Diplomacy

The EU sanctions were introduced in 2011 as a response to the violent repression in the country. Currently, 283 individuals and 70 organisations are on the sanctions list.

But we are going to talk also about the European Union-Africa Partnership, about the Indo-Pacific Strategy and about the conflicts in our Eastern Neighbourhood, which are affecting our security, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told journalists

On 26 May 1918, Georgia gained its independence from the Russian Empire. Now, 30 years after reclaiming it from the Soviet Union, a sovereign Georgia remains committed to restoring its territorial integrity and taking its place in the Euro-Atlantic community, writes Giorgi Nakashidze in this op-ed for commonspace.eu.

The United States announced Thursday (20 May) sanctions against two senior leaders of the Houthi group in Yemen due to their role in continuing offensive in Marib, exacerbating the humanitarian situation and paralysing peace talks.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov approached their first face-to-face meeting, which took place in Iceland on Wednesday (19 May), with caution, and gently started getting to know each other. The two senior diplomats have many more meetings in front of them as they try to adjust US-Russia relations.

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.

A high-ranking member of Palestine's Hamas said on Wednesday (19 May) that he believes a ceasefire may be reached between Israel and Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza within one to two days. The ceasefire would only involve the Gaza frontline and will not include clashes in the West bank and other fronts. 

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, has said his country is hopeful after talks with Iran, but described them as being at an early stage.

The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, was in Armenia and in Azerbaijan in the last days. Bilateral issues were discussed in both Baku and Yerevan during his visit, however, it was the regional situation that dominated the discussions in both capitals, and in particular, the implementation in practice of the 10 November “Trilateral Declaration” signed by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia. This is proving easier said than done, and some are asking if Russia has not taken on a poisoned chalice.