Newswire Paris: For the fifth straight year, France has trumped Germany and the UK to become Europe’s foreign investment hub. Overseas funding was used to finance 1,194 projects in France last year, according to a new attractiveness survey published by Ernst & Young (EY). This represents an annual decline of 5%, but still allows France […]
Read MoreDadu: A delegation led by the Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan, Dr Riina Kionka, conducted a one-day field mission to Dadu, Sindh, to assess the impact and scale of support provided by the European Union (EU) to flood-affected communities. Dadu was among the hardest hit districts during the devastating floods of 2022. In […]
Read MoreNewswire Portugal, Brazil embassies join hands with Pakistani institutions Ambassador Frederico Silva and Ambassador Olyntho Vieira co-author joint message Islamabad: The Embassies of Brazil and Portugal, in collaboration with Pakistani institutions have prepared plan to celebrate the 2024 World Day of the Portuguese Language and Lusophone Cultures in Islamabad and Lahore. Ambassador of Portugal to […]
Read MoreCelina Ali On 24 April, EU and Member States representatives, and young people who were born in 2004, celebrated 20 years of EU enlargement. President von der Leyen highlighted the many benefits that EU membership brought to the then-new Member States, while also underlining the many advantages that the Union itself drew from this enlargement. […]
Read MoreParis: French President Emmanuel Macron said he was willing to discuss using French nuclear warheads as part of a “credible European defense” against threats from Russia. “I am in favor of opening this debate, which has to include missile defense, long-range weapons firing, nuclear weapons for those who have it or who have American nuclear […]
Read MoreCelina Ali Islamabad: Ambassador of the European Union Riina Kionka Thursday paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif this week and discussed matters related to mutual concern. The prime minister thanked the EU leaders for their congratulatory messages on his re-election and said he looked forward to working closely with the EU. […]
Read MoreAthens: Greece’s Prince Nikolaos and Princess Tatiana have announced their ‘amicable’ separation after 14 years of marriage just weeks after appearing together at a memorial service for the prince’s father, King Constantine. The 54-year-old Prince is the son of Constantine II of Greece – the last king of Greece after it abolished its monarchy in […]
Read MoreBrussels: With the EU warning against citizenship by investment schemes, Spain’s government is looking to pull the plug on golden visas. Getting the right to live and work in another country can be a long and difficult process. But that’s not always the case for those with money to spend. Golden visas offer the opportunity […]
Read MoreTheo Farrant Lisbon: Deemed the oldest book dedicated entirely to chocolate, “Un Discurso del Chocolate” is going under the hammer in Portugal at a starting price of €2000. A rare 400-year-old book titled “Un Discurso del Chocolate”, regarded as the oldest known book solely dedicated to chocolate, is hitting the auction block in Portugal. This […]
Read MoreNewswire Brussels: The European Union’s antitrust regulators have announced the termination of a two-year-long investigation into a group of fashion designers, citing “priority reasons,” the European Commission revealed this week. The competition watchdog had initiated the investigation in May 2022, conducting raids on several fashion companies amid concerns of potential participation in a cartel to […]
Read MoreNewswire Brussels: Ambassador of Pakistan to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union Amna Baloch this week called on European Union’s Special Envoy on Human Rights Olof Skoog in Brussels and discussed matters of mutual concern. In the meeting, they also discussed ongoing engagement tracks and agreed to strengthen Pakistan-EU relations.
Read MoreFani Mari Athens: There’s an Ancient Greek saying that derives from Latin and roughly translates to “healthy mind in a healthy body”. I think that truly embodies the country’s connection to wellness. Asclepius, the god of medicine, believed in seeing each patient as a person, not as their condition, which is the ultimate holistic medical […]
Read MoreBrussels: Bulgaria and Romania became Schengen members on March 31: the Schengen rules will now apply in both Member States including on issuing Schengen visas and controls at the internal air and sea borders will be lifted. The European Commission strongly welcomed this achievement, which follows the historic Council decision of December 2023. The Schengen […]
Read MoreMiranda Bryant Stockholm: Denmark has pledged to put up more statues of women, with the country’s culture minister saying the capital has “more statues of mythical beasts and horses”. According to the Danish government, only 31 of 321 statues and busts in Danish cities are of women. Of the 101 named statues in Copenhagen, only […]
Read MoreCelina Ali Islamabad: European Union (EU) Ambassador Riina Kionka this week called on Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and felicitated him for assuming the portfolio of the Ministry of Commerce. Jam Kamal Khan appreciated the EU GSP Plus scheme which is beneficial for Pakistan’s exports to the blok. During the meeting, minister […]
Read MoreNewswire Islamabad: Pakistan’s exports to European countries have begun to dip in the current fiscal year despite a GSP+ status that allows duty-free entrance into European markets for the majority of its products. In absolute terms, Pakistan’s exports to European countries dipped year-on-year by 6.89 per cent in the first eight months of the current […]
Read MoreWilliam Keegan Brussels: It was Dr Johnson, not Boris Johnson, who declared “patriotism is a last refuge of the scoundrel”. Some years have passed since Johnson, Shirley Williams and I were guests of an institute outside Moscow. We were there to explain what we hoped were the wonders of western democracy – the freedom, the […]
Read MoreCelina Ali Islamabad: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb this week apprised the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Riina Kionka about the important reform priorities of the government. Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan Dr Riina Kionka called on Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb,. The finance minister […]
Read MoreNewswire Chisinau: The past two years have been the hardest and most tumultuous for European Union candidate Moldova in more than three decades as it faces threats from Russia in multiple spheres of public life, the country’s foreign minister says. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, its neighbor Moldova has faced a litany of crises […]
Read MoreKyiv: Ukraine will receive €6 billion from the European Union via its four-year Ukraine facility in the next two months, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said this week. The government expects to receive €4.5 billion in March and another €1.5 billion in April, Shmyhal told a government meeting. “This year, we aim to receive about €16 […]
Read MoreBrussels: In 2023, EU+ countries received 1.14 million applications for international protection, reaching a 7-year high. Syrians continued to lodge the most applications, with Afghans remaining the second largest applicant group, albeit with significantly fewer applications than the previous year. An increase in Palestinian applications was also noted towards the end of the year. Analysis […]
Read MoreBrussels: In 2022, 989 000 people acquired the citizenship of the EU country where they lived, an increase of around 20% (+163 100 people) compared with 2021. Most of the new citizenships (in absolute numbers) were granted by Italy (213 700; 22% of the EU total). Spain (181 800; 18% of the EU total) and […]
Read MoreBrussels: The European Union needs to invest an “enormous amount of money in a relatively short time” to deal with the deep challenges the bloc is facing, former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said this week. Draghi, who has been tasked with producing a high-level report on the EU’s competitiveness, met with EU ministers […]
Read MoreBrussels: The European Commission has proposed fee hike for the Schengen visa application – when implemented the new fee rate will go up from €80 to €90 for adults and from €40 to €45 for children. The European Union (EU) is also planning to raise the fee even more for countries showing “insufficient cooperation on […]
Read MoreNewswire Kyiv: The leaders of Canada and Italy signed security agreements with Ukraine this week after talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as Kyiv marked the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Canada and Italy join Britain, Germany, France and Denmark in concluding 10-year security deals with Kyiv that are intended to shore up Ukraine’s security […]
Read MoreNewswire Denmark, one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies, said this week it had reached a 10-year security agreement with Kyiv, following similar deals signed recently by Berlin, London and Paris. Ukraine has been keen to shore up its security with bilateral agreements while it waits in hope of someday joining the NATO defence alliance. “The agreement […]
Read MoreRaziye Akkoc Paris: France and Germany this week refused to back a watered-down agreement on controversial EU rules covering app workers in the gig economy, European diplomats said. The European Union’s objective was to bring in bloc-wide rules that supporters hoped would improve conditions for app workers in the gig economy by reclassifying some as […]
Read MoreCelina Ali Islamabad: Thousands of people, gathered at the Jinnah Convention Center Islamabad this week to participate in “EuroVillage,” a family-focused festival organized by the European Union and its Member States. This year’s celebration centered on the theme of co-creating a sustainable future, entitled “Stronger Together – Sustainable Forever.” The event showcased the 60+ years […]
Read MoreCelina Ali Islamabad: Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan Dr Riina Kionka said this week that Europe has the ambition to be the first climate-neutral continent. She was addressing a large gathering at the Jinnah Convention Center here on to participate in “EuroVillage,” organized by the European Union and its Member States. This year’s […]
Read MoreBrussels: The European Commission (EC) announced Thursday that it is drafting new Digital Service Act (DSA) guidelines on false information aimed to strengthen and protect election integrity. The guidelines are being drafted under Article 35 of the DSA, which empowers the commission and Digital Services Coordinators of the Member States to “issue guidelines (…) to […]
Read MoreNewswire Brussels: The European Commission has launched legal action against Hungary for its recent enactment of laws on “protecting national sovereignty”. The European Union executive said on Wednesday that it has sent a formal notice to Budapest informing it that the legislation violates the bloc’s democratic values and fundamental rights. Opponents of Prime Minster Viktor […]
Read MoreNewswire Brussels: All 27 European Union countries have agreed on an additional 50-billion-euro ($54bn) aid package for Ukraine, despite threats from Hungary to veto the move. “We have a deal,” European Council President Charles Michel said in a post on X, just an hour into a special summit of EU leaders in Brussels. Michel said […]
Read MoreBrussels: 8 December 2023 was a historic moment for AI regulation in Europe. Following three days of extensive debates, the EU Parliament, Council and Commission finally announced a provisional agreement on the EU AI Act, the bloc’s landmark legislation regulating the development and use of AI in Europe. It is one of the world’s first […]
Read MoreCelina Ali Islamabad: Jalil Abbas Jilani, the Caretaker Foreign Minister, this week emphasized the need to move beyond divisive bloc politics and great power competition in today’s interconnected world. He conveyed these sentiments during a session on ‘Shared Prosperity, Economic Resilience, and Investment’ at the EU India Pacific Ministerial Forum in Brussels. Jalil Abbas Jilani […]
Read MoreCelina Ali Brussels: Pakistan and the European Union this week agreed to further deepen their relations in line with the Strategic Engagement Plan (2019). The agreement was reached in a meeting between Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, JosepBorrellFontelles. The meeting […]
Read MoreAthens: Greece and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a memorandum of collaboration in Abu Dhabi this week for the promotion of investments in digital infrastructure in Greece. Signing the memorandum were Greek Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou and UAE Investments Minister and CEO of ADQ, Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi. The memorandum specifically foresees the construction […]
Read MoreBerlin: The European Union’s main centre-right alliance will nominate Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as European Commission president at a congress in March if she wants to continue in the post, a senior EU lawmaker said. Von der Leyen, a German Christian Democrat, has not yet said publicly whether she wants a […]
Read MoreBrussels: Charles Michel, the president of the council of European Union leaders, this week abandoned a run for a seat in the European Parliament in the face of criticism that the move would have undermined his current role at a crucial time. The U-turn is an embarrassment for Michel, a former Belgian prime minister, and […]
Read MoreNewswire Athens: Europe needs migrants to stay competitive, Dubravka Suica, vice-president for Democracy and Demography of the European Commission, told a forum on the demographic crisis held in Athens this week. Faced with decreasing birthrates, European Union (EU) member states need to consider demographic figures to plan any economic policy and invest in human capital, […]
Read MoreStrasbourg: — Good news for fans of EU enlargement! The European Parliament decided this week to open an office in Panama in coordination with the European External Action Service, according to a confidential note seen by POLITICO. The senior MEPs who make up the Parliament’s bureau signed off on the move in a meeting behind […]
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