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The European Union should harden its stance against Israel and follow in the footsteps of the United Kingdom and other Western allies by issuing sanctions against far-right members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet, Sweden’s foreign minister told Politico. Maria Malmer Stenergard said after meeting in Brussels with Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, that the EU now needs to take a stronger position and increase pressure on the Israeli government.

A delegation from the Council of the European Union’s Working Party on Eastern Europe and Central Asia (COEST) visited Kazakhstan on June 8-10 to hold talks with government officials in Kazakhstan. The visit, which included the cities of Aktau and Astana, was part of the practical implementation of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) between Kazakhstan and the European Union and its member states. According to the Astana Times quoting the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, the discussions demonstrated a high level of dialogue and mutual commitment aiming to strengthen the Kazakhstan-EU partnership.