On July 8-10, Kazakhstani Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov paid an official visit to the United States and held meetings with Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Deputy National Security Adviser and Assistant to the President Anthony Blinken, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, and Deputy Secretary of State William Burns. In his talks with high ranking U.S. officals the two sides highlighted the robust and growing bilateral ties between Kazakhstan and the United States and reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen the strategic partnership. It was agreed that Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will co-chair the Strategic Partnership Dialogue. READ MORE

NATO forces were deployed to the fictitious country of “Fairyland” to put logistic systems, equipment and procedures to the test in what was the Alliance’s largest-ever logistics exercise. Held in Slovakia from 8 to 26 June, Capable Logistician 2013 involved NATO member and partner countries in a simulated crisis involving inter-ethnic conflict and floods of refugees. READ MORE

European Commission's Press release

Brussels, 9 July 2013 READ MORE

In case you haven’t noticed, the great European crisis is the biggest political game changer in postwar history. READ MORE

President Dalia Grybauskaitė met with Joachim Gauck, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, who arrived on a state visit to Lithuania. READ MORE

Luxembourg’s long-serving Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker officially announced he would resign following a spying scandal involving illegal phone-taps and other illicit activities. READ MORE