
said
more For
centuries, Turkey has been described as the bridge connecting
East and West, both literally and metaphorically. In modern times,
too, Turkey has proven itself worthy of that role. The Alliance
of Civilisations was the brainchild of your Prime Minister, together
with his Spanish counterpart. Four years in the making, the Alliance
has become an important...
Ukraine and Moldova should intensify bilateral cooperation
more Ukraine
and Moldova should intensify bilateral cooperation at all levels
said President Victor Yushchenko today in Chisinau at his meeting
with Acting President of Moldova Mihai...
Finland intends to raise relations with Belarus to a new level
more The
EU foreign ministers will draw up an interim review of the European
Union’s relations with Belarus in November. During his
visit to Finland, Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov of Belarus...
The International Community welcomes Armenian-Turkish accord
more Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon welcomed the signing of two protocols paving the
way towards normalizing ties between Armenia and Turkey, voicing
hope that the move will contribute...
Only patriotic forces can settle modern problems in Ukraine
more Only
patriotic forces can solve modern problems of the Ukrainian state,
said Victor Yushchenko speaking at the celebration of the 67th
anniversary of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army...
Sweden takes over Chairmanship of Barents Euro-Arctic Council
more Cooperation
in the Barents region was launched in Kirkenes in 1993 with the
participation of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden
and the European Commission...
Declaration of the EU on the situation in the Niger Delta
more The
European Union welcomes the initial success of the amnesty offered
by Nigeria’s President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua to militants
in the Niger Delta. The EU hopes this will be an important step...
Collective defence in today's security environment, Speech
more The
theme of my presentation today is the continued relevance of
the Atlantic Treaty’s Article V, and the need to strike
the right balance between our Article V and our non-Article V
activities, or as others have put it, between our mission “at
home” and our mission “away”. Let me point
out right from the outset that nothing of what I am going...
Kosovo: UN mission says its role hindered by sides’ differing
views
more The
United Nations peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, which declared
independence from Serbia last year, is “inextricably caught” between
the differing perceptions of the opposing... |
NB8 milestone Report on Nordic-Baltic
cooperation is available
more On August 27, 2010,
in Riga, foreign ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden,
Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland (NB8) discussed NB8 wise men
report, which offers an...
Norway and Russia are still in a phase of "rediscovering" each
other
more In
a speech about Norway's "Arctic Policy", FM Jonas Gahr
Støre first stressed on the importance of Norway's relations
with Russia. He pointed out that Russia is actively engaged in
High North...
Europe
means greater freedom, greater security and greater prosperity
more In
Zagreb, German Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle delivered
a speech on European policy. He explained that "European integration
has, right from the start, been a unique project for...
EU HR Ashton is in
China for first "Partnership" Dialogue
more Ashton
travels to China this week to attend the first ever EU-China High
Level "Partnership" Dialogue - a key staging post ahead of the
upcoming Gymnich informal Foreign Ministers...
To
Finland, Russia is, above all, a highly important neighbour
more Finnish
Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi delivered a speech at the Annual
Meeting of Finnish Heads of Mission. He underlined that Finland’s
EU policy has recently been successful, even...
Israeli PM Netanyahu met with Greek
PM Papandreou in Athens
more PM
Netanyahu declared that "in the economic field, I hope that
this visit leads to an increase in investments and stepped-up cooperation
in water technology, renewable energy, trade...
U.S. President Obama'll take part
in Summit with European Union
more President
Obama will participate in a Summit with the leaders of the European
Union, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European
Commission President Jose...
Westerwelle and Kouchner expressed
Europe's solidarity with Kyrgyzstan
more On
a joint visit to Kyrgyzstan, Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle
and his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner have gained a personal
impression of the situation in the...
UK Foreign Secretary spoke on distinctive
foreign policy approach
more In
Japan, Foreign Secretary William Hague has delivered his second
speech on the Coalition Government’s vision for foreign policy.
Entitled 'Britain’s Prosperity in a Networked World', the...
Belgian ministers outlined European
Council Presidency priorities
more Belgian
government ministers this week continued outlining the priorities
for their country's presidency of the EU Council to a range of
European Parliament committees. MEPs...
Belarus seeks to expand economic cooperation
with EU
more Belarus
would like to deepen trade and economic relations with the EU,
Deputy Premier of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov said as he met with European
Commissioner for Enlargement...
British PM Cameron and
NATO Secretary-General held talks
more Prime
Minister David Cameron and NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen
have held talks about the NATO mission in Afghanistan. In a meeting
at Number 10 on Monday...
Belgian PM aims at "Re-connecting
with the European Union's ambition"
more Belgian
Prime Minister Yves Leterme reminded those present how important
it was to be able to count on the support of European parliamentary
members for the priorities of our...
MEPs back
Iceland's EU membership bid
more The
prospect of Iceland becoming a new EU Member State is welcomed
in a resolution adopted on Wednesday by the European Parliament.
The controversy of repayments to...
The United States and Georgia share
a deep friendship, Clinton told
more The
U.S. Secretary of State added added that "We continue to call
for Russia to abide by the August 2008 cease fire commitment signed
by President Saakashvili and President Medvedev...
UN
envoy appeals for calm following deadly violence in Kosovo
more The
top United Nations envoy to Kosovo urged all sides to pursue dialogue
in the wake of recent “tragic” violence in the region’s north,
which remains a flashpoint amid continuing tensions...
NATO Secretary-General on Managing
Security in a Globalised World
more Secretary
General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen delivered a speech at the
Catholic University of Lisbon, Portugal. he said "ISAF, in
Afghanistan, is the most demanding...
French-Greek relations reached a very high due to economic crisis
more Greek-French
relations are at a particularly good level, and the support France
has given us from the very outset is well known, as is the stance
it has maintained in support of Greece...
UK must "reboot
and rebuild" economy, Cameron emphasized
more Britain's
past prosperity does not guarantee a prosperous future and the
UK must "reboot and rebuild" its economy, Prime Minister
David Cameron has warned. Mr Cameron...
EU and U.S. signed the agreement on
the transfer
of bank data (SWIFT)
more On
Monday, the Spanish Minister for Home Affairs, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba,
on behalf of the European Union, and the United States Embassy's
Economic Officer to the EU, Michael...
Ban called
on Turkish Cypriot leader to reach towards settlement
more UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the Turkish Cypriot leader
to "grasp the current political window of opportunity to reach
a settlement" in the dispute over the Mediterranean...
U.S.- EU
signed "Second Stage" Air Transport Agreement
more Representatives
of the United States and the European Union (EU) and its twenty-seven
Member States signed a “Second Stage” civil aviation agreement,
providing for greater U.S.-EU...
Towards
a European system in cutting off finance for terrorism
more Many
Civil Liberties Committee MEPs hailed the progress achieved in
the new agreement on banking data transfers to the USA for counter-terrorism
purposes, four months after rejecting the...
Cyprus in the spotlight during talks
between Ban and Greek premier
more The
United Nations-backed efforts to reunify the island of Cyprus and
the ongoing dispute over the name of the former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia have topped the agenda...
The EU sealed an agreement regarding
the European diplomatic service
more EU's
institutions sealed an agreement regarding the organisation and
operation of the European External Action Service (EEAS). The deal
was reached after a meeting lasting more...
Hungary
and Italy signed Declaration of Strategic Partnership
more Italian
Foreign Minister Franco Frattini paid an official visit to Budapest
on 16 June at the invitation of his Hungarian counterpart Janos
Martonyi. The main purpose of the visit was to map...
Ukraine needs to modernize its gas
transport system
more President
Viktor Yanukovych thinks modernization of the national gas pipeline
system is extremely important, he said in today’s interview in Sumy. "We
must modernize our gas transport...
Finnish Foreign Minister Stubb proposed
organizing a highest level Arctic Conference
more Stubb
proposed an exclusive summit for the Arctic issues. According to
Stubb, an Arctic summit would allow taking into account the wider
significance of the region in the future...
British
PM David Cameron promises "positive role" in Europe
more The
Prime Minister has promised that Great Britain will play “a very
positive, a very engaged, a very active role” in the EU Council
and in the future of the European Union. Speaking during...
The European Council will adopt measures
to overcome the crisis and strengthen the European Union over
the medium and long term
more The
Spanish Presidency considers this Council to be one of the most
important in the history of Europe, due to the unprecedented crisis
afflicting the economies of EU countries and as a...
The EU plans to rule if Montenegro
is to become an accession candidate in November
more The
enlargement process of the European Union in the Western Balkans
is "a priority and a commitment" of the Spanish Presidency, and
will be for the Trio, according to the Spanish Secretary...
Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili met his French Counterpart
Nicolas Sarkozy
more The
main topic of discussion was economic and political support and
new partnership relations. The most important issue discussed during
this meeting was the ongoing process of thesix-point...
The ICC Rome Statute to include definition
of crime of aggression
more The
Review Conference of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal
Court (ICC) unanimously adopted the definition of a crime of aggression
and the associated jurisdictional conditions as an...
Alexander
Downer briefed UN Security Council on Cyprus
more Mr
Downer briefed on the current state of talks between the two parties
since the election of Dervis Eroglu as the leader of the Turkish
Cypriot community. He also flagged the Secretary-General’s...
European Council to adopt the Europe
2020 strategy
more The
European Council is to adopt “Europe 2020”, the EU’s new economic
strategy for jobs and growth and the relating quantitative headline
targets for education and poverty that were not agreed...
European Energy Community: competitiveness,
security of supply
and sustainability
more The
EU should accelerate the application of common energy policy rules,
and the policy itself must aim to improve competitiveness, security
of supply and sustainability, concluded a joint meeting...
MEPs and U.S. congressmen support
the
intensification of mutual dialogue
more This
Sunday, at the end of the LXVIII EU-US Interparliamentary Meeting,
the delegations of European MPs and US congressmen approved a joint
declaration in which they support...
The EU signed the financial stabilisation mechanism
more The
Eurozone finance ministers signed the financial stability mechanism
that was designed a month ago in order to help those countries
in danger of insolvency. It could mean the mobilisation...
Medvedev and Merkel discussed the
issues of European security
and cooperation
more Dmitry
Medvedev and Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the issues
of European security and cooperation between Russia and European
Union. The two leaders particularly addressed...
Ban unveiled new head of UN peacekeeping
force in Cyprus
more Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon appointed Lisa Buttenheim of the United States as his
Special Representative and top United Nations official in Cyprus,
where UN-backed talks...
Relations with Brazil have enormous
potential, Germany said
more At
the 28th German-Brazilian Business Forum in Munich, Federal Foreign
Minister Guido Westerwelle spoke in favour of expanding bilateral
cooperation. Not only were there...
'Small Business Act' in Europe to
be a priority more The
Spanish Presidency considers progress with regard to the implementation
of the Small Business Act for Europe to be a priority, as was expressed
by the Spanish Minister for Industry...
EU-Russia summit has
taken place in Rostov-on-Don
more The
25th EU-Russia summit announced practical launch of the Partnership
for Modernisation initiative. In a joint statement issued following
the meeting, the sides noted the need...
"Fighting terrorism is like being
a goalkeeper," Dutch PM Verhagen quoted
more At
the opening of the International Centre for Counterterrorism, Verhagen
said "terrorism is one of the biggest and most challenging
threats facing the world in the twenty-first century. To meet...
Ukraine not ready to join NATO, but
we must develop our partnership
more Our
country is not ready to join NATO, however, we certainly must develop
partnerships relations with the Alliance, said President Yanukovych
in Lviv in the interview to journalists...
Russia has maintained its status as Finland's most important
trade
partner
more PM
Vanhonen declared that "this year has already seen positive
trends in trade between the two countries, and cooperation agreements
such as these are extremely important for the future of our...
British FM sets out ‘distinctive'
foreign policy in Queen’s
Speech debate
more Foreign
Secretary William Hague today set out his plans for a ‘distinctive
British foreign policy’ in the Foreign Affairs and Defence
debate on the Queen’s Speech. Speaking in the House...
Ban welcomes resumption of Cyprus reunification talks
more Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the resumption of talks that aim to
reunify the Mediterranean island country of Cyprus, urging both
the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders...
The Union for the Mediterranean
Summit, postponed to ensure
its "complete success"
more Spain,
the host of the Union for the Mediterranean (UM) Summit, and Egypt
and France, the co-chairs, closed ranks this Sunday to defend the "importance
and significance" of the UM. They also stressed that the...
British Prime Minister David Cameron
met European Leaders
more David
Cameron has made his first overseas visits as Prime Minister to
Paris and Berlin to meet French President Sarkozy and German Chancellor
Merkel. Prime Minister David Cameron travelled...
Turkey has earned right to speak forcefully
on global matters, Ban said
more In
a speech in Istanbul, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told that
Turkey is leading by example and is part of UN peacekeeping missions
in Lebanon, across Africa, with NATO in Afghanistan. Its...
EU signed its first association agreement
with Central American regional bloc
more The
Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, welcomed
the signing of this agreement, saying it "politically, economically
and socially strengthens Central America and the European Union"...
Greece and Turkey agreed to re-launch joint Task Force
more The
two Prime Ministers decided to relaunch the Greek-Turkish Task
Force in order to contribute to carry further the accession process
of Turkey, focusing on issues concerning the accession negotiations...
Belarus PM Sidorsky praised progress
in Belarusian-Italian cooperation
more Belarus
and Italy have made great progress in bilateral cooperation, Belarusian
Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky said as he met with Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of Italy to Belarus Giulio...
Experts group presented report on
new Strategic Concept for NATO
more On
May 17, 2010, the Group of Experts appointed by Secretary General
Anders Fogh Rasmussen to lay the groundwork for a new Strategic
Concept for NATO presented its analysis and recommendations...
German FM Westerwelle commented on
the decisions aimed at strengthening the euro area
more "We
have to learn the right lessons from this crisis. The German Government
is working to ensure that the new European directive on stricter
regulations for hedge funds is adopted by mid-May. It was the...
Hague and Clinton reaffirmed
the "unbreakable" UK-U.S.
alliance
more The
two Secretaries discussed their common approach to Afghanistan,
the need for intensified international pressure on Iran to meet
its international obligations on its nuclear programme, the path
to...
Cameron's administration united behind
three key principles: freedom, fairness and
responsibility
more British
PM Cameron and Deputy PM Clegg declared they have a shared agenda
and a shared resolve to tackle the challenges our country faces,
to safeguard our national security and...
We clearly have is to rebuild trust
in our political system, British PM Cameron declared
more In
his first speech as British PM, David Cameron said "Yes that’s
about cleaning up expenses, yes that is about reforming parliament,
and yes it is about making sure people are in...
The EU has brought peace and stability
to the Western part of Europe, Austrian FM Spindelegger told
more In
a speech at the opening of the Western Balkan Experts Seminar at
the Diplomatic Academy, Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger
said the EU "has enabled us to prosper and...
David Cameron appointed British Prime
Minister, Gordon Brown resigned
more Conservative
Party's Leader David Cameron was invited to form a Government by
Her Majesty the Queen tonight. His appointment comes after the
General Election on May 6th...
Serbia will not alter its principled
policy towards Kosovo-Metohija issue
more Minister
of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic said in Strasbourg today that the
contestable status of the Serbian province of Kosovo-Metohija is
one of the most delicate issues with which...
IMF said moderate and uneven recovery
taking shape across Europe
more A
moderate and uneven recovery is taking shape across Europe, supported
by the rebound in global trade and policy stimulus, the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) says in its...
Spanish EU Presidency is determined to open new chapters in negotiations
with Turkey
more "The
Spanish Presidency believes that we must continue the negotiation
process with determination and move towards the opening of new
chapters," FM Moratinos said at a press conference...
IMF welcomed European Actions to stabilize
Euro Area
more Dominique
Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
(IMF), strongly welcome the far-reaching steps unveiled today by
the European Union and the European...
The Eurogroup leaders
conclude the Greek aid process
more Concluding
the process and deciding on the schedule for releasing the funds
agreed on for Greece, as well as examining and learning lessons
from the crisis for the governance of...
The European Union is very much involved in the United Nations
more In
financial terms, as EU contribute some 40 per cent of the United
Nations budget, while its gross national product contribution amounts
to only 30 per cent. EU contributes 44...
Valuable opportunities for enhancing
China-EU strategic cooperation
more China
and the EU established the comprehensive strategic partnership
in 2003. This historic decision has a significant and profound
impact on our joint response to the international...
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao held talks
with European Commission President Barroso
more On
April 29, 2010, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao held talks with European
Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso at the Great Hall of the
People. Both sides had a candid and in-depth...
Spain and Union
for the Mediterranean signed agreement on headquarters
more Spain's
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Miguel Ángel Moratinos,
has met the Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean,
Ahmed Masa’deh, at the Viana Palace to...
National effort by Greece is unprecedented,
IMF leadership said
more IMF
strongly supports the economic program announced today by the Government
of Greece. The steps being taken, while difficult, are necessary
to restore confidence in the Greek...
Towards more cooperation between EU regions for greater economic
development
more One
of the priorities of the Spanish Presidency of the EU is to promote
cooperation between European regions and to encourage social and
economic development, as well as...
Prime Minister urges Belarus producers
to reconsider their export strategies
more Belarusian
producers should reconsider their strategies for new markets, Prime
Minister Sergei Sidorsky said when visiting BelAZ on 22
April, 2010. We need to change the strategy of arrival...
President Christofias on“The Cyprus problem: Back to the negotiating
table”
more Christofias
told "a solution providing for the evolution of the unitary
bicommunal state of the Republic of Cyprus into a federal, bicommunal
one. This solution had been agreed upon by both Cypriot...
U.S. Secretary of State Clinton met
with European Parliament President
Jerzy Buzek
more Buzek
and Clinton discussed a number of issues. And Clinton mentioned
U.S. commitment to working to resolve the outstanding matter of
the terrorist finance tracking program, which is...
Russian-Danish
talks have taken place
more The
talks focused primarily on developing trade and economic ties,
expanding the legal base for the two countries’ relations, and
bilateral and international cooperation in the Arctic...
Germany's MFA said "We must shape Europe politically"
more In
a speech at Bonn University, Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle
put forward his vision of Europe. At a time when Europe was challenged
from within and without, he declared...
Russia and Norway get close to a final
solution on maritime delimitation
more During
talks in Oslo between Dmitry Medvedev and Norwegian Prime Minister
Jens Stoltenberg, the parties reached a preliminary agreement on
maritime delimitation and their countries'...
Russian PM Vladimir Putin met with Ukrainian President Viktor
Yanukovych
more Putin:
We are interested in more than just cooperation, we are also willing
to take an active part, along with our Ukrainian partners, in the
modernisation of Ukraine's generating units and to...
EU and Egypt discussed Europe-Mediterranean developments
more The
European Union and Egypt have met in Luxembourg for the sixth meeting
of the Association Council since the agreement governing economic,
political and cultural relations between them...
Political agreement in the EU on the
European External Action Service
more The
General Affairs Council gathered on Monday in Luxembourg under
the chair of Spanish Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos, reached a
political agreement based on the proposal...
Spanish economic affairs minister
warns of slowdown in global
recovery
more The
Second Vice President of the Spanish government and Minister of
Economy and Finance, Elena Salgado, on Saturday appeared on behalf
of the European Union before that...
Ukraine, Russia agreed on deployment
of Russian Black Sea Fleet
more President
of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
signed the Agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation
on deployment of Russian...
Germany
the world’s most popular country according to a poll more According
to a survey carried out by the British broadcaster BBC, Germany
is held in higher regard than any other of the 28 states featured.
It has thus topped the international poll for...
European air space gradually starts
to reopen
more The
Spanish Secretary of State for the EU, Diego López Garrido, and
the European Commissioner for Transport, Siim Kallas, in the European
Parliament on Tuesday defended the...
Greece supports Cyprus President Christofias'
decision to continue talks
more As
reaffirmed during the Greek Prime Minister’s recent visit to the
Republic of Cyprus, the Greek government fully supports the efforts
of President Demetris Christofias and the decision to...
Georgian leader Mikheil Saakashvili
addressed the Atlantic Council
more Saakashvili
considers that Georgia is the only post-Soviet country that managed
to dig out everything Soviet from its life. These changes do not
occur only for his term of Presidency, this is...
EU trade policy prospects at the European
Commission
more Several
complex trade policy themes were on the agenda when João
Aguiar Machado, Deputy Director-General of European Commission's
Directorate-General for...
Cyprus President Christofias and Prime
Minister of Greece Papandreou met
more President
Christofias said: “There is a joint strategy to start with. It
was not the objective today to forge a joint strategy between Greece
and Cyprus from zero. The responsibility of...
European Parliament monitors polls
in Sudan
more MEPs
in the European Parliament election observation delegation to Sudan
are currently monitoring the ballots in Khartoum and the southern
city of Juba. The complexity of...
European Parliament wants to limit
data transfers to USA
more MEPs
called for bulk transfers of personal data to the USA to be avoided,
if necessary by processing them within the EU, and for Europe's
citizens to be guaranteed the right...
An Italian-French nuclear energy axis good for Europe, Frattini
wrote
more Energy,
defence, immigration, European security, Middle East and Iranian
nuclear potential are just some of the agenda items of the 28th
Italy-France intergovernmental summit...
European Parliament will count 18
additional MEPs
more The
Constitutional Affairs Committee gave its support on Wednesday
to a modification of the Lisbon Treaty that would allow 18 new
Members of the European Parliament...
IMF said outstanding issues remain
in Ukraine
more The
mission made significant progress in understanding the 2010 budget
priorities of the government. It also made notable progress in
discussions on measures...
Statement on the dissolution of the
Western European Union
more The
Spanish Presidency of the Western European Union issued a statement
on behalf of the Member States of the Modified Brussels Treaty,
announcing by mutual agreement...
Ukraine is actively integrating into the European Union, Yanukovych
declared
more There
is an unquestionable truth - Ukraine is an independent sovereign
state. So it is written in the Basic Law of our country. There
is another truth - Ukraine is actively integrating...
The Serbian Parliament adopted a Declaration
condemning Srebrenica
more The
declaration was passed with 127 MPs voting for it. The Srebrenica
Declaration sharply condemns the crime committed against the Bosnian
population in Srebrenica in July...
The two Cyprus leaders confirm "nothing is agreed unless
everything is
agreed,"
more After
many meetings that have taken place to date, and our discussions
on all aspects of the Cyprus problem, the two leaders are encouraged
by the important progress they...
Renewed economic cooperation between
Finland and India
more Minister
of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma of India and Minister for
Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen signed a new
agreement to promote economic cooperation between...
Tymoshenko's aid believes IMF will be tough with Ukraine
more The
International Monetary Fund will set strict terms for the Ukrainian
government in order to continue the stand-by program," Hryhoriy
Nemyria has said. "Their key position has...
President Yanukovych wants to develop
an Ukrainian security initiative
more Developments
in the world of the last two to three years revealed a number of
problems that present direct threat to the national security of
Ukraine. Ineffectiveness of the strategy...
Russian and Ukrainian PMs discussed future of energy and natural
gas partnership
more Vladimir
Putin said this partnership should rest on firm legal principles
and strict compliance with relevant agreements by all parties involved,
which will ensure the continuous...
Zapatero called on euro countries to do their part to help Greece
more After
chairing the Tripartite Social Summit meeting, which is traditionally
held before the spring European Council meeting, José Luis Rodríguez
Zapatero reiterated that...
New agreement between the EU and countries
in Africa, the Caribbean and the
Pacific
more At
a joint meeting on 19 March 2010 the EU and the ACP countries were
able to complete negotiations on a new revised Cotonou Agreement.
The negotiations started in June 2009...
Transnational crime is having a growing impact on States' security
more French
Ambassador Gérard Araud told Criminal networks not only
benefit from weak or failed States; their activities also help
to exacerbate political tensions, inter alia, by...
Yanukovych wants to bring Ukraine
on par with advanced countries
more The
new Government's strategic goal is to bring our country on par
with advanced countries, said President Viktor Yanukovych, speaking
at the first meeting of the Committee...
Alternate FM Droutsas gave speech about "Greece at the crossroads"
more Droutsas: "On
the financial level, the efforts of the Greek Prime Minister and
the government’s economic team, the efforts of the entire
Greek people, everyone’s efforts...
EU to make its first decisions for
the "Europe 2020” strategy
more Spanish
Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos believed that the time has
come to give “a clear political signal” to determine
the direction of the economic development model...
EU’s performance on the global stage is important, Denmark
said
more There
is a strong demand for the EU to take on a greater international
responsibility. Within the last couple of years alone, this demand
has been on display in Georgia...
Security Challenges are changing,
British PM Brown said at FPA
more Today
we face a new kind of terrorism and potential conflicts over resources,
cyber-crime, piracy and global increases in illegal migration all
point to problems that we have got...
Finland pushes for EU's crisis management
capabilities' development
more With
their comprehensiveness, EU crisis management operations, though
limited in duration and scope compared against NATO operations,
bring genuine added value to the resolution...
The EU Foreign Affairs Council to discuss the Middle East
more The
EU Foreign Affairs Council will convene in Brussels on 22 March.
The main topics of the meeting are the Middle East Peace Process
and preparations for the EU External...
Globally 2010 will still be a stimulus
year, EC said
more The
European Commission assessed stability and convergence programmes
of fourteen EU Member States. The programmes assessed today are
marked by two milestones: the...
Time to end "opportunistic speculation", Greek PM Papandreou
told
more This
crisis should be seen as an "opportunity for deep changes
to make the economy we both, Geeks as well as Europeans, can be
proud of," George Papandreou told European Parliament...
Ukrainian Navy and Russian Black Sea Fleet to parade jointly
on May 9
more On
the Victory Day, a joint military parade of the Ukrainian Navy
and the Russian Black Sea Fleet is to be held in Sevastopol. Also,
the Ukrainian-Russian Interstate Commission...
Tymoshenko wants to build an opposition
movement throughout Ukraine
more Representatives
of eight Ukrainian opposition groups signed an agreement on creating
a united parliamentary opposition and coordinating council. Yulia
Tymoshenko emphasized that...
EU to become more than just "an economic giant, but a political
dwarf"
more Greek
alternate FM Droutsas told the Hellenic Parliament that the Lisbon
Treaty, which entered into force on 1 December 2009, has created
a new institutional and political reference...
Spanish minister says that mechanism
for helping Greece is "very advanced"
more The
economy and finance ministers of the euro area countries are meeting
in Brussels to study possible mechanisms to help Greece overcome
its budgetary crisis, a process that the Spanish minister...
Brazil
and Germany are Strategic partners
more Germany
and Brazil are linked by a strategic partnership that covers far
more than just economic issues. Federal Foreign Minister Guido
Westerwelle stressed this fact on...
European
Monetary Fund as an instrument in times of crisis
more Chancellor
Angela Merkel and the French Prime Minister Francois Fillon have
discussed the Franco-German Agenda 2020 in more depth. Their meeting
focused on...
Russian President Medvedev held talks
with Prime Minister of Sweden Reinfeldt
more After
the meeting the President of Russia and the Prime Minister of Sweden
attended the signing of a number of bilateral documents: on the
energy cooperation, between...
EU competition policy: time to rethink the fines strategy and
tackle state aid
more The
need to assess the effectiveness of Member States' state-aid activities
during the crisis, scale back the protectionist reflexes that it
triggered and update EU competition...
How to increase the EU's capacity
for action in a multipolar world
more European
ministers and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign
Affais and Security are to discuss the EU's contribution to the
Middle East process on the second day...
Launch of the Secretariat of the "Union
for the Mediterranean"
more "Committed
for the Mediterranean", Joint article Spanish FM Moratinos,
Egyptian FM Aboul Gheit and French FM Kouchner, 4 March 2010 represents
an important...
U.S. Reps
approved the Armenian Genocide resolution more Turkey
is a vital and, in most respects, a loyal ally of the United States
in a volatile region. We have also been a loyal ally to Turkey,
and should continue to be so. Be that as... “2020
Strategy” proposal for EU sustainable economic growth
more Spain's
Minister of Employment, Celestino Corbacho, has told the President
of the European Commission, José Manuel Durao Barroso, that
the Spanish Presidency of...
Impact of the crisis: don't lump all
new Member States together, warn EU experts
more Initially
the new EU Member States were thought to have been hit harder by
the crisis than the old ones. In fact, there is considerable variation
within both groups, agreed experts...
Ukraine does not plan expansion of
cooperation programs with NATO
more President
of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych noted that the programs of cooperation
between Ukraine and NATO will continue operation at the level reached
by his predecessors...
The challenges for
Europe in a Changing World, speech by Van Rompuy more (pdf) Our main
challenge is now how to deal, as Europe, with the rest of the world.
That is why today I propose to share some of my reflections about
the place and role of Europe in...
European Union to strengthen ties
with Central Asia under Spanish Presidency
more The
Special Mission ambassador for Central Asia, Santiago Chamorro,
speaking today (Thursday) during the forum “The evolution
of relations between the European Union...
Foreign action of the EU should include
defending its economic
interests
more The
President of the Spanish Government, José Luis Rodríguez
Zapatero, stressed the importance of ensuring that European economic
interests were included as a "decisive factor"...
Initial agreement to save the A400M
military transport aircraft project
more The
seven European countries involved in the project to build a large-capacity
military transport aircraft (Germany, France, Spain, the United
Kingdom, Turkey, Belgium...
EU should enhance its strategic autonomy in Security and Defense
more The
EU must enhance its strategic autonomy through a strong and effective
foreign, security and defence policy, said the Foreign Affairs
Committee on Tuesday. Its report on the...
NATO’s security promise has not changed, U.S. top official
told special briefing
more The
reason for those speeches specifically is that the heads of state
and government in April decided – of NATO decided that NATO
needed a new strategic concept, and...
Moving towards a European armed force;
step by step, but that is
EU's objective
more Spain's
Minister of Defence, Carme Chacón, will be attending the
Informal Meeting of Ministers to be held in Majorca on 24 and 25
February, hoping to drive forward plans to...
Ecofin Council urged Greece to apply
an “ambitious package” of structural reforms
more The
Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister of Economy
and Finance, Elena Salgado, chaired an Ecofin Council meeting attended
by European Finance Ministers...
Italian FM Frattini
give details of 'Benedict XVI’s geopolitics'
more The
theme of the meeting “Quando il Papa pensa il mondo” seems
a timely choice: only a few months after the publication of his
Caritas in veritate encyclical and a few days...
Ukrainian PM Tymoshenko
vows to contest election result
more Yulia
Tymoshenko’s team is demanding a recount at 1,300 polling
stations, the head of her central campaign headquarters Oleksandr
Turchynov has announced. "We filed appeals...
NATO's North Atlantic Council wants
to help Moldova to reach its reform ambitions
more On
10 February, Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister
of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Iurie Leanca, met
with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen...
MEPs still concerned
about data protection in interim agreement on SWIFT
more In
a debate on Wednesday most of Parliament's political groups restated
their concern at the lack of data protection and legal redress
in the provisional agreement on bank...
Baltic Sea Action Summit in Helsinki
a success
more The
Baltic Sea Action Summit that was held in Helsinki on Wednesday,
10 February was a success in the opinion of the arrangers. The
summit attracted a large and high...
Parliament approved
new European Commission
more The
European Parliament elected the new European Commission by 488
votes to 137, with 72 abstentions, in Strasbourg on Tuesday. The
vote took the form of a single ballot...
Spanish EU Presidency
issued Donostia Declaration on Science
more European
citizens appreciate how science has shaped our common history and
recognise that science will define our future, as the EU 2020 Strategy
will highlight. But European science...
Zapatero presents the
priorities of the Spanish Presidency of the EU in the USA
more The
President of the Spanish Government, José Luis Rodríguez
Zapatero, is visiting Washington on 3 and 4 February, for a visit
scheduled as part of the rotating Presidency of the European...
Italian PM Berlusconi
is "convinced in the justness of Israel’s path"
more Berlusconi:
Yesterday I told you about my long-held dream. Israel is a Western
country. The Judeo-Christian culture is the foundation of Western
culture. Israel has a democracy that was born miraculously...
U.S. Secretary Clinton made remarks
on the Future of European Security
more - Summary Clinton:
As founding members of the NATO Alliance, our countries have worked
side by side for decades to build a strong and secure Europe and
to defend and promote...
Trade negotiations between the EU
and Central America within sight
more The
elections and investiture of Porfirio Lobo as President of Honduras
have cleared the way for the EU to restore normal relations with
the Central American country...
Spanish Presidency ministers outline
Council Presidency priorities
more Spanish
Presidency ministers this week outline their EU Council Presidency
priorities to a range of parliamentary committees and will field
MEPs' questions on most EU policy areas...
U.S. Deputy Secretary visited UK to promote Defense Cooperation
more U.S.
Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III is slated to address
attendees at the European Security and Defense Conference and members
of Great Britain’s Parliament at...
UK threat level from international
terrorism raised from substantial to severe
more The
Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) has changed the UK threat
level from international terrorism from substantial to severe.
The current threat level means that the threat...
Elections were held freely, Ukrainian leader Yushchenko
said
more As
the Head of State I accept the choice of Ukrainian people expressed
in elections on January 17, 2010. The most important thing is that
the elections were held freely, democratically...
Terrorist cells are
actively trying to attack Britain, PM said
more PM
Gordon Brown: The failed attack over Detroit on Christmas day signalled
the first operation mounted outside Arabia by “al Qaeda in
the Arabian peninsula,” the Yemen-based...
Spain wants well-coordinated
and strong border controls
more Europe
must commit to three courses of action: The first is to strengthen
entry controls into Europe. If we want legal immigration, this
means we must have strong border controls that...
Germany to intensify the strategic
partnership with China
more The
intensive and dynamic relations between Germany and China should
be further expanded. Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle
emphasized this during his inaugural visit to...
Spain, key country for EU relations with Latin America, a poll
says
more Spain
is a key country for the European Union in terms of it relations
with Latin America, according to 67% of international correspondents
polled on the occasion of the recently-inaugurated...
European ministers
aim to set energy targets
more The
Energy Action Plan for 2010-2014, which includes sections on sustainability,
the fight against climate change and security in energy supplies,
among others, as well as the European...
Yushchenko spoke about obstacles to
fair 2010 presidential election
more President
Victor Yushchenko thinks there are currently three major obstacles
to holding fair and transparent elections: legal, financial and
organizational, he said at his today’s press conference...
HR Catherine Ashton
quizzed by MEPs about foreign policy
more Catherine
Ashton, the High Representative-designate for foreign policy, was
questioned by the Foreign Affairs Committee about the EU diplomatic
service, her dual role working for both Council...
EU Commission awards
major contracts to make Galileo operational early 2014
more
(pdf) The European Commission announced today the award of
three of the six contracts for the procurement of Galileo’s
initial operational capability. The contract for the system support
services...
Kosovo leader Sejdiu called for dissolution
of Serbian parallel structures
more The
President of Republic of Kosovo, Dr. Fatmir Sejdiu, received today
the Head of EULEX, Mr. Yves De Kermabon and the Deputy International
Civilian Representative, Mr. Fletcher Burton...
PM Zapatero outlined
the priorities of the Spanish Presidency of the EU
more The
Spanish prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero,
has promised to work, within a Europe capable of coming out of
the economic crisis, towards ‘a new model of balanced and
sustainable...
European Union's President Van Rompuy
interviewed on his new role
more Herman
Van Rompuy was elected permanent President of the European Council
at the summit held on 19 November 2009. Less than two weeks later,
he took up his post. Here he answers...
EU Common Foreign and Security Policy
during the Swedish Presidency
more The
final Council meeting has been concluded and the priority issues
have come to a conclusion. It is almost time for Spain to take
over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European...
EU and Republic of Moldova issued
a joint statement on Cooperation
more The
parties agreed to continue their efforts to bring the Republic
of Moldova (hereafter referred to as Moldova) closer to the EU,
acknowledging Moldova's European aspirations. They discussed...
The U.S.-Europe Partnership Under
the Obama Administration
more U.S.-European
cooperation is so vast a topic that it’s hard to know where
to start or where to end. But let me start with Afghanistan, not
just because it’s so timely—with the rollout of a new
strategy, testimony...
European Union encourages Kenyan government
to implement reforms
more Sweden's
Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson
is currently in Kenya heading an EU Troika to convey at political
level the EU's strong commitment, support for and expectations...
Sweden wants human rights to be permanently
integrated in EU foreign policy
more “International
Human Rights day on 10 December reminds us of each person’s
right to live in freedom and democracy, with full respect for rights
and freedoms. As holder of the EU Presidency, Sweden has made efforts
to...
Climate, the Middle East and Iran
are the issues tackled at EU FMs Council
more Climate,
the Middle East, EU enlargement, Iran and the preparation of the
European Council of 10-11 December: these are the issues on the
agenda for the Foreign Ministers meeting today Monday 7 and...
French President Nicolas Sarkozy met
Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev
more President
of France Nicolas Sarkozy has today met here with visiting President
of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev at the Elysee Palace. Successful development
of political, economic, cultural ties between the two countries...
Azerbaijan President meets Vice-Chairman
and President of GDF SUEZ
more President
of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met Vice-Chairman and President
of GDF SUEZ Jean-Francois Cirelli. They exchanged views on prospects
for developing the cooperation between Azerbaijan and GDF SUEZ...
Israel's response to the EU Foreign
Ministers Council statement
more The
statement by the Council of Foreign Ministers of the European Union
ignores the primary obstacle to achieving a resolution between
Israel and the Palestinians - the Palestinian refusal to return
to the negotiating table...
Ukrainian President Yushchenko declared
he won't be Prime Minister
more When
asked at talk show "Freedom of Speech" on ICTV channel
whether he intends to apply for Prime Minister's office if he looses
2010 presidential election, President Victor Yushchenko replied
that he does...
Secure energy supply and energy efficiency
in Europe
more The
EU ministers for energy debated secure energy supply at the meeting
of the Energy Council in Brussels on 7 December. The Presidency
presented a status report on the three elements of the Energy Efficiency...
UN Secretary-General "cautiously
optimistic" about a Cyprus settlement more The
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was “cautiously
optimistic” that a solution to the Cyprus problem could be
found, adding that the task of reaching a functional and stable
settlement in the form of a bizonal...
Press conference with British PM Brown
and Taoiseach Cowen
more Northern
Ireland and the devolution of policing and justice was the first
item of discussion, and we both recognise the achievement of the
devolved institutions to date. We both firmly believe that the
template for further progress...
The 12th China-EU Summit
took place in Nanjing
more The
Twelfth China-EU Summit was held in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province of
China on 30 November 2009. Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Council
of the People's Republic of China attended the meeting on behalf
of China. The European Union...
"A new era begins",
Swedish EU Presidency says
more From
today, EU cooperation enters a new era. With the Treaty of Lisbon,
which comes into force today, the European Union is equipped for
new challenges. So writes Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt...
Russia has published
the draft of the European Security Treaty
more On
June 5, 2008, the President of Russia put forward an initiative
to develop a new pan-European security treaty, the main idea
of which is to create – in the context of military and
political security in the Euro-Atlantic region, a common...
Cyprus National Council discussed
peace negotiations and EU-Turkish affairs
more The
National Council – the top advisory body to the President
of the Republic on the handling of the Cyprus problem – convened
yesterday under the chairmanship of President Demetris Christofias
and discussed the course of direct negotiations...
President of Armenia Sargsyan and
President of Azerbaijan Aliev met in Munich
more On
November 22, in the framework of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
resolution process, the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and
the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev met in Munich. This is
the sixth meeting of the two Presidents...
Bosnia needs continued support amid
political impasse, Security Council told
more Bosnia
and Herzegovina needs continued international support in its
bid for Euro-Atlantic integration, despite the political impasse
it is currently facing, the United Nations Security Council was
told today. Valentin Inzko, High Rep...
Completion of the draft
of partnership agreement between Iraq and the EU
more Bilateral
negotiations between Iraq and the European Union concluded successfully
on 13th .Nov.2009 afternoon with completing the draft of partnership
agreement between the two sides, which lasted nine rounds of
negotiations that lasted more than...
NATO at 60: Traditional Values and
New Threats
more Address
by the NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the 14th
International NATO Conference, Budapest, Hungary. We are engaged
in demanding missions and operations on several continents – missions
and operations that...
Ukrainian President Yushchenko met
with Georgian counterpart Saakashvili
more In
the Horodetsky House President Victor Yushchenko met tete-a-tete
with President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili. At the beginning
of the meeting the President of Ukraine thanked his Georgian
colleague for his visit and expressed the hope that...
Swedish EU Presidency's Fredrik Reinfeldt
on EU-Russia summit
more Prime
Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt receives Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev in Stockholm for a third-country summit. The Swedish
Presidency’s two main priorities, climate change and the
economy, will be discussed, as well as energy issues and...
Germany’s foreign policy based on
continuity and new focuses
more Europe
must be more than just a “concert of big players”,
Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told the German Bundestag.
In the debate on foreign and security policy, Westerwelle stressed
that he wants a European dialogue “among equal partners” and
closer...
UK PM Gordon Brown gave speech on
Immigration
more The
Prime Minister has delivered a speech on immigration in west
London on 12 November 2009. We meet this morning in a capital
city where over 300 languages are spoken - a city that is one
of the most culturally rich places on our planet - a city that
epitomises the strong values and the diversity that has helped
to...
8th Geneva Discussions on Security and Stability in Transcaucasia
more The
eighth meeting in the framework of international discussions
on security and stability in Transcaucasia took place in Geneva
on November 11. It was attended by delegations from the Republic
of Abkhazia, Georgia, the Russian Federation, the United States
of America and the Republic of South Ossetia and...
Ukraine will fulfill all its “gas” obligations, PM Tymoshenko
said
more Ukraine
has fulfilled its international obligations regarding the supply
and transit of natural gas, having paid for the gas in full and
on time. "It took great efforts, but we managed to pay our
natural gas bill for October in full and on time. But this comes
at a very high price for us," Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko
said...
UK is committed to Bosnia and Herzegovina's future in the EU
more Foreign
Secretary David Miliband commented on his recent visit to Bosnia
and Herzegovina during a statement to Parliament on Wednesday
11 November. During his visit, the Foreign Secretary met BiH
Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj, Federation Prime Minister Mustafa
Mujezinovic and the Collective Presidency...
Medvedev on the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall fall (Der
Spiegel)
more President
Medvedev: Time has been running very fast. Twenty years later,
everything that happened in Eastern Europe and everything related
to the unification of Germany and the fall of Berlin Wall has
become history already. I do not remember where I was on that
day. But I perfectly remember that I had a very...
People and doctors are dying from H1N1, Yushchenko told Ukrainians
more I
address you in performance of my constitutional duty under the
Article 106 of the Basic Law of the state. The reason is the
emergency epidemic situation in the country. Infections of viral
origin, including the A/H1N1 flu, are rapidly spreading across
Ukraine. The emergency is evident in the scale of the epidemic...
Finland authorized Nord Stream’s offshore gas pipeline
project
more On
5 November 2009, the Government granted consent for Nord Stream
AG’s plan to construct an offshore natural gas pipeline
system that would traverse the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream will act
as the operator of the natural gas pipeline system, which involves
two parallel pipelines. These pipelines, approximately...
U.S. President Obama met Chancellor Merkel of Germany
more - speech
of Merkel before U.S. Congress President Obama: Hello,
everybody. Well, I'm just going to make a brief statement.
I am thrilled to have Chancellor Merkel here today. I want
to congratulate her again for her victory in her recent election,
the formation of a government, and we are honored to have her
visit...
German foreign policy is peace policy, new FM Westerwelle said
more Federal
Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has officially taken office.
In his first address the new Foreign Minister expressed his desire
to actively shape Germany’s foreign and European policy. These
were among the most valuable fixtures of German politics, he
said. The Weltsaal of the Federal Foreign Office...
European Union strengthened its leadership on climate
more After
lengthy and difficult negotiations, the EU Member States have
reached agreement. The difficult question of 'climate financing'
has been resolved and the EU’s climate package is thus
complete. At the summit’s closing press conference, a delighted
Fredrik Reinfeldt noted that the EU has a strong mandate for
negotiation...
European Union to strengthen its action in Afghanistan and
Pakistan
more With
a plan for consolidated and strengthened action, the European
Union stands ready to take on the complex challenges in Afghanistan
and Pakistan. Concerted support from the international community
is needed now more than ever. “With a new government soon to
take office in Kabul, and a deteriorating security situation
in the region...
European Union's External Relations Council on 27 October 2009
more The
Council discussed the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan,
in particular how the EU should further engage in the region.
Following the debate, it adopted conclusions and an action plan
which prioritise EU's policies and describe how to implement
them. As regards Guinea, the Council adopted measures targeting
the...
Russian Prime Minister Putin met the Finnish Prime Minister
Vanhanen
more - press
conference Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:
In 2008 our mutual trade reached a record high of .4 billion.
We are developing our relations in industrial cooperation,
energy, ship-building and high technologies. Today, of course,
we will also discuss cooperation in the forestry sector. This
is natural considering that we...
U.S. Vice President Biden met with Czech Prime Minister Fischer
more Vice
President Biden: "It's an honor to be with you, and an honor
to be in this magnificent city of Prague. It's been a while since
I've been here, and I'm delighted to be back, particularly on
what is essentially a historic anniversary. It's been five years
since the Czech Republic joined the European Union, 10 years
since its...
French President Sarkozy met with Chinese Councilor Bingguo
more - with
French PM François Fillon On October 20, 2009, French
President Nicolas Sarkozy met with visiting Chinese State Councilor
Dai Bingguo at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris. Sarkozy
spoke highly of China's achievements in various fields and
its important role in dealing with the major international
and regional issues such as the...
Armenian President Sargsyan visited the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
more - Interview
to Artsakh Public TV The President of the Republic of Armenia,
Commander-in-Chief Serzh Sargsyan continues his working visit
to the defense positions of our country and the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic. Accompanied by the President of the NKR Bako Sahakian,
RA Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanian and highest military
ranks...
New Challenges and Better Capabilities for NATO, Speech by
SG Rasmussen
more Afghanistan
is the most complex challenge which NATO has ever undertaken.
And I am well aware that there are an increasing number of people,
also here in Slovakia, who are asking if the cost of our engagement
in Afghanistan is too high. To these people, I want to say very
clearly and unambiguously that the cost of inaction would be...
U.S. Vice President Biden met with Romanian President Basescu
more VP
Biden: Well, Mr. President, thank you for your hospitality. You
know, diplomats and high-level politicians always walk out of
meetings saying, we had a frank and useful discussion. Well,
we did have a frank and very useful discussion, and I appreciate
your insight, and I appreciate your leadership. I am very pleased
to be here today...
Remarks by U.S. Vice President Biden with Polish Prime Minister
Tusk
more - with
Polish President Kaczynski Vice President Biden: Mr. President,
thank you very much. You know, it's remarkable, I was thinking
as I rode over to see you, that one of my last visits to Poland
was to meet with your predecessors, and then to give a speech
at Warsaw University, discussing -- as I was pushing very hard
-- the admission of Poland...
President of Russia Medvedev spoke at Serbian National Assembly
more Serbia
honours everyone who gave their lives fighting for its liberation.
I saw this for myself today, while laying flowers at the liberators’ cemetery,
where Soviet soldiers are buried. I would like to thank the people
of Serbia with all of my heart, on behalf of our nation, for
their responsible and honourable attitudes toward the history
of World War II...
Speech by Carlgren to the European Parliament on Environment
more We
are at a decisive point in time. In less than two months’ time
in Copenhagen, the nations of the world are to conclude an agreement
to meet the climate challenge. It must be an agreement that will
keep global warming below two degrees Celsius, include all nations
and adapt future measures to new scientific knowledge. With 48
days to...
The Riga Conference 2009 will bring together three Baltic States
more This
week, from October 23 to October 24 in the Maza Gilde (the Small
Guild) the Riga Conference 2009 entitled "Economic Recovery
in a Changing Security Environment: Transatlantic Agenda 2010" will
take place. For the fourth time already Riga will gather heads
of states, the world's leading academicians, politicians, representatives...
Settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is more optimistic
more “The
situation when it comes to Nagorno-Karabakh is rather optimistic.
There have been many meetings between the foreign ministers,
and also the presidents of the two countries – Armenia
and Azerbaijan; and this is the sign that the negotiations are
intensified, and my personal view is that there is a good opportunity
for a solution,”...
British PM Brown gave a speech to the Major Economies Forum
more A
transcript of a speech given by the Prime Minister to the Major
Economies Forum in London on 19 October 2009. Let me first of
all welcome you to London. Let me pay tribute to your work in
leading the climate change debate in your own countries and in
driving that debate forward internationally. And let me say at
the outset just how important...
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