Diplomacy

The presidents of the United States and Turkey met in Rome on Sunday (31 October), on the margins of the G20 summit which took place in the Italian capital over the weekend. The two countries are important allies in NATO, but differences have marred relations in recent years, particularly as Turkey has pursued a more assertive foreign policy.

The UN Security Council called on Friday (29 October), in a resolution, on all parties involved in the Western Sahara dispute to resume negotiations “without preconditions and in good faith” in search of a “just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution”. The resolution also extended the mandate for the UN Mission for the Referendum on Western Sahara (MINURSO) for another year until 31 October 2022.

EU High Representative Josep Borrell said in Brussels on Thursday (28 October) that in Moldova, the EU sees attempts by Gazprom to put political pressure in return to lower the gas prices. He said he had agreed with the Moldovan Prime Minister on the importance of strengthening resilience against any potential efforts by third parties to use energy as a geopolitical weapon. "Gas is a commodity. It has been bought and sold, sold and bought but it cannot be used as a geopolitical weapon", Borrell stated.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi expressed Egypt's desire to reach a "binding, balanced agreement [...] without further delay" with Ethiopia, to end the long-lasting dispute on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

On Thursday (21 October), Libya's transitional government hosted various foreign officials in Tripoli to garner support for the transition process.  Around 30 delegations participated in the Libya Stabilization Conference including those representing the United Nations, European Union, African Union and the Arab League.

"The 'Conference on the Future of Europe' was launched in Spring this year to open a new debate with citizens to address Europe's challenges and priorities. Listening to citizens and giving them a say is also highly relevant when it comes to foreign and security policy. Citizens are expecting more from us, so we should heed their call for action and results", EU High Representative Josep Borrell wrote on his blog

Diplomatic and political sources in various capitals in Europe and the Middle East suggest that Iran may be ready to resume  talks on the "nuclear file" in the coming days. A senior Iranian diplomat is expected in Brussels later this week for further discussions ahead of the resumption of the official negotiations in Vienna.