http://www.rferl.org Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty is an international news and broadcast organization serving Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East and Balkan countries http://www.rferl.org/img/rssLogo.gif http://www.rferl.org en-US Copyright 2009 - RFE/RL, Inc. 60 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:32:06 +0000 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL An emergency EU summit concluded unexpectedly as the bloc's new top jobs went to two virtual unknowns on the European political scene. RFE/RL Brussels correspondent Ahto Lobjakas reports. http://www.rferl.org/content/Diplomats_Say_Belgian_PM_On_Course_To_Become_EU_President_/1882810.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Diplomats_Say_Belgian_PM_On_Course_To_Become_EU_President_/1882810.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:28:18 +0000 News The European Union is set to pick its first-ever president to represent the 27 member states on the world stage, as well as a high representative for foreign policy. The long-awaited posts are expected to herald a new era in EU decision making. But the chaotic selection process has exposed deep divisions among the member states, and there are fears the bloc may emerge looking even more unwieldy than before. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Looks_To_Get_Its_Top_Ducks_In_A_Row/1882463.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Looks_To_Get_Its_Top_Ducks_In_A_Row/1882463.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:35:57 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Looks_To_Get_Its_Top_Ducks_In_A_Row/1882463.html#relatedInfoContainer The president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, emerged today from the 24th EU-Russia summit in the Swedish capital describing it as "one of the best meetings we have had." http://www.rferl.org/content/EURussia_Relationship_No_Longer_Worsening/1881799.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EURussia_Relationship_No_Longer_Worsening/1881799.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:28:45 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EURussia_Relationship_No_Longer_Worsening/1881799.html#relatedInfoContainer An EU-Russia summit in Stockholm is set to be a low-key affair, with neither side holding out hopes of major breakthroughs in a relationship that stalled after the Russian-Georgian war more than a year ago. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Russia_Gear_Up_For_Unambitious_Summit/1880819.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Russia_Gear_Up_For_Unambitious_Summit/1880819.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:00:58 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Russia_Gear_Up_For_Unambitious_Summit/1880819.html#relatedInfoContainer The European Union continues what officials in Brussels describe as a "pragmatic" policy of keeping in place a travel ban on top Belarusian officials -- but not enforcing it, as long as Minsk continues to respond to the bloc's overtures. http://www.rferl.org/content/Pragmatic_EU_To_Keep_Belarus_Sanctions_In_Suspension/1879712.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Pragmatic_EU_To_Keep_Belarus_Sanctions_In_Suspension/1879712.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:02:28 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Pragmatic_EU_To_Keep_Belarus_Sanctions_In_Suspension/1879712.html#relatedInfoContainer With the Czech Republic becoming the last country to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, EU leaders can now move on to putting it into practice. Most immediately, they face the problem of picking the bloc's first-ever president and foreign minister, two positions created by the treaty. http://www.rferl.org/content/With_Lisbon_Secure_EU_Focuses_On_Name_Game/1870539.html http://www.rferl.org/content/With_Lisbon_Secure_EU_Focuses_On_Name_Game/1870539.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:44:08 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/With_Lisbon_Secure_EU_Focuses_On_Name_Game/1870539.html#relatedInfoContainer This week's EU-U.S. summit will go down as a unmemorable affair. Neither the European Union nor the United States could claim any breakthroughs after a lackluster two-day meet that ended in Washington on November 4. http://www.rferl.org/content/Lackluster_Summit_Highlights_Lack_Of_Strategic_Depth_In_Relationship/1869548.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Lackluster_Summit_Highlights_Lack_Of_Strategic_Depth_In_Relationship/1869548.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:05:10 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Lackluster_Summit_Highlights_Lack_Of_Strategic_Depth_In_Relationship/1869548.html#relatedInfoContainer Climate change, energy cooperation, and a raft of topical international issues will dominate the first formal U.S.-EU summit since President Barack Obama took office. But officials in Brussels are downplaying the chances of any breakthroughs coming out of the meeting. Coupled with the EU pessimism, is the prevailing sense that, contrary to early expectations, the EU-U.S. relationship has failed to take off since President George W. Bush stepped down. http://www.rferl.org/content/EUUS_The_NotSoSpecial_Relationship/1868331.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EUUS_The_NotSoSpecial_Relationship/1868331.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:38:03 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EUUS_The_NotSoSpecial_Relationship/1868331.html#relatedInfoContainer An EU summit in Brussels has ended without agreement on how much the member states are willing to contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change. Coming just a few weeks before a global climate summit in Copenhagen, this represents a reverse for the EU's own stated ambition to lead other industrial nations in covering the costs involved -- which are expected to run to $150 billion by the year 2020. http://www.rferl.org/content/Czech_Appeasement_Heralds_End_To_EU_Constitutional_Ordeal/1865314.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Czech_Appeasement_Heralds_End_To_EU_Constitutional_Ordeal/1865314.html Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:13:49 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Czech_Appeasement_Heralds_End_To_EU_Constitutional_Ordeal/1865314.html#relatedInfoContainer The two-day EU summit opening in Brussels is likely to be short on decisions and long on controversy. The foot-dragging by the Czech Republic in ratifying the bloc's constitutional Lisbon Treaty means pressing decisions on new top EU appointments must be put off for another month, if not two. The summit's other main theme -- preparations for a global climate summit in Copenhagen in December -- also looks set to be mired in disappointment, as EU member states cannot agree on sharing the costs of ... http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Summit_Likely_To_Be_Mired_In_Disappointment/1864272.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Summit_Likely_To_Be_Mired_In_Disappointment/1864272.html Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:03:05 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Summit_Likely_To_Be_Mired_In_Disappointment/1864272.html#relatedInfoContainer The European Union's curious history of applying punitive sanctions on non-member states is likely to prove short-lived. After EU foreign ministers decided on October 27 to remove all remaining restrictions on Uzbekistan, which has one of the world's most repressive regimes, the end of the whole idea of sanctions cannot be far away. http://www.rferl.org/content/The_EUs_Learning_Curve_Heralds_Beginning_Of_End_Of_Sanctions/1863169.html http://www.rferl.org/content/The_EUs_Learning_Curve_Heralds_Beginning_Of_End_Of_Sanctions/1863169.html Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:51:30 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/The_EUs_Learning_Curve_Heralds_Beginning_Of_End_Of_Sanctions/1863169.html#relatedInfoContainer Foreign ministers of the three South Caucasus countries today met with an EU troika of top officials in Luxembourg. The routine meeting takes place yearly under the aegis of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreements the EU has with Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The EU is offering all three countries an upgrade to an Association Treaty, which could eventually bring with it free trade and visa-free travel, but would not open the door to EU membership. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Reviews_Cooperation_With_The_South_Caucasus/1861508.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Reviews_Cooperation_With_The_South_Caucasus/1861508.html Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:24:02 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Reviews_Cooperation_With_The_South_Caucasus/1861508.html#relatedInfoContainer NATO defense ministers are discussing the future of Afghanistan at a meeting in Bratislava. The United States is pushing its allies to contribute more troops. The ministers will also discuss the changed U.S. strategy on missile defense. http://www.rferl.org/content/NATO_Defense_Ministers_In_Afghan_Unity_Push/1858347.html http://www.rferl.org/content/NATO_Defense_Ministers_In_Afghan_Unity_Push/1858347.html Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:55:52 +0000 News The European Union's relations with Russia appear to have returned to business as usual -- except that there's not much business in evidence. The verdict after EU-Russia talks in Brussels is that real cooperation on most substantive issues has come to a virtual standstill. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Russia_Press_On_With_Partnership/1855736.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Russia_Press_On_With_Partnership/1855736.html Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:05:27 +0000 News Last weekend's agreement between Turkey and Armenia to establish diplomatic relations has been hailed around the world as an important breakthrough. But the accord is only the first step on a long road toward full reconciliation, which still faces major obstacles. http://www.rferl.org/content/TurkishArmenian_Rapprochement_Leaves_Many_Questions_Unanswered/1854722.html http://www.rferl.org/content/TurkishArmenian_Rapprochement_Leaves_Many_Questions_Unanswered/1854722.html Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:18:15 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/TurkishArmenian_Rapprochement_Leaves_Many_Questions_Unanswered/1854722.html#relatedInfoContainer Seventy years after the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the role the accord played in triggering World War II and dividing Europe remains the subject of intense debate. Opinion is split even among academics and politicians who agree throwing light on Soviet crimes is an essential part of healing Europe's historical wounds. http://www.rferl.org/content/MolotovRibbentrop_Pact_Still_Divides_Europe/1854113.html http://www.rferl.org/content/MolotovRibbentrop_Pact_Still_Divides_Europe/1854113.html Sat, 17 Oct 2009 10:42:42 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/MolotovRibbentrop_Pact_Still_Divides_Europe/1854113.html#relatedInfoContainer The president of the European Commission has launched a stinging attack on Czech President Vaclav Klaus, who is so far unwilling to sign the Lisbon Treaty. The exasperation in Brussels was on clear display following a meeting between EU officials and the Czech Republic's caretaker prime minster. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Tells_Czech_President_To_Respect_Europe/1850965.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Tells_Czech_President_To_Respect_Europe/1850965.html Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:35:55 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Tells_Czech_President_To_Respect_Europe/1850965.html#relatedInfoContainer Ireland's "yes" vote on the Lisbon Treaty last week, though welcomed by many in the EU, is not yet enough to see through the long-awaited reforms designed to streamline the bloc after the 2004 and 2007 enlargements. Poland and the Czech Republic have yet to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, and the process could be delayed for months. http://www.rferl.org/content/After_Irish_Yes_EU_Treatys_Future_Still_Unclear/1843970.html http://www.rferl.org/content/After_Irish_Yes_EU_Treatys_Future_Still_Unclear/1843970.html Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:34:23 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/After_Irish_Yes_EU_Treatys_Future_Still_Unclear/1843970.html#relatedInfoContainer A mounting political crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina has prompted officials in Brussels to announce a delegation of EU and U.S. officials will travel to the troubled country next week. The latest political crisis in Bosnia has escalated rapidly since authorities in Bosnia's Serb entity, Republika Srpska, threatened to pull out of federal government structures. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_US_Announce_Emergency_Talks_With_Bosnia/1842258.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_US_Announce_Emergency_Talks_With_Bosnia/1842258.html Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:48:52 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_US_Announce_Emergency_Talks_With_Bosnia/1842258.html#relatedInfoContainer BRUSSELS -- Ireland's voters on October 2 will decide the fate of the EU's Lisbon treaty -- the bloc's second attempt to streamline the way it does business after taking in 12 new countries between 2004-07. EU politicians and observers alike agree the Irish referendum -- the country's second after the first one failed in June 2008 -- is the Lisbon treaty's last chance to come into effect.  Polls suggest the "yes" camp will prevail this time in Ireland. But even so, the fight ... http://www.rferl.org/content/Irish_Referendum_Marks_End_Of_An_Era_For_EU/1841328.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Irish_Referendum_Marks_End_Of_An_Era_For_EU/1841328.html Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:14:54 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Irish_Referendum_Marks_End_Of_An_Era_For_EU/1841328.html#relatedInfoContainer An international report into the causes of the 2008 Russian-Georgian war suggests that both parties share the blame for the long-simmering conflict. But its conclusion that Georgia started the hostilities means that Russia seems to have achieved its main objective for this round in the post-war standoff. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Report_On_2008_War_Tilts_Against_Georgia/1840447.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Report_On_2008_War_Tilts_Against_Georgia/1840447.html Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:22:34 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Report_On_2008_War_Tilts_Against_Georgia/1840447.html#relatedInfoContainer A long-awaited report on the causes of the five-day war between Russia and Georgia in August 2008 will split the blame between the two sides, EU officials say. Although it commissioned the report in December 2008, the EU is now keen to distance itself and move on with the Geneva talks between Georgia, Russia, and the two breakaway Georgian provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Sponsored_Report_To_Split_Blame_For_Russian_Georgia_War/1839451.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Sponsored_Report_To_Split_Blame_For_Russian_Georgia_War/1839451.html Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:01:40 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Sponsored_Report_To_Split_Blame_For_Russian_Georgia_War/1839451.html#relatedInfoContainer The European Union has signaled it's ready to resume full cooperation with Moldova following the appointment of a new, liberal-led government and Chisinau's recent decision to normalize relations with neighboring Romania. Diplomats in Brussels say they believe Moldova is ready for a new cooperation treaty that could lead to visa-free travel and free trade. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Signals_Readiness_To_Resume_Full_Ties_With_Moldova/1836691.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Signals_Readiness_To_Resume_Full_Ties_With_Moldova/1836691.html Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:49:16 +0000 News Germany's "Der Spiegel" magazine has reported that an independent committee of international experts sponsored by the European Union will issue a report laying most of the blame for the August 2008 war between Russia and Georgia with Tbilisi. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Braces_For_Release_Of_Report_On_Georgia_War/1830073.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Braces_For_Release_Of_Report_On_Georgia_War/1830073.html Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:13:07 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Braces_For_Release_Of_Report_On_Georgia_War/1830073.html#relatedInfoContainer Each summer, European Union countries are overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of migrants struggling to their shores in search of a better life. It's a problem that first hit European headlines a decade ago. So it may seem surprising just how little the EU has done to create an effective policy on immigration, asylum, or repatriation. http://www.rferl.org/content/EUs_Fortress_Europe_Buckles_Under_Immigrant_Siege/1828516.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EUs_Fortress_Europe_Buckles_Under_Immigrant_Siege/1828516.html Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:38:17 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EUs_Fortress_Europe_Buckles_Under_Immigrant_Siege/1828516.html#relatedInfoContainer Relations between the European Union and the countries of Central Asia are going through the warmest spell since their inception in the 1990s. Participants of the second EU-Central Asia Ministerial Conference, which took place in Brussels, were unanimous in seeking to minimize their differences. http://www.rferl.org/content/EUCentral_Asia_Cooperation_Gathers_Pace/1823972.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EUCentral_Asia_Cooperation_Gathers_Pace/1823972.html Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:28:36 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EUCentral_Asia_Cooperation_Gathers_Pace/1823972.html#relatedInfoContainer At a monthly gathering of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, the spotlight has been on the South Caucasus, Afghanistan, and Iran. The EU is attempting to flesh out its partnership offer to Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. In Afghanistan, the bloc is looking to take up a bigger role once a new government is in place, while on Iran it is ready to impose sanctions if nuclear talks fail. The ministers also expressed hope that Slovenia and Croatia are now well on the way toward resolving their ... http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Ministers_Review_South_Caucasus_Strategy_Mull_Afghan_Future/1823288.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Ministers_Review_South_Caucasus_Strategy_Mull_Afghan_Future/1823288.html Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:00:13 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Ministers_Review_South_Caucasus_Strategy_Mull_Afghan_Future/1823288.html#relatedInfoContainer The European Union and Uzbekistan appear to have normalized their relationship a year after the EU dropped its sanctions against Tashkent, imposed in the wake of the mass killings of protesters in Andijon in May 2005. After a routine meeting of senior officials in Brussels, both sides sought to downplay differences and focus on pragmatic cooperation. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Stresses_Broad_Deep_Relationship_With_Uzbekistan/1822850.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Stresses_Broad_Deep_Relationship_With_Uzbekistan/1822850.html Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:21:51 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Stresses_Broad_Deep_Relationship_With_Uzbekistan/1822850.html#relatedInfoContainer When they meet in Brussels on September 14, EU foreign ministers are expected to launch a debate on how to bring the bloc's outreach to the South Caucasus up to date. Coming in the wake of the European Neighborhood Policy and Eastern Partnership projects, both of which also target the region, the timing of the new strategy debate suggests the EU has lost its way in the region. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Goes_Back_To_Drawing_Board_In_South_Caucasus/1819518.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Goes_Back_To_Drawing_Board_In_South_Caucasus/1819518.html Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:57:31 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Goes_Back_To_Drawing_Board_In_South_Caucasus/1819518.html#relatedInfoContainer European Union foreign ministers wrapped up a two-day meeting in Stockholm by sounding an upbeat note on Afghanistan. After an in-depth discussion of a confidential EU strategy document for the country, the EU's external relations commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, said significant progress has been made in the country since 2001, adding that the bloc is intent to "make things even better." But speaking privately, EU diplomats said the discussion on Afghanistan was pervaded by an ... http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Ministers_Publicly_Upbeat_Privately_Glum_On_Afghan_Prospects/1815522.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Ministers_Publicly_Upbeat_Privately_Glum_On_Afghan_Prospects/1815522.html Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:03:28 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Ministers_Publicly_Upbeat_Privately_Glum_On_Afghan_Prospects/1815522.html#relatedInfoContainer After a deadly bombing struck Konduz Province, concerns about the situation in Afghanistan topped the agenda as EU foreign ministers arrived in the Swedish capital Stockholm for two days of informal talks. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Foreign_Ministers_Weigh_Afghanistan_Strategy_In_Wake_Of_Konduz_Strike/1815162.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Foreign_Ministers_Weigh_Afghanistan_Strategy_In_Wake_Of_Konduz_Strike/1815162.html Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:41:31 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Foreign_Ministers_Weigh_Afghanistan_Strategy_In_Wake_Of_Konduz_Strike/1815162.html#relatedInfoContainer EU foreign ministers are gathering in the Swedish capital for two days of informal discussion on Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and the Middle East. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Foreign_Ministers_Discuss_Afpak_Strategy_Iran_Middle_East/1814728.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Foreign_Ministers_Discuss_Afpak_Strategy_Iran_Middle_East/1814728.html Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:28:13 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Foreign_Ministers_Discuss_Afpak_Strategy_Iran_Middle_East/1814728.html#relatedInfoContainer Senior diplomats from the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany are meeting in Frankfurt to discuss their options if Iran continues enriching uranium without addressing international concerns that it may be building nuclear weapons. http://www.rferl.org/content/Western_Powers_Push_For_Fresh_Iran_Sanctions/1813194.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Western_Powers_Push_For_Fresh_Iran_Sanctions/1813194.html Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:43:30 +0000 News The NATO military alliance has offered its first comprehensive appraisal of its role in securing last week's presidential election in Afghanistan, declaring its operations a "success." At a briefing in Brussels, a NATO spokesman also called upon leading Afghan contenders to act "responsibly" while the final vote is being tallied. http://www.rferl.org/content/NATO_Declares_Success_In_Supporting_Secure_Afghan_Election/1808157.html http://www.rferl.org/content/NATO_Declares_Success_In_Supporting_Secure_Afghan_Election/1808157.html Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:40:30 +0000 News While the moral evaluation of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact has never really been in doubt, its practical ramifications have been ambiguous enough to have prevented an unambiguous political reckoning -- which, from the victims' point of view, would have needed to translate into an unequivocal and universal condemnation of the Soviet Union (as long as it existed), or, later, pressure on Russia to atone in some fashion for the crimes of its legal precursor. http://www.rferl.org/content/The_MolotovRibbentrop_Pact_And_The_Slippery_Slope_Of_Big_Power_Politics/1805658.html http://www.rferl.org/content/The_MolotovRibbentrop_Pact_And_The_Slippery_Slope_Of_Big_Power_Politics/1805658.html Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:48:30 +0000 Commentary http://www.rferl.org/content/The_MolotovRibbentrop_Pact_And_The_Slippery_Slope_Of_Big_Power_Politics/1805658.html#relatedInfoContainer As he prepares to chair his first meeting of NATO ambassadors at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, new Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has promised "success" in Afghanistan, attempts to forge a strategic partnership with Russia, and more dialogue with the Muslim world. http://www.rferl.org/content/New_NATO_Chief_Outlines_Priorities_In_Afghanistan_Russia/1791479.html http://www.rferl.org/content/New_NATO_Chief_Outlines_Priorities_In_Afghanistan_Russia/1791479.html Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:18:51 +0000 News With 53 seats in the parliament, the anti-communist front of four parties -- the Liberals, Liberal Democrats, the Our Moldova Alliance, and the Democrats -- can form a government, but it falls eight votes short of being able to elect the president. In an overwhelmingly presidential political system, this could prove a fatal shortfall. http://www.rferl.org/content/Quo_Vadis_Moldova/1789285.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Quo_Vadis_Moldova/1789285.html Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:44:56 +0000 Commentary http://www.rferl.org/content/Quo_Vadis_Moldova/1789285.html#relatedInfoContainer EU officials describe Moldova's election as a "crucial test," but the bloc is struggling for leverage. The EU faces a number of challenges as it tries to come to grips with developments in its tiniest "Eastern Partner." http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Watches_As_Moldova_Prepares_For_Crucial_Poll/1787483.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Watches_As_Moldova_Prepares_For_Crucial_Poll/1787483.html Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:26:44 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Watches_As_Moldova_Prepares_For_Crucial_Poll/1787483.html#relatedInfoContainer It's difficult to imagine the patience and fortitude it must demand from Moldovan democracy activists to meticulously catalogue violations of the internationally accepted norms of electoral conduct, from the most minor to the grossest. http://www.rferl.org/content/The_Evidence_Mounts/1787317.html http://www.rferl.org/content/The_Evidence_Mounts/1787317.html Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:10:55 +0000 moldovavotes http://www.rferl.org/content/The_Evidence_Mounts/1787317.html#relatedInfoContainer A group of independent experts and analysts representing various think tanks and NGOs I met this week accused the Communist authorities here of every kind of electoral fraud imaginable. "Independent" clearly does not mean "neutral" in Moldova. http://www.rferl.org/content/The_Battle_Is_Joined/1787182.html http://www.rferl.org/content/The_Battle_Is_Joined/1787182.html Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:08:40 +0000 moldovavotes http://www.rferl.org/content/The_Battle_Is_Joined/1787182.html#relatedInfoContainer EU foreign ministers are convening in Brussels for their first monthly meeting under the Swedish presidency. Sweden, which took over the bloc's reins on July 1 for six months, will seek to keep the EU's foreign-policy focus on its eastern neighborhood. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Foreign_Ministers_To_Discuss_Georgia_Iran_Iceland/1786327.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Foreign_Ministers_To_Discuss_Georgia_Iran_Iceland/1786327.html Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:17:26 +0000 News The Swedish foreign minister, Carl Bildt, briefed the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee on his country's priorities as the current holder of the EU's rotating six-month presidency. Bildt offered a panoramic list of challenges that Sweden faces through the end of its tenure on December 31. http://www.rferl.org/content/Sweden_Lists_Balkans_Russia_Iran_As_Among_Top_Foreign_Policy_Challenges/1782234.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Sweden_Lists_Balkans_Russia_Iran_As_Among_Top_Foreign_Policy_Challenges/1782234.html Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:56:27 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Sweden_Lists_Balkans_Russia_Iran_As_Among_Top_Foreign_Policy_Challenges/1782234.html#relatedInfoContainer A high-level EU delegation has arrived in the South Caucasus to tour Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia in the coming days. Georgia, with its fragile internal political situation and tense relationship with Russia, will claim most of the EU visitors' attention. But the peace process in Nagorno-Karabakh is also likely to dominate talks in Baku and Yerevan. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Troika_Begins_Tour_Of_South_Caucasus/1778503.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Troika_Begins_Tour_Of_South_Caucasus/1778503.html Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:21:35 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Troika_Begins_Tour_Of_South_Caucasus/1778503.html#relatedInfoContainer The European Commission has recommended that Schengen countries, most of which are members of the EU, stop requiring visas from short-term visitors from Macedonia, Serbia, and Montenegro as of 2010. While an historic breakthrough for the three ex-Yugoslav states, it's also a disappointment for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, and Kosovo, where the visa requirement will remain in place. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Opens_Borders_For_Some_Western_Balkan_Travelers/1777614.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Opens_Borders_For_Some_Western_Balkan_Travelers/1777614.html Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:12:31 +0000 News Turkey and four EU member states have signed a deal allowing work to start on the Nabucco natural gas pipeline, which is aimed at allowing Western Europe to tap directly into non-European gas reserves. The project should tap gas reserves from the Caspian Sea region, Iraq, and the Middle East -- and not from Russia, currently the EU's biggest and most capricious supplier. http://www.rferl.org/content/Strategic_Nabucco_Deal_To_Reduce_Dependence_On_Russian_Gas/1775655.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Strategic_Nabucco_Deal_To_Reduce_Dependence_On_Russian_Gas/1775655.html Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:14:51 +0000 News The president of the European Commission said in Brussels that he had fronted a last-minute mediation effort between Moscow and Ukraine in addition to looking for international loans to help Ukraine settle the tranche of its debt to Moscow that is due on July 7. In an indication of the extent of the frustration at Ukraine's failure to meet its obligations, the European Commission last week recommended that member states begin hoarding gas in preparation for further disruptions of Russian gas ... http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Prepares_For_Worst_In_Impending_RussianUkrainian_Gas_Crisis/1770718.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Prepares_For_Worst_In_Impending_RussianUkrainian_Gas_Crisis/1770718.html Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:52:01 +0000 News The EU's new Swedish Presidency has called on the Iranian leadership not to isolate itself in the wake of protests following its disputed presidential elections. Sweden's Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeldt says the EU is looking for a "balanced" response to Tehran's increasingly harsh line against the West. The Swedish government met today outlined its priorities for its six-month stint at the bloc's helm. http://www.rferl.org/content/Swedes_Launch_EU_Presidency_With_Plea_To_Iran/1766917.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Swedes_Launch_EU_Presidency_With_Plea_To_Iran/1766917.html Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:16:24 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Swedes_Launch_EU_Presidency_With_Plea_To_Iran/1766917.html#relatedInfoContainer Shifts in priorities are a recurrent feature in the way the EU's rotating presidency functions. But new president Sweden, a country of under 10 million people, has a history of pursuing sweeping agendas despite its small size. http://www.rferl.org/content/New_EU_President_Sweden_To_Lead_Fight_Against_Climate_Change/1766549.html http://www.rferl.org/content/New_EU_President_Sweden_To_Lead_Fight_Against_Climate_Change/1766549.html Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:11:16 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/New_EU_President_Sweden_To_Lead_Fight_Against_Climate_Change/1766549.html#relatedInfoContainer EU leaders focused almost exclusively on domestic challenges during their two-day summit. Opting for continuity in a time of crisis, Jose Manuel Barroso was picked for a second term as president of the European Commission, while Ireland received legal guarantees in the hope it will ratify the EU's constitutional Lisbon Treaty in a second referendum in October. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Summit_Largely_Keeps_Domestic_Focus/1758320.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Summit_Largely_Keeps_Domestic_Focus/1758320.html Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:43:55 +0000 News The two-day European Union summit that began in Brussels on June 18 will largely have an inward-looking focus. http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Summit_To_Be_An_Introspective_Affair/1757369.html http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Summit_To_Be_An_Introspective_Affair/1757369.html Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:04:13 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Summit_To_Be_An_Introspective_Affair/1757369.html#relatedInfoContainer