Region

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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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News
Jailed journalists from Georgia and Belarus win the Sakharov human rights prize
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Jailed journalists from Georgia and Belarus win the Sakharov human rights prize

23 October 2025
The European Parliament has awarded the Sakharov human rights prize to jailed Georgian journalist and editor Mzia Amaghlobeli and Polish-Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut, calling them symbols of the "struggle for freedom". Amaghlobeli, 50, has emerged as a symbol of journalistic defiance to what the European Union says is a slide toward authoritarianism in her country.
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EU imposes more sanctions on Russia but fails to reach agreement on using Russian assets
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EU imposes more sanctions on Russia but fails to reach agreement on using Russian assets

23 October 2025
The European Union on Thursday 23 October applied more economic sanctions on Russia, adding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s new punitive measures the previous day against the Russian oil industry. However, EU leaders meeting in Brussels have so far failed to reach a deal on using Russian frozen assets. European capitals were hoping to convince Belgium, which houses the international deposit organisation Euroclear and is worried about legal repercussions, that a reparation loan from the funds is workable. Most of the €200 billion in Russian central bank assets frozen by the EU are held in Euroclear. However, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has so far been skeptical, reiterating during the European Council meeting on Thursday that certain conditions must first be met before a €140 billion loan can be given to Ukraine using Russia’s frozen assets. Russian officials and state media dismissed the new Western measures, saying they are largely ineffective.
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Opinion
Opinion: Josep Borrell argues for more engagement with the South Caucasus
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Opinion: Josep Borrell argues for more engagement with the South Caucasus

3 July 2021
The EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, has called for more EU engagement with the South Caucasus. Writing on his blog on the website of the European External Action Service, Borrell said that there is a growing expectation on the side of EU member states and partners for the EU to take a more active role in addressing the conflicts in the Eastern neighbourhood. "We are ready to help rebuild not only physical roads and bridges, but also paths to reconciliation and peaceful co-existence," the High Representative said.
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EU and Central Asian states hold annual High-Level Political and Security Dialogue
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EU and Central Asian states hold annual High-Level Political and Security Dialogue

1 July 2021
The eighth High-Level Political and Security Dialogue between the European Union and the countries of Central Asia - Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - took place on Thursday (1 July) in the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, with the participation of Afghanistan as special guest. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss regional dynamics and advance region-to-region cooperation on a broad spectrum of issues, including border management, security and the promotion of sustainable connectivity.
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Slovenia takes over the EU presidency for the next six months
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Slovenia takes over the EU presidency for the next six months

1 July 2021
Slovenia took over today (1 July) the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union. The country takes over the EU Presidency from Portugal. This is the second time Slovenia holds the EU presidency since it joined the European Union in 2004. It held the presidency the first time in 2008. The Presidency of the European Union changes every six months.
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TRACECA seeks closer co-operation with EU in implementing its connectivity agenda Europe-Caucasus-Asia
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TRACECA seeks closer co-operation with EU in implementing its connectivity agenda Europe-Caucasus-Asia

30 June 2021
TRACECA seeks a closer co-operation with the European Union as it pursues its plans and activities to promote connectivity Europe-Caucasus-Asia in areas related to transport. This was stated by the Secretary-General of the TRACECA Inter-Governmental Commission, Asset Assavbayev, who this week was on a visit to Brussels  for discussions with EU officials. TRACECA brings together thirteen countries that form a transport corridor stretching from the heart of Europe to the borders of China.
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News
EU Ministerial Mission concludes whistlestop tour of South Caucasus
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EU Ministerial Mission concludes whistlestop tour of South Caucasus

27 June 2021
The foreign ministers of Austria, Romania and Lithuania visited Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia 25-26 June as special emissaries of the EU High Representative Josep Borrell. commonspace.eu political editor said in a comment that this was a small but important gesture with the purpose of sending a clear message to the region, and to others interested in it, that the European Union remains committed and engaged.
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EU signals new intensity in relations with the countries of Eastern Partnership and Central Asia, but 3 want more
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EU signals new intensity in relations with the countries of Eastern Partnership and Central Asia, but 3 want more

25 June 2021
EU leaders stressed the need to further deepen and intensify political, economic and people-to-people ties and co-operation with the Eastern Partners, and underlined their commitment to deepen relations with Central Asia, but Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova want a membership perspective.
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