We publish here in full an open letter signed by the 8 MEPs: Manfred Weber, Sandra Kalniete, David McAllister, Andrius Kubilius, Michael Gahler, Miriam Lexmann, Andrzej Halicki, Radosław Sikorski, “Belarusians supporting democracy who long for change are the moral victors of yesterday’s election. The result is clear: the majority of Belarus voted against Mr Lukashenko and in…
The S&D Group vice-president, Kati Piri has voiced concern at “unsettling developments” on human rights in Azerbaijan: She told this website, “We are alarmed by credible reports of severe torture inflicted by Azerbaijani law enforcement agencies on Fuad Gahramanli, the deputy chair of the opposition People’s Front of Azerbaijan (PFA) party. “Gahramanli is one among dozens of…
Early parliamentary elections took place in North Macedonia on 15 July, in the challenging context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a public statement Josep Borrell the EU’s High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy has commended North Macedonia’s citizens for exercising their right to vote. The EEAS reported that according to the preliminary findings and…
The European Parliament has recommended that the EU and its members states file a case before the International Court of Justice, if China applies the new national security law they have proposed for Hong Kong. In a resolution adopted on Friday (19 June) by 565 votes to 34, with 62 abstentions, the European Parliament voted…
By Ian Bond China’s decision to impose a new security law on Hong Kong has been driven off Europe’s front pages by racial tension and violence in America and elsewhere. Beijing may think that it has got away with curtailing Hong Kong’s autonomy. EU leaders may think that having (feebly) protested, they can focus again on…
The European Defence Agency’s (EDA) Steering Board in the composition of Defence Ministers discussed today how to sustain EU capability development in times of disruptive challenges. Defence Ministers pointed to the need for more collaborative projects, efficiency gains and economies of scale as the most effective way of navigating the current crisis while ensuring that…
Tomorrow, 11th June, the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold a closed consultation on EU-China Relations with Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the EEAS. In a statement last week, the ECR Group expressed its grave concerns about the unilateral introduction of national security legislation by Beijing against Hong…
Today, the Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell are assessing their steps to fight disinformation around the coronavirus pandemic and are proposing a way forward in a Joint Communication. The communiqué analyses the immediate response and proposes concrete action that can be quickly set in motion. High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell said: “Disinformation in times of…
As expected, the China’s Peoples Representative Committee adopted on Thursday 28th May a draft Security Law for Hong Kong, which has been widely interpreted as a breach of the international treaty registered with the United Nations, “The Joint Declaration on the future of Hong Kong”, signed in 1984 between China and the United Kingdom. The…
The European Union and the Spanish Government convened an International Donors’ Conference in solidarity with Venezuelan refugees and migrants and countries in the region, with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). International donors pledged a total of €2.544 billion (of which €595 million…
