Eurasia

Greek Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos said that Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) needs to strengthen the country’s European course stressing that the Balkan country needs more and not less Europe.

The responsibility to stop violence in Ukraine rests squarely with those in power and EU urges them to so as quicly as possible, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said  upon arrival at the extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council

Ukraine’s interior ministry announced that anti-government protesters had taken 67 security officials hostage on Thursday. Following several days of relative calm, violence broke out on Tuesday when police stormed the main protester’s camp in Kiev’s Independence

US officials are “outraged” by the images of Ukrainian security forces firing automatic weapons on their own people, White House press secretary Jay Carney said on Thursday. “We urge President (Viktor) Yanukovych to immediately withdraw his security forces from downtown Kiev and to respect the right of peaceful protest, and …

European Union has taken a decision to impose restrictions on the issuance of travel visas to the Ukrainian officials, whom it deems responsible for the use of violence in Ukraine, Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino said. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin is sending an envoy to Ukraine at the request of President Viktor Yanukovich, to try to mediate talks between the government and opposition, Russian news agencies said on Thursday.

The head of Kiev’s city administration quit the party of President Viktor Yanukovich on Thursday in protest at the bloodshed on the streets of the Ukrainian capital – a sign the head of state may be losing support.

At least 67 people have been killed in two waves of violence between protesters and riot police that first broke out on Tuesday, Kiev city authorities said.

Serbia is open “to all modes of cooperation with friendly countries,” Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić said in Belgrade on Monday during talks with Azerbaijan’s defense minister, Lieutenant-General Zakir Hasanov.

Azerbaijani, Turkish and Georgian foreign ministers are holding one-on-one meetings in Ganja, said spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry Elman Abdullayev.