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Finland, Poland and Baltic countries to withdraw from anti-personnel mine ban treaty due to Russian threat

Finland, Poland and Baltic countries to withdraw from anti-personnel mine ban treaty due to Russian threat

Finland's prime minister has announced that Finland plans to withdraw from the international treaty banning the use of anti-personnel mines, citing the threat from Russia. The announcement comes two weeks after Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia took a first step towards also quitting the treaty, with them all pointing to the increased security risk from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.Finland's prime minister has announced that Finland plans to withdraw from the international treaty banning the use of anti-personnel mines, citing the threat from Russia. The announcement comes two weeks after Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia took a first step towards also quitting the treaty, with them all pointing to the increased security risk from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
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Trump tariffs shock global economy

Trump tariffs shock global economy

Stock markets and the dollar have tumbled after US President Donald Trump's latest worldwide tariffs caused a trade war that many fear will spark recession and ramp up inflation. The dollar slumped by as much as 2.6 percent versus the euro, its biggest intraday plunge in a decade. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU was "preparing for further countermeasures" but she emphasised it was "not too late to address concerns through negotiations". China announced on Friday that it will impose a 34% tariff on imports of all U.S. products beginning April 10 as a retaliatory measure.
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Landmark EU - Central Asia summit held in Samarkand

Landmark EU - Central Asia summit held in Samarkand

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa travelled to Uzbekistan to participate in a landmark EU–Central Asia summit. Held on 3–4 April, the event brings together EU leaders with the heads of state and government of the five Central Asian republics. Alongsidei the host, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the summit was also attended by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, and Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
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Israel’s military operation expanding to seize ‘large areas’ in Gaza Strip

Israel’s military operation expanding to seize ‘large areas’ in Gaza Strip

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday a major expansion of military operations in Hamas-run Gaza, saying the army would seize "large areas" of the Palestinian territory. Katz said Israel would bolster its presence in the Gaza Strip to "destroy and clear the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure". The operation would "seize large areas that will be incorporated into Israeli security zones", he said in a statement, without specifying how much territory.
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Final reading of new “foreign agents” law approved by Parliament in Georgia

Final reading of new “foreign agents” law approved by Parliament in Georgia

The Georgian Parliament has passed the final reading of a new "foreign agents" law that targets both organisations and individuals who receive foreign funding and fail to register with the Justice Ministry.  The bill had drawn sharp criticism from Georgian opposition parties as well as U.S. and EU officials, who believe this bill will be used as a tool to suppress civil society and independent media.
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US Senate Committee approves Bipartisan Act supporting sanctions on Georgian Dream officials

US Senate Committee approves Bipartisan Act supporting sanctions on Georgian Dream officials

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the bipartisan Megobari Act, which supports the aspirations of the people of Georgia for integration into Euro-Atlantic structures and imposes sanctions on officials of the governing party Georgian Dream and its allies undermining this path. Following this approval, the bill has been sent to other committees in the US Senate for review.
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Trump lashes out at both Zelensky and Putin over ceasefire talks

Trump lashes out at both Zelensky and Putin over ceasefire talks

US President Donald Trump lashed out at the leaders of both warring parties in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, expressing frustration as efforts to kick-start ceasefire talks remain deadlocked. Trump is trying to broker a ceasefire between Ukraine and its Russian invader, and has been pushing Zelensky to sign an agreement to give US firms exclusive access to Ukrainian rare earth minerals.
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Russia warns Armenia of high economic price if it pursues EU membership

Russia warns Armenia of high economic price if it pursues EU membership

Accession to the EU is incompatible with Armenia’s continued membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, a Russian-led trade bloc that gives it tariff-free access to Russia’s vast market, according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei Overchuk. Armenia would also have to pay much more for Russian energy resources and food, Overchuk said. Last week, the Armenian Parliament adopted a bill calling for the government to seek accession to the EU, representing a significant shift in Armenia’s foreign policy perspective away from its long-time ally Russia.
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Ministers meet in Ashgabat ahead of next week’s EU-Central Asia Summit

Ministers meet in Ashgabat ahead of next week’s EU-Central Asia Summit

On 27 March 2025, the Foreign Ministers of the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Deputy Foreign Ministers of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic, as well as the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas held their 20th European Union-Central Asia Ministerial meeting in Ashgabat in Turkmenistan. The ministers discussed the preparations for the organisation of the first EU-Central Asia Summit on 4 April 2025 in Samarkand in Uzbekistan, which will demonstrate their commitment to deepening ties with the EU, at the highest level, materialising closer strategic cooperation, and marking an important step in the intensification of EU-Central Asia relations.