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Diplomats confident that an agreement on the Iran nuclear deal can be reached within days
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Diplomats confident that an agreement on the Iran nuclear deal can be reached within days

23 August 2022
European diplomats are confident that an agreement on the Iran nuclear deal is within reach and may be achieved within days. EU High Representative for foreign and security policy, Josep Borrell said on Monday that Iran had given a “reasonable” response to the final text of a proposed new agreement, and the ball was now in the US court. Borrell suggested that a meeting to seal an agreement may take place as early as this week. Borrell said the negotiations brokered by the EU had gone as far as they could go and “this is the inflection point.” He said: “There was an Iranian response that I considered reasonable to transmit to the US. “The US has not formally replied yet. But we are waiting for their response and I hope that response will allow us to finish the negotiation — I hope so, but I can’t assure you of it.” Efforts to restore the Joint Comprehensive  Plan of Action — the 2015 agreement between world powers and Tehran aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions — are at a critical point after 16 months of on-off indirect talks in Vienna.  
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Turkish opposition parties agree to field a single candidate against Erdogan in next year's presidential election
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Turkish opposition parties agree to field a single candidate against Erdogan in next year's presidential election

22 August 2022
The leaders of six opposition parties in Turkey have agreed to run in the next presidential elections, scheduled for next June, with a joint candidate. At their sixth meeting, held over the weekend they did not say who that candidate will be. “Our people should be assured that our joint candidate will be the president of all and not only the 13th President of the Republic of Turkey and those who vote for the political parties coming together around this table,” read a joint statement released following the meeting of the leaders of the Nation Alliance on  Sunday (21 August). “We are aware of the disappointments that our people have been suffering from for years. We will come out with eligible cadres and efficient policies to relive the people’s disappointments,” it noted. The opposition parties are expected to hold their next meeting on 2 October.
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Opinion: One step forward, two steps backward undermines the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process
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Opinion: One step forward, two steps backward undermines the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process

21 August 2022
"Recent developments underpinning the peace efforts are not insignificant, and were truly unimaginable a few years ago", writes Vasif Huseynov in this op-ed. Yet, the recent "series of events runs the risk of transforming the peace process into  a 'one step forward, two steps backward' ritual,  indefinitely delaying the negotiations. This  trend should be countered by all means possible. It  needs to be seriously  taken into account by the European Union  whilst exercising its efforts to bring the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to  the negotiating table", he adds.
Vasif Huseynov
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Russian occupied Crimea under attack
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Russian occupied Crimea under attack

20 August 2022
A drone strike hit the headquarters of Russia’s Navy headquarters in Crimea, sparking a huge explosion today in another suspected raid by Ukrainian forces. Smoke plumes billowed into the sky following the strike on Putin’s navy HQ. Russian forces tried to shoot down the drone but it detonated. No-one was killed. There were reports of "a powerful explosion" near the Russian Black Sea Fleet's headquarters in occupied Sevastopol at 8.20 on Saturday morning (20 August). The Russian-installed "governor" of occupied Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev said a drone hit the roof of the fleet's headquarters, writing on Telegram: "Unfortunately, [the drone] was not shot down, although they worked on the bay with small arms. [It] went low. There were no victims." It is the latest in a string of blasts, widely believed to be inflicted by Ukrainian forces, deep in the occupied peninsula. Russia considers Crimea to be an impregnable fortress and attacks on the peninsula which is full of military facilities is a serious embarrassment for the Kremlin
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Impasse in the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo
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Impasse in the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo

19 August 2022
High level talks between Serbia and Kosovo, facilitated by the European Union, have failed to unblock the impasse between them.  EU High Representative Josep Borrell hosted the talks between Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Belgrade on Thursday, 18 August. Kosovo declared independence unilaterally from Serbia in 2008, after a long period of tension with Belgrade which had already emerged during the time of Yugoslavia.  Serbia still considers Kosovo an integral part of its territory. Around a hundred countries, including most EU member states, recognise Kosovo's independence. Kosovo has a population of 1.8 million population, which is 90% ethnic Albanian. However 5% are Serbs, and it is the rights of this community that are the present stumbling block, but it is also recognised that differences are more substantial and wide-ranging. A clearly disappointed EU High Representative told the media after the event that the immediate objective of the talks had failed, but that both sides agreed to keep talking.