French and Spanish police break up human trafficking ring

Spanish and French police have dismantled a human trafficking ring that smuggled Chinese migrants into Europe and the United States, arresting 75 suspects including alleged "main operatives" based in Barcelona. READ MORE
Spanish Ambassador Miguel Arias Estévez: Lithuania is an open country

Spain's ambassador to Lithuania Miguel Arias Estévez likes everything about his host country: the food is good, people are friendly, and the climate is perfectly bearable. The ambassador particularly enjoys walking in Lithuania's green forests, something that cannot be found in Spain.
READ MORE
Europe’s Long-Term Growth Prospects

The Great Recession and subsequent debt crisis have left Europe with a deep and painful legacy. Output remains 7 percent below the pre-crisis trend; public debt levels continue to reach historic highs; banks remain fragile; and the Euro area is severely out of balance. To ensure that today’s downturn does not devolve into long-term slow growth and deflationary trends, European policy makers need to respond with far-reaching structural reforms. READ MORE
NATO Takes Aim At Energy

When during the meetings in Strasbourg and Kiel (in April 2009) the leaders of NATO decided to start discussions on a new strategic concept of NATO, nobody expected easy agreements. Nevertheless all the countries of the Alliance agreed that the key goal of NATO should be the establishment of the secure political environment. To this end the Alliance shall elaborate effective measures for the elimination of threats. READ MORE
In Córdoba, EU Foreign Ministers Discussed The Functioning Of The European External Action Service

At an informal meeting of European Union’s foreign ministers on 5-6 March in Córdoba (Spain), Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis and his counterparts discussed the shaping of the new European External Action Service, the EU’s relations with large emerging economies, as well as the situation in the Middle East. READ MORE
Vyshegrad Group - new dimention?
At the beginning of March a joint meeting of ministers for foreign affairs of the countries from the Vyshegrad Group (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia) and member states of the European Union program ‘Eastern Partnership’ (Belarus, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine) is to be held in Budapest. Participation of their colleagues from the EU presiding ‘troika’ – Spain, Great Britain and Hungary – is also expected. READ MORE
Spanish FM: Spain's presidency in EU is opportunity to create solid foundation for cooperation with Azerbaijan

Miguel Angel Moratinos, Foreign Minister of Spain, presiding in the EU, spoke in an exclusive interview with Trend News European Desk. READ MORE
Spain's EU Presidency Greeted With Skepticism

Spain's six-month rotating presidency of the European Union, which began on Jan. 1, 2010, is off to a bumpy start. With the Lisbon Treaty now in effect, the traditional role of the EU rotating presidency has been downgraded. Responsibility for many issues which were once the domain of the rotating presidency now falls to the newly named permanent EU president, Herman Van Rompuy, and EU foreign minister, Catherine Ashton -- who together are supposed to comprise the new "public face" of the EU. READ MORE
OSCE Focus Moves To The East

Next year, in accordance with a decision made at the 15th OSCE Ministerial Council in November 2007, Kazakhstan will preside over the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Thus, a former Soviet republic will occupy this position for the first time. Under the circumstances, it would be natural to expect Kazakhstan to do all it can to consolidate its positions on the world arena. Its officials have already announced their intentions to include illegal immigration and drug trafficking on the OSCE agenda, problems that are particularly relevant for all CIS countries. READ MORE
Sweden Hits Out At US Ahead Of Climate Summit
As the UN Copenhagen climate change summit will hold in December. READ MORE