European Union

In Syria, EU official announces 235 million euro aid package

EU crisis management chief Hadja Lahbib announced a 235 million euro aid package for Syria and neighbouring countries on Friday during the first visit by a senior EU official since Bashar al-Assad's ouster. "I come here to announce to a new package of humanitarian aid of 235 million euros ($242 million) in Syria and in neighbouring countries," ...

EU Announces 120 mn Euros in Gaza Aid After Ceasefire

The EU said Thursday it would deliver 120 million euros ($123 million) in new aid for war-torn Gaza, a day after the announcement of a ceasefire and hostage release deal. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said the new package brought the EU's humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian territory to more than 450 million euros since ...

Lebanese and International Leaders Congratulate Nawaf Salam’s Appointment as PM

The nomination of Judge Nawaf Salam, President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), as Prime Minister on Monday, with a majority of 84 votes, drew widespread messages of congratulations and optimism among Lebanese and international leaders. The European Union Ambassador to Lebanon, Sandra De Waele, expressed optimism about Salam’s ...

Italian Foreign Minister Meets Syria’s New Leader in Damascus

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani met Syria's new ruler Ahmad al-Shareh in Damascus Friday, state media said, in the latest such visit from a European diplomat since the fall of Bashar al-Assad. State news agency SANA did not give further details about Tajani and Shareh's discussions, just over a month after Islamist-led rebels seized ...

Kallas: EU Ready to Lead Ukraine Support 'if US Not willing'

The EU's foreign policy chief on Thursday said that she hopes the United States will keep supporting Ukraine after president-elect Donald Trump takes office and that if not, the EU was ready to take the lead. "I'm really sure that all the other members, and hopefully also the United States, are ready to continue with the support to Ukraine," Kaja ...

A Herculean Task for the New President

The moment of truth is upon us—the time for decisive choices and a critical turning point for the country. Regardless of the outcome of the January 9 election, the election of Lebanon's 14th president presents a historic opportunity to claim the country’s rightful place in the emerging regional order. The new president will immediately face ...

Top European diplomats urge inclusive transition in Syria visit

The European Union backs a peaceful, inclusive transition in Syria, top French and German diplomats said Friday as they visited Damascus to meet with new leader Ahmed al-Chareh. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock were in the Syrian capital for talks on behalf of the European Union, in the ...

Moscow Opposes NATO and EU Troop Deployment to Ukraine

Russia is against the deployment of Western peacekeeping troops to Ukraine as part of any settlement to end the nearly three-year conflict, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said. Talk of the possible stationing of foreign troops in Ukraine to enforce any peace deal is circulating in Western capitals, with French President Emmanuel Macron and ...

Georgia’s New President Sworn in Amid Political Showdown

Georgia inaugurated a ruling party loyalist as president in the midst of a political showdown on Sunday, moments after Tbilisi's outgoing pro-EU leader declared herself the "only legitimate president". The inauguration of former footballer Mikhail Kavelashvili is set to further escalate a months-long political crisis that has seen huge ...

Ministry of Agriculture Condemns Israeli Attacks

The Ministry of Agriculture condemned the ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon's agricultural sector, including the recent destruction of the seedling multiplication project built in Wadi Houjair in 2020 with funding from the European Union and support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). In a ...

Fifty Tons of EU Aid Expected in Syria on December 31

Some 50 tons of EU-funded medical supplies that were flown to Turkey from Dubai are expected to enter Syria on December 31, a UN health official told AFP on Friday. The supplies, which were sent from a European Union stockpile in Dubai, landed in Istanbul early on Thursday and were to be driven to the border in the coming days. "The supplies are ...