Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Belarus

Outgoing EU Presidency Concerned About Russia, Belarus

Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (file photo) (AFP)

December 18, 2006 -- Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said today he regretted it had proven impossible for the EU to launch talks on a new comprehensive agreement with Russia before Finland's EU presidency concludes at the end of the year.

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December 18, 2006

Vanhanen noted Russia's importance as a European partner, but also said Europe would like to see a greater Russian commitment to democracy.

He also denounced the authoritarian regime in Belarus, which he said was a "scar on the face of Europe."

(Reuters)

EU Expands Eastward

To view RFE/RL's archive of coverage related to EU expansion, click here .

A vendor in the central Bosnian town of Zenica sells heart-shaped cushions with proclamations of love for 1 euro each.

Love It (Or Hate It), It's Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, the Western holiday celebrating love, has become a global phenomenon over the past two decades. The fall of communism and the emergence of the Internet have helped February 14 become something of an unofficial international day of romance. However, not all the passions the holiday stirs are related to love. While some countries have openly embraced the holiday, others are attempting to ban it or replace it with local customs. More

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There are frequent reports in the Bulgarian and Ukrainian media about Romanian “pirates” robbing passing transport ships on the Danube. (file photo)

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An attack last month on a Ukrainian barge on the Romanian sector of the Danube River has caused a diplomatic tussle between Bucharest and Kyiv, sparking media reports of possible acts of piracy on Europe's second-largest river. But do “Danube pirates” actually exist? More