Stories in this section cover various issues and stories from all around the world.
Slovenia is set to take a place at the UN Security Council for the second time since gaining independence from Yugoslavia, beating Russian ally Belarus in a vote at the United Nations on Tuesday (6 June).
The race between the two members from the UN's Eastern Europe bloc was the only contested election for five seats on the UNSC. In the secret ballot election in the 193-member General Assembly, Slovenia received 153 votes while Belarus got 38 votes.
An announcement on Wednesday (31 May) that the UAE had withdrawn its participation from the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) coalition is supposed to have caught the US by surprise.
This editorial first appeared in the 16 May 2023 issue of our newsletter, Central Asia Concise. If you would like to subscribe to Central Asia Concise, or any other of our newsletters, please click here.
The Anakonda-23 NATO military exercises in Poland began on Saturday (6 May).
Polskie Radio reports that around 13,000 Polish servicemen are taking part in the exercises in southeastern Poland. These exercises take place every three years, with this year's focus on defence and deterrence in the Baltic Sea region.
The European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have announced a funding package worth €18bn to boost investments in climate action and sustainable economies, the European External Action Service (EEAS) reports.
In a press release, EEAS say that, "this will boost investment in Global Gateway's priority areas – climate action, clean energy and connectivity – in Europe's partner countries around the world. In particular, these projects will aim to help bridge the global climate finance gap and support prevention, adaptation and mitigation."
Trade turnover between China and Central Asian states grew by 31.9% in 2022, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Integration Serik Zhumangarin announced on Tuesday (18 April).
Mr Zhumangarin was speaking in an online meeting leading up to the upcoming China+Central Asia (C+C5) Summit in the Chinese city of Xi’an in May.
The online meeting was also attended by the trade and economy ministers of China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.