William 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 […]
Read MoreNewswire Brussels: The ambassador of Pakistan to European Union, Belgium and Luxembourg Amna Baloch this week here expressed gratitude to the EU parliamentary recommendations for shedding light on the alarming situation and human rights abuses in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The recent EU parliamentary recommendations of January 17 2024, to the […]
Read MoreCelina Ali Karachi: EU Ambassador Dr Riina Kionka emphasized this week that Pakistan should fully exploit the Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP Plus) status during a meeting organized by the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Ambassador Kionka urged Pakistan to broaden its exports beyond textiles to the European Union, taking full advantage of […]
Read MoreBrussels: Travellers are expected to pay higher tourism taxes to several European destinations in 2024 as national economies try to boost local economies and support sustainability. According to a 2020 report by Group NAO and GDS-Movement, more countries are imposing tourism taxes lately, especially in the US and Europe, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Guy Bigwood from the […]
Read MoreNewswire Brussels: Jacques Delors, a former head of the European Commission and key figure in the creation of the euro currency, died in his sleep in his Paris home at the age of 98, his family announced this week. Marked by World War II and its horrors, the generation Delors grew up in developed a […]
Read MoreParis: Despite facing serious labour shortages, the French government passed a more restrictive immigration bill this week after watering down measures that would have streamlined the legalisation of foreign workers. But some of the law’s new provisions may still offer a glimmer of hope for the country’s hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants. Until it […]
Read MoreNewswire Brussels: European parliamentary elections in June could be as fateful as the US presidential race, the EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has warned, saying he believes voters’ fear of the unknown may lead them to back rightwing populist parties. “I am afraid of fear, I am afraid Europeans vote because they are afraid. […]
Read MoreStaff Writer Islamabad: European Union Ambassador to Pakistan, Riina Kionka, this week, expressed “deep” concerns over the reports of mishandling of Baloch protesters in Islamabad. The EU ambassador to Pakistan took to the social media platform, X, to express her concerns over the reports of Islamabad’s police action against participants of the “Baloch long-march.” Earlier, […]
Read MoreCelina Ali Islamabad: The government of Pakistan and Team Europe partners will allocate €179 million to address urgent water and sanitation challenges in Faisalabad and Lahore while enhancing climate resilience. Accordingly, an agreement was signed this week by the European Union (EU), Germany, France, and Italy, as well as the Agence Française de Développement (AfD), […]
Read MoreNewswire Milan: French President Emmanuel Macron is lobbying other European leaders to agree on former European Central Bank president and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi as the next president of the European Commission, an Italian newspaper reported. According to la Repubblica, which cited diplomatic sources in Paris and Brussels, Macron has informally approached German Chancellor […]
Read MoreCelina Ali Islamabad: Dr Riina Kionka, ambassador and head of the delegation of the European Union to Pakistan said this week that Pakistan is a potential market for business and investment activities and it should focus on sustainable economic policies to attract more foreign investment. She said this while talking to a delegation of the […]
Read MoreNewswire Beijing: China’s new development will create new opportunities for Europe and the rest of the world, and it is hoped that the EU will observe China’s development and domestic and foreign policies in a comprehensive and objective way, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said this week. It was reported that recently the EU raises concerns […]
Read MoreCelina Ali Islamabad: In the margins of the General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Pakistan and the EU organised a joint side event this week to showcase how through key UNIDO expertise, the EU is helping people in the Sindh province to rebuild their lives after last year’s devastating floods. The […]
Read MoreNewswire QUETTA: The European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) this week jointly inaugurated of ‘Police Khidmat Markaz’ in Kuchlak, Quetta. This collaborative venture with Balochistan Police marks a pioneering era in community-focused law enforcement, embodying a transformative approach that places a premium on accessibility, responsiveness, and community engagement. […]
Read MoreNewswire Brussels: At a meeting of the Council’s permanent representatives committee this week, EU member states agreed their negotiating mandate for updating the EU long-term residents directive. This directive sets out the conditions under which third-country nationals can acquire EU long-term resident status. In order to acquire EU long-term resident status, third-country nationals have to […]
Read MoreBrussels: More than 3,000 women are killed each year in Europe by partners or family members, and countless more are harmed and harassed. Violence against women and girls is a threat to half of humanity, online and offline. It affects all women and takes many forms, including physical, sexual, or psychological violence, as well as […]
Read MoreChen Weihua Fu Cong, China’s ambassador to the European Union, hit the nail on Tuesday when he told a forum in Brussels that for most Chinese including himself, understanding EU’s “holy trinity” of defining China as a cooperation partner, economic competitor and systemic rival is a “mind-bogging exercise”. It has baffled me, too, since the […]
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