Global

The European Commission will stop efforts to approve the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) between China and the European Union (EU). European Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, said that approval for the CAI is complicated due to recent EU-China relations. 

According to the Portuguese minister of foreign affairs, Augusto Santos Silva, the 27-nation bloc wants to restart talks on three agreements: protection of geographical indication, reciprocal investments, and a pact to foster Indo-European trade. Portugal will host the summit on Saturday in Porto.

In an annual ceremony revered by Orthodox Christian communities all over the world as a key part of Easter celebrations, the “Holy Fire” appeared in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on May 1. Flames were later taken by plane to Orthodox communities across the world.

"We remember the lives of all those who died in the Ottoman-era Armenian genocide and recommit ourselves to preventing such an atrocity from ever again occurring. We affirm the history. We do this not to cast blame but to ensure that what happened is never repeated."

Officials said on Monday (19 April) that Tehran and JCPOA partners have made some progress to revive the 2015 nuclear deal and that an interim agreement could be possible to buy time for a permanent framework. 

The European Union (EU) announced on Monday (19 April) to step up its influence in the Indo-Pacific region in a bid to protect its interests and counter China’s rising economic power.

The recent signing of a strategic partnership with Iran shows that China is now a significant player in the geopolitics of the wider Middle East. This has implications for the South Caucasus and particularly Armenia, writes Benyamin Poghosyan in this op-ed