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
Analysis
Analysis: The European Parliament approves by a huge majority visa liberalisation for Georgia. Why was this decision so important for Georgia?

Analysis: The European Parliament approves by a huge majority visa liberalisation for Georgia. Why was this decision so important for Georgia?

For Georgia this decision is a small step on a much longer journey. EU and NATO membership remain high on the agenda of the Georgian government, although there is also a realistic assessment that now may not be the time to push these forward. But with Georgians travelling freely in Europe that objective is now certainly one step closer.
Editor's choice
Commentary
Commentary: Armenia and the European Union try again

Commentary: Armenia and the European Union try again

The progress in the negotiations between the EU and Armenia on a new framework agreement is welcomed, but there are still “open issues”, and political hurdles to overcome; and whatever is agreed will still fall short of the Association Agreement envisaged in 2013.
Editor's choice
News
Azerbaijan pins hope of solution to Karabakh conflict on Russia's "serious engagement"

Azerbaijan pins hope of solution to Karabakh conflict on Russia's "serious engagement"

Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister, Elmar Mammadyarov, said in an interview that that if there is serious Russian engagement with the Karabakh issue, "the status quo will change, stability will be restored in the region, and the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories will be ensured"