Belgium

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged a de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East in a talk with Iran’s Foreign Affairs Minister Javad Zarif over the weekend, an EU statement said on Sunday.

Days after the killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani by the United States in Iraq, Borrell called on Iran to “carefully consider any reaction” and invited Zarif to Brussels to discuss the situation in the Middle East and the preservation of a nuclear deal with Tehran.

BRUSSELS (AP) — December served up a warning of the massive challenges ahead for the European Union.

Freak storms wreaked havoc on parts of southern Europe, showing how the impact of extreme weather will drive the bloc’s thinking and climate change policy over the coming years. The EU has already said it wants to spend effort and money to remain the global driver of measures to fight climate change.

BRUSSELS, December 20. /TASS/: The agreement on gas transit that was reached by Russia, Ukraine and the European Union means that Moscow remains a reliable supplier to European markets, the European Commission (EC) said in a statement released on Friday.

BEIJING/BRUSSELS, Dec 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Beijing on Friday accused the European Parliament of hypocrisy, after a resolution called for targeted sanctions against Chinese officials over the treatment of the Uighur minority.

China has faced international condemnation for rounding up an estimated one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic minorities in internment camps in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.

BRUSSELS, Dec 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A Brussels court found a former Rwandan official guilty of genocide after hearing of his role in the 1994 massacres in his country.

Fabien Neretse, who protested his innocence, is the first person to be convicted in Belgium on such a charge and he now faces a possible life sentence.

The 71-year-old agricultural scientist was also convicted of “war crimes” for 11 killings in Rwanda, under Belgium’s code of universal jurisdiction for the most serious offences.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union’s willingness to offer a comprehensive free trade agreement to Britain after Brexit will depend on how ready Britain is to maintain EU standards and regulations, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator said on Wednesday.

“The United Kingdom will leave the union. We respect this choice. Clearly it is not leaving Europe. Does it want to distance itself and to what extent from our regulatory model?” Michel Barnier told the European Parliament.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain stands to lose more than the European Union if the two fail to strike a trade deal by the end of next year, the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament on Wednesday.

Britain set a hard deadline of December 2020 on Tuesday to reach a new trade deal with the European Union, betting that the prospect of another Brexit cliff-edge would force Brussels to move quickly to seal an accord.

London; 17 Dec 2019 (UMM): A global network of co-ordinated 265 pro-Indian fake websites operating across 65 countries has been traced by EU Disinfo Lab, a Brussels-based NGO.

The websites are aimed at influencing decision-making in Europe, and was traced to have links with an Indian company, Srivastava Group.

BRUSSELS, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- China and Europe are partners, not rivals, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a speech here on Monday evening.

"In recent years, we have heard an argument suggesting that China has become a rival of Europe in the economic field and should be subjected to all sorts of restrictions," Wang said while speaking at an event hosted by the European Policy Center, a think tank.

BRUSSELS, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- China and the European Union (EU) see eye to eye on multilateralism and free trade, which serve as a major stimulus to world peace and development, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Monday.

In contrast, unilateralism and protectionism deviate from the trend of global development, run counter to the norms and rules governing international relations, and cause disruptions to the global governance system, Wang said at an event hosted by the European Policy Centre, a Brussels-based think tank.