Eurasia

Bulgaria sees the delay in admitting the country and fellow EU member Romania into the Schengen Area as politically motivated, stated Bulgaria’s President Rosen Plevneliev. Plevneliev spoke after meeting the President of EU newcomer Croatia Ivo Josipovic, who is on an official visit to Sofia Monday.

Russia on Monday urged the United States to do everything in its power to bring the Syrian opposition to peace talks after a key group said it would not attend a proposed conference in Geneva. “We very much expect our American partners and other countries, which not only have influence …

United States special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan James Dobbins arrived in Islamabad to finalize the agenda of a meeting scheduled to take place between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and US president Barack Obama, said officials on Monday.

Senior military officials from Pakistan and India are expected to meet next month to come up with a clear plan to restore ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC). Officials told The Express Tribune on Sunday that the decision to clam down the ongoing tensions at the LoC was taken …

France’s Industry and Development Minister Arnaud Montebourg, who paid an official visit in Turkey between October 9-12, announced that French President Francois Hollande would visit Turkey in the shortest time possible.

Turkish Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz has said that Turkey’s missile deal with China will not create any problems between Turkey and the US, citing statements made by United States Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on Thursday, while Republicans in the US Senate have reportedly urged the US administration to pressure …

Turkey will continue its efforts for PKK militants’ leaving the country’s territory, Deputy Prime Minister Beshir Atalay said. According to him, the militants’ leaving the country is currently the priority for Ankara.

A key group within the Syrian opposition National Coalition said Sunday it would not attend proposed peace talks in Geneva and would quit the Coalition if it participated. The decision deals a potential blow to international efforts to convene a peace conference in Geneva, which was first proposed for June but has been pushed …

France will boost its troops presence in the Central African Republic by year-end as part of a forthcoming U.N. resolution to help prevent the country from spiralling out of control, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Sunday. Fabius and European Union’s aid chief, Kristalina Georgieva, are the country to drum up support and international interest …

About 2,000 Islamists have rallied in Cairo. In Egypt’s coastal city of Alexandria police fired tear gas to disperse Muslim Brotherhood supporters when they clashed with counterprotesters, a security official said.