Eurasia

Kerry says talks with Russian FM have been constructive

US secretary of state John Kerry and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov have agreed to push for an international conference aimed at ending Syria’s civil war. After meeting the UN envoy on Syria in Geneva, where they are trying to confirm a Russian plan to remove Syria’s chemical weapons and avert US military action, Mr Lavrov …

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Berri and US ambassador to Lebanon discuss Syria situation

A recent opening in the standoff between the West and Syria should be seized to resolve the more than 29-month-old conflict, Speaker Nabih Berri told the new U.S. ambassador to Lebanon Thursday. Berri “stressed the importance of the available opportunity to adopt a political solution for the Syria crisis, noting that

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Serbia pledges to implement Brussels agreement

Ivica Dačić says his government was using dialogue “to solve all problems in Kosovo,” and that it was committed to the implementation of the Brussels agreement. “The goal is to reach solutions that will ensure the survival of the Serbs who live in Kosovo and their economic security,” the prime …

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Military action in Syria would end civil war, says Turkish FM

The military operation in Syria will not lead to the aggravation of the situation in the country, on the contrary, it will put an end to the civil war and loss of lives, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told journalists on Friday. “Transferring chemical weapons under international control will not …

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Turkish FM reiterates need for punishment of Syrian use of chemical weapons

Turkey’s foreign minister has said the use of chemical weapons deserves the harshest international intervention in line with the law, stressing that Turkey does not tolerate to any deployment or use of chemical arms. Ahmet Davutoğlu told reporters on Friday that Turkey welcomes a Russian proposal for Syria to turn …

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Egypt extends state of emergency by two months

 Interim president Adly Mansour on Thursday extended by two months Egypt’s state of emergency in force since mid-August, his spokesman said. Mansour had initially announced a month-long state of emergency on August 14, with deadly unrest sweeping Egypt as police dispersed two Islamist protest camps.

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Poland backs Romania on Schengen entry

Visiting Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski reconfirmed Wednesday that Poland supports Romania’s bid to join Schengen. “Poland supports Romania’s accession to Schengen Zone,” the head of the Polish diplomacy said, adding that “the country meets the technical criteria, which means it’s ready to take the next logical step.”

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EU still stands by the people of Egypt, says Catherine Ashton

The EU still stands by the people of Egypt, affirmed High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton during a Wednesday session of European parliament. Ashton noted in her address that she had visited Egypt 11 times, three of which this summer, and during her most recent …

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Malian troops clash with rebels

Three Malian soldiers were wounded in clashes with separatist Tuareg rebels on Wednesday, the army said, the first clashes since the two sides signed a ceasefire deal in June.

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