Region

EU plus

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).

Editor's choice
News
EU to push for sanctions on Israel ministers and suspend bilateral support

EU to push for sanctions on Israel ministers and suspend bilateral support

The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen stated she would push to sanction "extremist" Israeli ministers and curb trade ties over Gaza, as she warned famine should not be used as a "weapon of war". Addressing the European Parliament on 10 September in the annual State of the Union, von der Leyen lamented that divisions among member states were holding back a European response but insisted the European Commission "will do all that it can on its own". "What is happening in Gaza has shaken the conscience of the world. People killed while begging for food. Mothers holding lifeless babies. These images are simply catastrophic," von der Leyen said. The German politician said the Commission would put its bilateral support to Israel on hold, stopping all payments, but without affecting work with civil society groups and Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.
Editor's choice
Opinion
What role for the EU in the post-Washington South Caucasus?

What role for the EU in the post-Washington South Caucasus?

The agreements reached in the US-mediated summit of the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders in Washington on August 8 are poised to fundamentally reshape the region's future. Particularly, the deal concerning the Zangezur corridor – rebranded as the “Trump Route for Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) – holds significant geopolitical importance. If implemented, the TRIPP agreement would deal a severe blow to the regional standing of Russia and Iran. More importantly, it would pave the way for a strategic U.S. presence in this critical geography. This outcome represents a success that few would have predicted for the United States, especially for the Trump administration, given the region's notoriously complex and volatile geopolitics.

Filter archive

Publication date
Editor's choice
News
Italy takes over the chairmanship of OSCE for 2018

Italy takes over the chairmanship of OSCE for 2018

In the usual international musical chairs at the end of the year a number of countries have assumed responsability for different international organisations. Italy assumed the chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) for 2018.
Editor's choice
News
Pope highlights plight of refugees during Christmas mass

Pope highlights plight of refugees during Christmas mass

In the traditional Chritmas mass on Sunday night in Rome's St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis focused on the world refugees and displaced, saying that their footsteps followed those of the holy family during the night of the nativity
Editor's choice
News
European Court rules on the case of Armenian refugee

European Court rules on the case of Armenian refugee

It held, unanimously, that the Azerbaijani Government had to pay the applicant 5,000 euros (EUR) in respect of pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage. The Court said that it was the responsability of the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments to find a solution on a political level to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Editor's choice
News
European Court rules on case of Azerbaijani IDPs

European Court rules on case of Azerbaijani IDPs

It held, unanimously, that the Armenian Government had to pay 5,000 euros in respect of pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage to each of the applicants. The Court said that it was the responsability of the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan to find a solution on a political level to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.