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Stories in this section cover the EU-27 countries plus the UK, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra and the Balkan Countries (Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia).

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Monday Commentary
NATO Summit in The Hague II: everyone survived, now all eyes on Türkiye

NATO Summit in The Hague II: everyone survived, now all eyes on Türkiye

The Nato Summit held in The Hague on 24-25 June was a failure, wrapped in success. It was a success because it avoided public display of divisions, mainly by avoiding issues: it was the shortest summit anyone can remember; it also had a very short final statement that basically had two points, the first a re-commitment to article 5 of the North Atlantic Charter and the principle that an attack on one will be considered an attack on all. The fact that Nato leaders in the Hague had felt the need to re-emphasise this should be a cause of worry not celebration, but in the end, it is good that it was said. The second outcome, the one that received most attention, was the commitment of European countries to spend more on their defence: 5 per cent of GDP, of which 3.5 per cent on hard defence, and 1.5 per cent on related ancillary areas such as infrastructure. You may, if you want, believe that this was a response to US President Donald Trump's insistence. Or, if you are more prudent, understand that countries that matter – Germany, France, Poland and the Scandinavian countries had decided on this course of action quite separately, and as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which was a wake-up call. Finland and Sweden’s decision to abandon their neutrality, and join NATO was taken long before Trump returned to the White House. The EU’s decision to spend massively on defence was always to ensure that other European countries are part of this process, willy-nilly.

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News
EU expresses support for judicial reforms in Armenia

EU expresses support for judicial reforms in Armenia

The Head of the EU delegation in Yerevan, Ambassador Switalski, told journalists on Tuesday that one main reason why reforms were needed was that the public had no trust in the judicial system, and this was borne out by a study conducted last year by the EU
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A feeling of deja vue in the Caucasus as US beats war drums on Iran

A feeling of deja vue in the Caucasus as US beats war drums on Iran

The governments in the South Caucasus are looking at developments with a sense of trepidation. All three have important trade and commercial relations with Iran, and the prospect of an all-out confrontation between the Islamic Republic and the US puts all three in a difficult position.
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News
Happy Europe Day

Happy Europe Day

The EU on 9 May marks the anniversary of the Schuman declaration that heralded the start of the European project. Activities are taking place all over the world to mark the day.
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1 May - International Workers Day

1 May - International Workers Day

The theme of Labour Day 2019 is "Uniting Workers for Social and Economic Advancement". Labour Day or May Day honours the hard work of workers across the world and celebrate their achievements.