About the suggestions of the USA and Russia on the problems of conflict prevention and regulation within OSCE area. READ MORE

European integration is high on the agenda of Ukraine's foreign policy, the country's new president said in Brussels. Yanukovych surprised observers by picking Brussels and not Moscow for his first international trip. READ MORE

The National Coordinators' Council (NCC) may be held in Tbilisi March 12-14, Organization for Democracy and Economic Development-GUAM Secretary General Valeri Chechelashvili said. READ MORE

A German MEP says Germany, France and the Netherlands will buy Greek bonds to help Athens deal with its debt. A senior German official has dismissed the claims. READ MORE

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

During a working visit to Latvia on 23-24 February, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis met with President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers, Speaker of the Saeima (Parliament) of Latvia Gundars Daudze and Latvia’s Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins. Bilateral relations, Eastern Neighbourhood policy, security, energy, transport and other issues were discussed during the meetings. READ MORE

Three companies have been contracted to supply a million tons of steel pipes for the construction of the second pipeline of the Nord Stream project, the consortium has announced, confirming that work would begin in April this year. READ MORE

The fact that a meeting of NATO countries on the issues of strategy in Afghanistan in early February was held in Turkey's Istanbul looks symbolic enough. Turkey as a member of the Euro-Atlantic Alliance is the most eastern of its member countries not only geographically, but it is closest to the Muslim East by mentality. On the other hand, Turkey aims to join the EU, though it faces the resistance from some countries, first of all France. Istanbul – the former Constantinople – is officially included on the list of the European Capitals of Culture this year. As we know, the city is located in the western part of Turkey and, what's more important, is not only a treasury of Islamic religion and culture, but also one of the historic centers of Christian Civilization. READ MORE

"Lithuania is interested in the successful development of transport and energy infrastructure projects connecting the Baltic and Black Sea regions," President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė said at the meeting with Turkish Minister for EU Affairs, Egemen Bağiş. READ MORE

Since the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force on Dec. 1, 2009, the European Union's foreign policy has taken the first steps toward an institutional restructuring. Lisbon introduced a permanent president of the European Council as well as the post of high representative (HR) for foreign affairs, and established a European foreign service corps known as the European Action Service (EAS). READ MORE