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).

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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.
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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.

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News
On Nagorno-Karabakh, the EU compliments the work of the co-Chairmen of the Minsk Process with support for civil society activities.

On Nagorno-Karabakh, the EU compliments the work of the co-Chairmen of the Minsk Process with support for civil society activities.

Speaking in Yerevan at the end of his visit to Armenia last week EU special envoy Herbert Salber said that violence in the Karabakh conflict zone must stop, and tragic incidents that lead to civilian casualties, as happened on 4 July, were unacceptable.
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Armenia and Azerbaijan should sign and ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
Armenia and Azerbaijan should sign and ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court

Armenia and Azerbaijan should sign and ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court

In a speech in Strasbourg this week High Representative Federica Morgherini spoke about the importance of the International Criminal Court. Her message is of particular importance in the Caucasus region
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A continent that had got accustomed to peace, reflects on the risks of war
A continent that had got accustomed to peace, reflects on the risks of war

A continent that had got accustomed to peace, reflects on the risks of war

Editorial Comment: A sombre mood dominated the OSCE Annual Security Review Conference, held in Vienna this week. But European politicians have yet to find the will to engage in the sort of hard political negotiations that are now clearly required to address the challenging security situation on the continent.