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In today’s news from The Capitals:
STOCKHOLM| BUDAPEST
The Hungarian parliament has put Sweden’s application to join NATO on the agenda for its extraordinary session on Monday, but lawmakers from the ruling Fidesz party are unlikely to attend, meaning Sweden’s already 20-month wait in the NATO queue could not be over quite yet. Read more.
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PARIS
Minister of Justice clarifies France’s position over rape inclusion in EU directive. French Minister of Justice Éric Dupond-Moretti addressed the senate’s women’s rights delegation on Thursday taking the opportunity to clarify France’s refusal to include rape in an EU directive. Read more.
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BRUSSELS
EU-Mercosur trade agreement negotiations halted hours before signing, says Macron. Negotiations on the EU-Mercosur common free trade agreement have been halted, confirmed French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday following the European Council meeting, effectively cancelling an EU Commissioner’s trip hours before he was meant to travel to Brazil to sign it. Read more.
EUROPE’S SOUTH
LISBON
Portugal’s socialists top polls again after corruption scandal. The Portuguese socialist party is again topping the polls, just five weeks out from the country’s parliamentary elections on 10 March – having bounced back from a corruption scandal that rocked the party in November. Read more.
Portuguese farmers block roads to Spain over sectoral demands. Several access roads to the border with Spain were blocked on Thursday by farmers in tractors, demanding enhancement of the sector and fair conditions with the threat of moving the protests to Lisbon if their demands are not met. Read more.
EASTERN EUROPE
PRAGUE
Czechia expands nuclear tender to four units, excludes US’ Westinghouse. Czechia will welcome the construction of four nuclear power units at the existing Dukovany power plant instead of the one initially planned, the Czech government decided Thursday while confirming it will no longer pursue bidding talks with US power company Westinghouse. Read more.
NEWS FROM THE BALKANS
SOFIA
Bulgaria, Romania, Greece ‘mini Schengen’ would be illegal, says Denkov. Removing borders between the three nations would go against EU legislation, and their governments have no intention of starting official discussions of a zone without border control because it would be illegal, said Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov on Thursday. Read more.
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BUCHAREST
Romanian PM backpedals on military chief’s claims: ‘We will not engage in any war’. Romania “will not engage in any war”, said Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu in an attempt to ease concerns following Lieutenant General Gheorghiță Vlad’s statement that Romanians should brace themselves for a potential conflict. Read more.
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BELGRADE
Serbia and Russia pledge deeper cooperation after warm ‘brotherly’ welcome. Serbia and Russia have further strengthened their ties in recent days with the signing of a health agreement between the two countries and the announcement of a military drone delivery from Moscow. Read more.
AGENDA:
- EU: Informal meeting of foreign affairs ministers takes place in Egmont Palace, Belgium in order to openly discuss about current affairs; Main agenda highlight is Africa and the challenges it faces;
- EU-ASEAN ministerial meeting convenes to discuss key areas of cooperation between the EU and ASEAN such as trade, with a focus on green initiatives, the Global Gateway Initiative, secure supply chains, and more;
- EU-Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum to be held in Brussels, Belgium; ASEAN Foreign Ministers have also been invited to participate; Agenda highlights include green energy transition, economic resilience, and more;
- Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič hosts Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Kao Kim Hourn; Chairs roundtable with energy intensive industries associations to discuss EU Energy Platform; Hosts Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka Mohamed Uvais Mohamed Ali Sabry;
- Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski attends the Polish Beef Sector Forum, in Warsaw;
- Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič hosts Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Amy Pope; Meets Foreign Affairs Minister of Bangladesh Hasan Mahmud; Meets Foreign Affairs Minister of Indonesia Retno Lestari Priansari Marsudi;
- Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson holds meeting with Prime Minister of Moldova Dorin Recean; Participates in EU-Moldova high level energy dialogue, in Chişinău, Moldova;
- Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders opens TEPSA conference “From Elections to Everyday: EU Strategies to counter disinformation in the EU”;
- Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi holds meetings with Director General of IOM, Amy Pope, Serbian Minister of European Integration Tanja Miščević, Minister of Tourism of Tunisia Mohamed Moez Belhassine;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]
Read more with Euractiv
EU-Mercosur trade agreement negotiations halted hours before signing, says MacronNegotiations on the EU-Mercosur common free trade agreement have been halted, confirmed French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday following the European Council meeting, effectively cancelling an EU Commissioner’s trip hours before he was meant to travel to Brazil to sign it.
Source: euractiv.com
