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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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.
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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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Editor's choice
The ticking time-bomb in the Caucasus
The ticking time-bomb in the Caucasus

The ticking time-bomb in the Caucasus

Whilst the onus for a resolution of the Karabakh conflict is primarily with the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan, the international community needs to prioritise efforts to help resolve the conflict peacefully before it turns nastier
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News
Atrocity in Manchester

Atrocity in Manchester

Leaders of Caucasus nations join world leaders in condemning the vile attack against civilians in Manchester which has left many, including children, dead or injured.
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"NATO’s aloofness vis-a-vis the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is no longer sustainable"
"NATO’s aloofness vis-a-vis the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is no longer sustainable"

"NATO’s aloofness vis-a-vis the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is no longer sustainable"

As NATO prepares to hold its summit this week, there is one region that deserves more attention from the alliance, argues Eduard Abrahamyan in this commentary. NATO should have a more pro-active role in the solution of the Karabakh conflict, says Abrahamyan
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Erkin Gadirli: I fully support widening and deepening of relations between Azerbaijan and EU
Erkin Gadirli: I fully support widening and deepening of relations between Azerbaijan and EU

Erkin Gadirli: I fully support widening and deepening of relations between Azerbaijan and EU

Speaking at the Brussels Press Club on Monday (15 May) prominent Azerbaijani politician and thinker, Erkin Gadirli hailed ongoing negotiations between Azerbaijan and EU, but said some format to include civil society and opposition voices in the dialogue needs to be found