Connectivity

With the geopolitical focus shifting towards the Indo-Pacific region and China's growing assertiveness, Indo-European relations become increasingly important. In this op-ed for commonspace.eu, Alex Petrosyan looks at how the EU and India are taking their co-operation to a higher level with the Connectivity Partnership launched in May, and why even closer relations are necessary.

TRACECA is a child of the EU’s ambition to be a global player. The EU should not forget, nor ignore, nor sideline, TRACECA’s work. Instead it should recognise that TRACECA has shown it is resilient and adaptable. The next phase of EU-IGC TRACECA co-operation must therefore be more strategic, and more ambitious.

In an announcement on Friday (5 June), the Council of the European Union, which represents the 27 member states, said that it has decided to strengthen the existing restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus by introducing a ban on the overflight of EU airspace and on access to EU airports by Belarusian carriers of all kinds.

A large Iranian navy ship caught fire and sank in the Gulf of Oman today according to Iran's news sources. The circumstances of the accident are unclear. 

Washington is against Nord Stream 2, but sanctions against the company are not in the national interest, The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

The Georgian prime minister, Irakli Garibashvili, was in Yerevan on Wednesday (12 May) for talks with his Armenian counterpart and other officials. It is a tradition that a new Georgian leader, on taking office, visits the two neighbouring countries, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Garibashvili was in Baku a week before. Armenia and Georgia renewed their commitment to working together to develop bilateral relations in many fields, but there was also considerable emphasis put on regional co-operation.

Assavbayev briefed the Azerbaijani minister on new initiatives being considered, as well as plans on expanding the geography of activities, cooperation with the EU and other issues.

Welcoming the Georgian prime minister at the presidential complex in Baku, President Ilham Aliyev said, "Relations between our peoples are based on a long history, a history of good neighborliness and friendship that has lasted for centuries."