Contents tagged with Europe
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Resolution on Armenian Genocide sparks lively debate in German Bundestag
Yesterday in the Bundestag (Parliament) of Germany a resolution on the Armenian Genocide as proposed by the Green Party, was discussed.
The representatives of the ruling coalition of the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) chose not to jeopardize the negotiation process on the issue of refugees with Turkey. The Green Party has proposed to vote on the resolution after the next month’s summit with the EU on the issue of refugees.
The parties have agreed to revise the …
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The Lithuanian Foreign Minister believes that it is too early to lift sanctions against Russia
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Linas Linkevičius, commented on statements given by French politicians regarding the possible dangers of ongoing sanctions, saying that they not only affect the country’s economy, but the European Union (EU) as a whole.
Linkevičius noted that "no one is proud of the sanctions, but they were introduced for a reason".
In an interview with Radio French International (RFI), Linkevičius stated that Russia’s annexation of Crimea was the reason for the …
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EU court considers claim filed by Rosneft against British authorities
On Tuesday, February 23rd, the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg began to consider a claim by Rosneft against the British authorities. The Russian state company claims that London has interpreted the EU sanctions too broadly, as reported by Deutsche Welle.
The Court of Justice will consider the legality of the sanctions imposed against Russia in 2014. The Court will clarify the meaning of certain concepts contained in the EU sanctions regulations. According to Rosneft, the United …
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Due to Russian policy, Europe will increase military expenditures for first time in 20 years
European countries will increase their military budgets by an average of 8.3%, primarily due to Russian foreign policy. This is the first time in 20 years that military expenditures will go up in Europe. Expenditures will increase mostly in Eastern European, particularly in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The military budget of these seven countries will increase by 20%.
This was stated on the 19th of February by Defense News citing the report of …
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EU imposes new tariffs on steel imported from Russia and China
Russian exporters of cold-rolled steel products will have to pay a 26.2% fee to the European Union (EU) countries. The EU authorities imposed these anti-dumping duties for six months. For Severstal, the largest steel company in Russia, and for Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK), the third largest steel company in Russia, the fee will be slightly less.
The authorities of the EU have also imposed these provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of cold-rolled steel from China for six …
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EU urges Russia to Respond to Kadyrov's Statements
The European Union Ambassador in Russia, Vygaudas Usackas, believes that the recent statements made by Kadyrov against members of the Russian opposition "are unacceptable in a democratic society."
The Ambassador believes that authorities should immediately respond to the statement of the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, against the opposition and the politician Mikhail Kasyanov.
According to the EU office in Moscow, during a telephone conversation between Usackas and Kasyanov, the Ambassador …
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EUCOM: Defense against Russia is the US military's main priority in Europe
The United States European Command (EUCOM) has updated its military strategy in Europe. The resulting document, which was published on January 26th, lists six priorities to be adhered to for the next three to five years. Deterrence against Russian aggression is at the top of this priority list. The American Command stated that 2015 was the most difficult year since the end of the Cold War.
The document also showed that the security situation in Europe has changed dramatically. The American …
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Ukrtransgaz: Ukraine Imports more Gas from Europe than from Russia
As of the end of 2015, Ukraine had imported more gas from the European Union throughout the year than it has from Russia. The press center of the Public Joint Stock Company, Ukrtransgaz (a subsidiary of Naftogaz Ukraine) reported on January 6, 2016, that, "Ukraine has received 10.3 billion cubic meters of gas from European sources."
"Most of the natural gas, 9.7 billion cubic meters, was imported through the ‘Slovak corridor’... while 6.1 billion cubic meters was imported from Russia to meet …
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Belarus Foreign Minister discusses cooperation with EU and NATO
As reported by Belarusian news agency Belta.by, the country's Foreign Minister Uladzimer Makey visited Brussels on December 13-14 to discuss cooperation with EU and NATO officials.
Mr. Makey's talks with NATO Deputy Secretary-General Alexander Vershbow, EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn, and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini are seen as another sign of warming relations between Minsk and the West.
In late October, the EU …
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New Silk Road Opened in Georgia
On Sunday, a train delivering the first container from China arrived in Tbilisi by the so-called New Silk Road. The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, the Minister of Economy and the Minister of Foreign Affairs met the train at Tbilisi station. According to the Georgian leadership, the New Silk Road via Georgian territory will significantly reduce the time of freight deliveries from China to Europe, Radio Svoboda reported.
At a solemn ceremony, the Prime Minister Garibashvili …