China's commerce minister Zhong Shan told new United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer the two sides should strengthen cooperation and manage disputes in trade, according to a statement on the website of China's Ministry of Commerce on Monday.

• May 22, 2017

French President Emmanuel Macron will receive Russia's Vladimir Putin at the palace of Versailles outside Paris on May 29 to inaugurate an exhibition marking 300 years of Franco-Russian diplomatic ties, a French presidency official said on Monday.

• May 22, 2017

By Benyamin Poghosyan, PhD, Executive Director, Political Science Association of Armenia

On 14-15 May 2017, 29 world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Erdogan, gathered in Beijing for the international forum of the "Belt and Road" initiative. The Forum was the biggest event since the launch of the 'One belt one Road' initiative put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. China invited countries and regions to jointly build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road with at least five routes of economic cooperation. READ MORE

• May 22, 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump called on Arab leaders to do their share to fight "Islamist extremism" on Sunday in a speech that put the burden on the region to combat militant groups while urging unity among religions.

• May 21, 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump called on Arab leaders to do their share to fight "Islamist extremism" on Sunday in a speech that put the burden on the region to combat militant groups while urging unity among religions.

• May 21, 2017

The European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Pierre Moscovici, said on Sunday he was confident an agreement between Athens and its creditors could be found at a meeting of euro zone finance ministers on Monday in Brussels.

• May 21, 2017

China invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and six cabinet colleagues to its "new Silk Road" summit this month, even offering to rename a flagship Pakistani project running through disputed territory to persuade them to attend, a top official in Modi's ruling group and diplomats said.

• May 21, 2017

Southeast Asian nations and China should start with a "gentleman's agreement" on the busy South China Sea waterway because no mechanism exists to legally enforce any deal, the Philippine foreign minister said on Friday.

• May 19, 2017