Eurasia

President Barack Obama pledged on Tuesday to explore a diplomatic plan from Russia to take away Syria’s chemical weapons, but voiced skepticism about it and urged Americans to support his threat to use military force if needed.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his Moldovan counterpart Iurie Leanca met to discuss Poland’s support for Moldova’s efforts for closer cooperation with the European Union and the abolition of the EU visa regime on

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Wednesday said “a strong response” was needed to the use of chemical weapons and urged Damascus “without delay” to show readiness to destroy them. Delivering his annual “state of the union” speech before the European Parliament, Barroso said “the use of chemical

Russia’s initiative to place Syrian chemical weapon stockpiles under international control will only be feasible if the United States and its allies pledge not to use force, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.

United States President Barack Obama is going to Congress on Tuesday with fresh hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough that would allow Syria’s government to avert U.S. missile strikes if it surrenders its chemical weapons arsenal.

France welcomed the nomination of Mali’s first government after months-long conflict with Islamists, and vowed to help its former colony improve domestic governance and boost security, the foreign ministry said Monday.

Iran “favourably welcomes” a Russian plan to head off threatened US strikes on Syria by securing a deal to destroy the regime’s chemical weapons, the foreign ministry spokeswoman said Tuesday. Marzieh Afgham told a media conference in Tehran that the proposal should include the destruction of chemical

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday she hoped “action” would follow Russia’s proposal to place Syria’s chemical weapons under international control, and that it was not just a way to buy time.

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic is going to visit Bulgaria next week at the invitation of his Bulgarian counterpart Rosen Plevneliev, announced Plevneliev’s foreign policy adviser Tihomir Stoychev.

Serbian Parliament Speaker Nebojsa Stefanović has said in the talks with OSCE ambassadors that EU accession is Serbia’s fundamental foreign policy goal. According to a release, Stefanović notified the ambassadors about the priorities of the reshuffled government and its aims, and the judiciary activities of the parliament.