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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NATO PA webinar on the South Caucasus - 30 November 2020

The NATO parliamentary Assembly hosted another in the series of Rose-Roth Seminars on Monday (30 November), focusing on the situation in the South Caucasus. Recent developments including the war in Karabakh and parliamentary elections in Georgia were discussed by an expert panel, including Dennis Sammut, Neil Melvin and Amanda Paul, after which MPs from several countries made comments and asked questions. You can watch the webinair in full here.
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News
GEU Podcast: How to deal with China? – with Ardi Bouwers

GEU Podcast: How to deal with China? – with Ardi Bouwers

It's becoming increasingly clear that China is too big to ignore, but how should the EU manage its relationship with this emerging superpower? In this week’s Global Europe Unpacked podcast, Will Murray speaks to sinologist Ardi Bouwers about why a collective EU strategy on China may be necessary.
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News
EU invites Biden to a special European Council meeting in 2021 to discuss shared priorities

EU invites Biden to a special European Council meeting in 2021 to discuss shared priorities

European Council president Charles Michel told Biden, “Now is the time to join forces. In a changing world, our partnership will be more important than ever to protect our citizens, relaunch our economies, stop global warming and create a safer world. The EU and the US will always have more impact when taking steps together.”