Category: Євросоюз

For three years after Russia annexed Crimea, Washington officials quietly cautioned major U.S. firms about attending the annual St. Petersburg forum, where investors mingle with President Vladimir Putin and his lieutenants. This year, the first forum since Donald Trump became U.S. president, such cautions were not issued, according to four people familiar with preparations for U.S. companies to attend. Washington’s policy toward Russia is essentially unchanged under Trump, with the United States committed to maintaining sanctions on Moscow unless it complies with international demands about Ukraine. Change in tone But its approach this year to the St. Petersburg event — …

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For the Italian government, it seemed like a recipe for success: create an official “Made in Italy” logo to defend the country’s finest food exports from an army of foreign impersonators. On supermarket shelves worldwide, a star-shaped logo would mark out real Italian cheeses, hams, pasta and sparkling wines from those that only look or sound Italian, such as Parmesan made in New Zealand or Prosecco bottled in Brazil. But Rome has discovered that even the simplest recipe can go wrong. Instead of unifying Italy’s food industry against a common enemy that is bagging billions of euros in sales, the …

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Russian President Vladimir Putin shook off and joked about allegations that Moscow was involved in hacking during last year’s presidential election in the United States or colluded with aides to President Donald Trump before he took office.  Speaking at the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Friday, Putin denied there was any deal made between Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergei Kislyak and anyone in Trump’s transition team about easing sanctions against Russia. “This is some sort of hysteria, you just can’t get over!” joked Putin, half-indignantly. Putin also repeated that there was no evidence of Russian state involvement in …

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Ireland is set to have its first gay prime minister: Leo Varadkar, the son of an Indian immigrant, who won the ruling Fine Gael party’s leadership election Friday. Varadkar, 38, also would be the Republic of Ireland’s youngest prime minister ever. He won the leadership contest with 60 percent of the votes and replaces Enda Kenny, who has been Ireland’s Taoiseach, or prime minister, since 2011. Kenny, 66, announced his retirement last month. Varadkar, as the new Fine Gael leader, automatically becomes prime minister-elect, but the party’s choice must be confirmed by the full parliament when it reconvenes June 13. …

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The European Union and China recommitted Friday to the 2015 Paris climate deal, one day after the United States announced it would withdraw from it. In a joint statement, the EU and China said climate change and clean energy “will become a main pillar” of their bilateral partnership. European Council President Donald Tusk said the fight against climate change would continue, with or without the United States: “Today, China and Europe have demonstrated solidarity with future generations and responsibilities for the whole planet,” he said. “We are convinced that yesterday’s decision is a big mistake.” Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, in …

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The leader of the next European Union presidency says that several EU nations which were publicly scolded by U.S. President Donald Trump about their defense expenditure will be reaching a key NATO target next year. Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas said in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday that NATO nations spending 2 percent of gross domestic product could almost double from the current five to possibly nine by the end of 2018, including two other Baltic nations, Latvia and Lithuania. Pressed by a United States taking on most of the spending in the 28-nation alliance, NATO set …

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Hungary will push ahead with legislation to put foreign-funded nongovernmental organizations under more scrutiny, as those financed by billionaire George Soros operate as a “mafia-like” network, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Friday. Orban, a right-wing populist, has long criticized civil society organizations funded by Hungarian-born Soros, accusing them of opposing his tough migration policies and working as paid political activists advocating Soros’ goals. The Hungarian premier, who faces elections in April 2018, said Soros’ statement Thursday that he admired “the courageous way Hungarians have resisted the deception and corruption of the mafia state Orban has established,” was a declaration of …

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Greek police were evacuating hundreds of migrants and refugees Friday from a makeshift shelter set up inside the abandoned buildings of Athens’ old airport, which have been slated for redevelopment.   Access to the Hellenikon airport site was blocked off in the morning, and dozens of police officers and riot police stood by as the roughly 600 migrants collected their belongings and boarded buses to refugee camps elsewhere in Greece.   Police said about 350 people, mainly families, would go to a camp in Thebes, about 70 kilometers northwest of Athens, while the remainder of mainly single people would go …

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World leaders and environmental groups have expressed their disappointment with U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the landmark Paris climate accord, the global effort to deal with the effects of climate change. French President Emmanuel Macron said in both French and English that he believed Trump has made a historic mistake.  Macron said U.S. scientists and entrepreneurs would ‘find in France a second homeland,” inviting them to live in France where they could “work together on concrete solutions for our climate, our environment.”  Macron added in France they would work to “make our planet great again,” a play …

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The Trump administration’s announcement to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Change agreement is prompting swift reaction around the globe. Jesusemen Oni has more. …

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The Black Eyed Peas and Robbie Williams will join Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber and other stars at a charity concert Sunday in Manchester, England. Live Nation said Thursday that girl group Little Mix had also been added to the show being held in response to the Manchester bombing that took place at Grande’s concert in the city last week. Twenty-two people died at the show. Katy Perry, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams, Take That and Niall Horan also will perform. The event, “One Love Manchester,” will take place at Emirates Old Trafford. Tickets went on sale Thursday. Proceeds will go …

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A French prosecutor opened an investigation Thursday into a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, putting the new leader under growing pressure to clean up his own government after he campaigned to improve ethical standards in politics.   Macron stayed awkwardly silent after the announcement of the investigation into Territorial Cohesion Minister Richard Ferrand, an early ally who played a pivotal role in the presidential campaign.   The investigation comes at a bad time for Macron and his government, as they are striving to get a majority in parliament in two-round legislative elections this month to push through his pro-business, …

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Excitement is building in Russia as it prepares for the first time to host the FIFA (International Federation of Association Footballs’) Confederations Cup later in June. The football (soccer) tournament, from June 17 to July 2, is seen as a test for Russia when it hosts the 2018 World Cup games. VOA’s Moscow Correspondent Daniel Schearf reports. …

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Social media companies like Facebook, Twitter and Google’s YouTube have stepped up both the speed and number of removals of hate speech on their platforms in response to pressure from the European Union to do more to tackle the issue, according to the results of an EU evaluation. Facebook won particular praise for reviewing most complaints within a 24-hour target timeframe set down in a code of conduct agreed in December by the European Commission, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube Calling the results “encouraging” for the Commission’s push for self-regulation, Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova said the proportion of offending items …

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A new report showed greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union rose in 2015, the first increase since 2010, even as European officials on Thursday urged the United States to remain part of a global climate pact. Emissions grew by 0.5 percent compared with 2014, mainly due to increases from transportation and a colder winter, the European Environment Agency said.   Greenhouse gases are a major contributor to man-made climate change and most countries around the world have pledged to reduce emissions under the 2015 Paris Agreement.   The report was released as the EU is trying to emphasize its …

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Manchester suicide bomber Salman Abedi likely purchased most of the key bomb components himself and many of his actions were carried out alone, according to British police investigating the attack. Officers in the northern English city have arrested 16 people since the attack in a packed concert hall killed 22 children and adults and injured 116 others last week. “Our inquiries show Abedi himself made most of the purchases of the core components and what is becoming apparent is that many of his movements and actions have been carried out alone during the four days from him landing in the …

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The European Union should continue accession negotiations with Turkey but a reintroduction of the death penalty would clearly put an end to the process, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Wednesday. Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004 as part of a campaign for EU membership. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said he will approve its reinstatement if parliament submits such a proposal or if the measure is backed in a referendum. “I am not of the opinion that the accession negotiations with Turkey should be stopped now,” Juncker said in Berlin during a debate with students about the …

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The European Commission president on Wednesday said that it was the “duty of Europe” to stand up to the U.S. if President Donald Trump decided to pull his country out of the Paris climate change accord. Jean-Claude Juncker said that “the Americans can’t just get out of the agreement,” adding that “it takes three to four years” to pull out. Juncker went on to say that the Group of Seven leaders “tried to explain this in clear, simple sentences to Mr. Trump” at a recent summit in Italy. He said that even though “it looks like that attempt failed” … …

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Kosovo’s political parties have started campaigning for the June 11 parliamentary election.   Nineteen parties, five coalitions and backers of two citizen initiatives will be seeking support from 1.8 million voters. There are 120 seats in parliament at stake, 20 of them reserved for ethnic Serbs and other minorities. The election is being held about a year earlier than scheduled because Prime Minister Isa Mustafa’s government lost a no-confidence vote. The most contested issues will be two agreements signed in 2015: a border demarcation deal with Montenegro and one with Serbia that gives more powers to ethnic Serbs in Kosovo. …

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United Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will meet the rival leaders of ethnically divided Cyprus at U.N. headquarters in New York amid faltering reunification talks, officials said Wednesday.   Cyprus government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said that the meeting Sunday evening will aim to carry out a review of the state of play in negotiations that are now at a standstill.   Aleem Siddique, a U.N. spokesman in Cyprus, said the U.N. chief looks forward to welcoming the leaders to New York.   Last week, U.N. envoy Espen Barth Eide broke off mediation efforts after the island’s Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and …

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