October, 2013

• 23 October

  Bulgarian President to call Security Council over refugee influx

  Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev has announced that he would schedule a sitting of the Consultative Council of National Security over the ongoing refugee crisis in the country. Plevneliev told reporters on Tuesday that he would announce the date for the sitting “within days,” noting that the budget of Bulgaria’s security services will be …

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• 22 October

  Kurdish rebels threaten new fight in Turkey as Syria clashes intensify

  Kurdish rebels are ready to re-enter Turkey from northern Iraq, the head of the group’s political wing said at his mountain hideout, threatening to rekindle an insurgency unless Ankara resuscitates their peace process soon. Accusing Turkey of waging a proxy war against Kurds in Syria by backing Islamist rebels fighting …

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• 22 October

  EU Ambassador in Ankara says Turkey and EU have the same goal in Egypt

  EU Ambassador to Turkey Jean-Maurice Ripert has said that the European Union and Turkey share the same goal in Egypt, which is establishing peace and democracy in the Middle Eastern country, even if they do not use the same language.

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• 22 October

  Lebanese President thanks Turkish counterpart for hostages release

  Lebanese President Michel Suleiman has called Turkish President Abdullah Gül to thank Turkey for its efforts in saving nine Lebanese pilgrims who were being held hostage by the Syrian opposition and getting them home safely.

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• 22 October

  Pakistan rejects Indian Minister’s statement on Kashmir

  Pakistan has stated that the Kashmir dispute is the core issue that remains unresolved between India and Pakistan. Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry expressed disappointment over the comments made by India’s External Affairs Minister on the status of Jammu and Kashmir in the Indian media.

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• 22 October

  US to release $1.6B aid to Pakistan

  The U.S. has quietly decided to release more than $1.6 billion in military and economic aid to Pakistan that was suspended when relations between the two countries disintegrated over the covert raid that killed Osama bin Laden and deadly U.S. airstrikes against Pakistani soldiers.

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• 22 October

  Suicide bomber kills 6 in southern Russia

  A female suicide bomber blew herself up on a city bus in southern Russia on Monday, killing six people and injuring about 30, officials said. The attack in Volgograd added to security fears ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

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• 22 October

  EU confirms start of new chapter with Turkey

  The European Union’s General Affairs Council has confirmed the opening of Chapter 22, on regional policies, with Turkey, in a move welcomed by the EU’s commissioner for enlargement Stefan Füle. 

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• 22 October

  Indian PM fails to reach nuclear power agreement with Russia

  Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh failed Monday to strike a long-delayed nuclear power deal with Russia during talks with President Vladimir Putin that also focused on big arms and energy deals. Singh is using one of his last major foreign trips as prime minister before 2014 general elections

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• 22 October

  Bulgaria asks EU for assistance on refugee influx

  Bulgaria has asked for an additional EUR 6 M in order to cope with the ongoing refugee influx, Bulgarian Interior Minister Tsvetlin Yovchev revealed on Monday. Yovchev, who attended an emergency cabinet sitting over the refugee crisis, told reporters

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