“…The announcement of an agreement for cessation of hostilities on the eve of a New Year is welcome”- – says a statement of EU top diplomat Federica Mogherini commenting on the situation in Syria in hope for a lasting cessation of hostilities, the first one since the last peace halt in Syria failed. “What matters first and…
Category: International
UK to leave Human Rights Court
The Prime Minister Theresa May intention to abandon the European Convention on Human Rights will be at heart of her 2020 general election campaign, claims UK media. Downing Street sources presumed the Prime Minister supports plans to “lift and shift” the rights enshrined in the Convention and replicate them by the UK law. The plans…
'Leave' activists push for hard #Brexit
The ‘Leave Means Leave’ group co-chairs Richard Tice and John Longworth launched an appeal for ‘hard Brexit’ in a letter sent to chambers of commerce in the EU member-states, urging businesses of Europe to encourage their national governments for a ‘sensible agreement’, ensuring smooth, uninterrupted transition in mutually beneficial trade. “Many EU member states export…
Europol: new terrorist threats
As the so-called Islamic State (IS) loses ground in the Middle East, the pattern of its recent terrorist attacks in Europe suggests that it has already adopted new tactics to attack the West. These developments are highlighted in the report Changes in Modus Operandi of IS revisited published today by Europol’s European Counter Terrorism Centre…
Schools for Syrian children
The European Commission signed contracts worth a total of €270 million for construction and equipping of school buildings for Syrian refugee children and their host communities in Turkey. Under these contracts, some 100 schools are to be built and equipped, benefitting over 70,000 Syrian refugee children primarily in Turkey’s Southern and South-Eastern provinces. The EU…
Iran nuclear deal under scrutiny
The Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), composed by the E3/EU+3 and Iran, will convene on 10 January in Vienna. The meeting will review the implementation of the agreement and discuss the issues raised in the letter Foreign Minister Zarif addressed on 16 December to the High Representative, Federica Mogherini, as coordinator of…
EU-Turkey: to upgrade Customs Union?
The request of the European Commission to modernise the existing EU-Turkey Customs Union is motivated by the necessity to adapt the contemporary EU-Turkey trade relations, raising substantially the beneficial for both parties. With the evolution of the economic environment and the significant growth of EU-Turkey trade, the Customs Union that entered into force in 1996 is…
EU-USA-Canada visa free
The progress achieved of full visa reciprocity with Canada and the United States, evaluating the developments over the past five months is reported today by European Commission. The EU and Canada have agreed a clear timeline for achieving full visa waiver reciprocity. However no indications of progress with the United States achieved. “Guaranteeing full visa reciprocity…
Mogherini: addresses Arabe League
“Today we share a feeling of sadness and, if I can say so, mutual condolences as we see victims, civilians, innocent victims falling in Berlin, in Jordan just a few days ago, in Cairo, the assassination of the Russian Ambassador in Ankara yesterday” – said EU HR Federica Mogherini, addressing the EU-League of Arab States…
EU-Egypt: investing in small business
Today, the European Union and Egypt signed two EU assistance programmes that will strengthen social safety nets and foster inclusiveness and sustainable economic development in the country, launching the ‘EU Facility for Inclusive Growth and Job Creation’, with leverage of €420 million in support of reforms to improve the environment for business and to…
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