France and Britain have expressed doubts about Russian efforts to mediate in the Syrian crisis. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said he does not believe any commitments announced by the Syrian regime, including those made on February 7 to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Damascus.

• February 8, 2012



Karabakh conflict

Angela Khachatryan, the Zhamanak (Time), www.1in.am portal (Armenia)
- Mr. Terterov, what effect can the crisis in Europe have on the countries of association partners to the EU, of which Armenia is one?

MT: I think the main point to take here is the question of whether countries in the EU’s Eastern Partnership framework, or those coming into the wider-European Neighbourhood context, are a priority for EU external relations strategies. Clearly, some countries come higher up the EU pegging order than others. This also depends on which EU member states holds important positions in the EU institutions, including the rotational presidency of the Council of the European Union, and the foreign policy strategies which those countries entertain. Clearly, when France holds the presidency, one can assume that greater EU external policy resources will be directed towards the South Bank Mediterranean countries. This is also likely to be the case even more so now with the EU having to show its “interest” in the region in way of developments associated with the Arab Spring. When Poland, for example, holds the presidency, it is likely greater EU foreign policy resources will be directed towards Ukraine and Belarus. READ MORE

• February 5, 2012

Syrian forces hammered restive neighbourhoods in the city of Homs for hours with mortars and artillery before dawn Saturday, sending terrified residents fleeing into basements and killing more than 200 people in the bloodiest episode of the nearly 11-month-old uprising, activists said.

• February 4, 2012

Downing Street warned Russia on Monday not to block efforts at the United Nations to bring a peaceful resolution to unrest in Syria.

• January 30, 2012

Iran’s biggest oil customers from across Asia are flocking to alternative Middle East suppliers this month under renewed US pressure to stop buying Iranian crude and unprecedented tension over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

• January 14, 2012

The management of the Nuclear Regulatory Agency presented Thursday Bulgaria's national report on stress tests at the Nuclear Power Plant, NPP, "Kozloduy" and for the NPP "Belene" project.

• January 6, 2012

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak called on North Korea's new leader to seize the opportunity and return to dialogue, saying he was prepared to offer help to revive the North's shattered economy if it suspends nuclear activities.

• January 2, 2012

EGF Information Partner, Instituto Italiano Di Studi Strategici held its first Strategic Forum, "Arab Spring: Emerging Implication" on 13 Dec 2011 in Rome. Click here to read the Summary Report of this event. READ MORE

• January 2, 2012