Hundreds of foreign spies in Brussels, European diplomatic agency warns

 

According to Die Welt, the EEAS estimates that “approximately 250 Chinese and 200 Russian spies” are operating in Brussels. Most of these intelligence officers are allegedly embedded in their countries’ embassies, trade missions, cultural centers and other outreach facilities in the Belgian capital. There are also many intelligence operatives from Western agencies, including those of the United States, as well as from Iran, Turkey and Morocco, among other foreign nations. The report in Die Welt adds that the EEAS advised European Union diplomats to avoid certain establishments in the European Quarter of Brussels, which are believed to be heavily frequented by international spies. Among them are “a popular steakhouse and café” that are “within walking distance of the Berlaymont building” —the headquarters of the European Commission. The same building houses the offices of the EEAS.

The Anti-Silk Road

BERLIN/BEIJING (Own report) – At this week’s Asia-Europe Meeting in Brussels, the EU will introduce a new “connectivity strategy” to counter China’s “New Silk Road.” As outlined by the EU’s head of foreign policy in September, the strategy is aimed at improving transportation infrastructure as well as digital and energy networks linking Asia and Europe. Beijing is also active in these domains in connection with its Silk Road initiative. Recently, Germany’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched an initial thrust in this project. At the time, Minister of State Niels Annen (SPD) declared in Uzbekistan that social standards and human rights are “priorities” for Brussels. “This is what makes our offer different from China’s Belt and Road initiative.” For years, Germany had supported – even with military assistance – the Uzbek regime that was applying torture. Washington has also launched a new infrastructure initiative in Asia, to which US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that the USA is committed to “honest accords” and would “never seek dominance over the Indo-Pacific.”

From the Bundeswehr’s Areas of Operation (I)

BERLIN/PRISTINA (Own report) – The EU is discussing redrawing borders in Southeast Europe. The Kosovo leadership could thus cede control over its Serbian-speaking North to Belgrade, in exchange for the Albanian-speaking Preševo valley of Southern Serbia. Obviously backed by France, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, is promoting this exchange, against Germany’s rejection. The plan, in fact, is redrawing borders in accordance with the ethnic criteria pursued by the German government in Southeast Europe, in particular during in the 1990s and early 2000s. After having been stationed in Kosovo for nearly 20 years, the Bundeswehr is preparing a major withdrawal. Its focus will now be on training and arming Kosovo’s armed forces, which have begun cooperating with NATO, while Kosovo’s population continues to languish in poverty, after nearly two decades of western occupation. It is the second poorest region in Europe. Only military cooperation with NATO is flourishing.

World upside down as EU and Russia unite against US

EU refused to be ‘pushed around by the unilateral decisions of our US allies’, France’s Emmanuel Macron said (Photo: Consilium)

 

The UN general assembly in New York, the world’s largest diplomatic event, turned into a show of EU solidarity with Russia and China against the US on Tuesday (25 September).

The development, which came about over Iran, symbolised a world-turned-upside-down by US leader Donald Trump’s unilateralism.

It left Mike Pompeo, Trump’s foreign policy chief, “disturbed and indeed deeply disappointed”.

EU, Iran agree to create ‘special vehicle’ to maintain trade

Iran has said it will not accept any attempts to halt country’s oil exports (Reuters)

 

To keep nuclear deal intact, EU establishes legal mechanism to keep trade with Iran, including in oil

The remaining parties to the Iran nuclear deal said on Monday that they agreed to continue work to create a special mechanism to maintain trade with Iran, including in oil, following the US withdrawal from the 2015 pact.

EU wants continental free-trade deal with Africa

‘There is a huge potential in Africa,’ said EU policy chief Mogherini as she announced a new continent-to-continent trade deal plan (Photo: © European Union , 2018 / Photo: Lukasz Kobus)

 

The European Commission wants a continent-to-continent free trade deal with Africa, shifting relations away from development towards trade.

The proposal is a long-term goal for what it describes as a “new alliance” with the continent amid promises to create up to 10 million Africa-based jobs in the next five years.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Friday (14 September), the EU’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the latest plan is different from all the past announcements on Africa.

E.U. Comes to Iran’s Aid

Reuters

 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union agreed 18 million euros ($20.6 mln) in aid for Iran on Thursday, including for the private sector, to help offset the impact of U.S. sanctions and salvage a 2015 deal that saw Tehran limit its nuclear ambitions.

EU Threatens Sanctions on Its Own Companies If They Side With the US

(Photo Credit: Cabinet of Ukraine)

 

The confederation does about $9.7 billion in trade annually with Iran.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief warned businesses on the continent that they risk sanctions from the confederation if they dare break and abide by new U.S. sanctions against Iran, all but confirming what President Donald Trump said about the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal.

EU Could Switch To Euros In Oil Trade With Iran

 

The European Union (EU) is considering switching to euros instead of U.S. dollars in the oil trade with Iran, Sputnik reported on Wednesday, quoting a diplomatic source.

…

Iran, for its part, said as early as in mid-April that it would be switching to euros from U.S. dollars in reporting foreign currency amounts, to reduce the reliance on the dollar as it was expected that President Trump would not waive the sanctions this time around.

The EU vowed on Tuesday to seek ways to work and trade with Iran.

Hardship as Leverage

 

BERLIN/DAMASCUS (Own report) – Berlin and the EU are seeking to use Syria’s hardships for leverage to gain influence on that country’s political development. Berlin will provide humanitarian aid for the Syrian population, German Foreign Minster Heiko Maas announced at yesterday’s Syria conference in Brussels – aid that is also seen as helpful in preventing a new wave of mass migration to the EU. However, aid for the country’s reconstruction will only be granted, if Damascus makes political concessions, Maas declared. Berlin considers reconstruction aid a promising lever, because Syria, most likely, will not be able to raise the more than €200 billion necessary, and its closest partners, Russia and Iran are low on funds due to the western economic sanctions. Experts warn that, for example, in Raqqa, under the control of Syrian opposition forces and the USA, another insurgency could develop should reconstruction continue to be delayed. A US journalist calls Raqqa’s level of destruction the worst he has ever seen in the Middle East.

EU defence ministers push ahead with military projects

EU is moving ahead with deeper military cooperation (Photo: europarl.europa.eu)

 

A group of European defence ministers are pushing ahead with joint defence projects as part of broader effort at deeper military cooperation.

Federica Mogherini, the EU’s foreign policy chief, described the meeting among the ministers in Brussels on Tuesday (7 March) as “historic”.

EU Army on the Way

"Coming months are opportunity to launch more cooperative projects, on #CyberSecurity & work on #EUDefence more broadly" @FedericaMog pic.twitter.com/AiEXSnr2re

— EU External Action (@eu_eeas) November 23, 2017

 

The European Union has moved one step closer to the creation of an EU Army – the same EU Army that definitely wasn’t going to happen in the run up to the referendum.

Federica Mogherini, EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy chief, as well as Vice-President of the Commission, said:

“In the coming months there will be the chance to launch even more cooperative projects. We will continue to work at full speed and full determination on the European defence more broadly. The new capability development plan will point to the sectors we need to invest in.

EU Creates New Defense Pact to Reduce Dependence on US

 

The EU on Nov.13 officially launched a new era in defense cooperation with a program of joint military investment in equipment, research and development, known as permanent structured cooperation, or PESCO. Foreign and defense ministers gathered at a signing ceremony in Brussels to represent 23 EU governments joining the pact, which is to become legally binding when signed by heads of state at EU summit in mid-December. With so many ministers signing, approval seems a given. From now on, the EU will have a more coherent role in tackling international crises, while reducing the reliance on the United States.

EU takes step toward joint army

EU foreign and defence ministers in Brussels on Monday (Photo: consilium.europa.eu)

 

The vast majority of EU states have agreed to create what some have called the nucleus of a joint army.

Twenty three out of 28 EU states signed the declaration in Brussels on Monday (13 November), prior to making a legally binding pledge at an EU summit next month.

Britain, Denmark, Ireland, Malta, and Portugal stayed out.

Macron says Iran nuke deal not enough; Tillerson meets Zarif

Emmanuel Macron

 

France’s President Emmanuel Macron declared Wednesday that the Iran nuclear deal is no longer a sufficient safeguard against the growing power that Tehran wields in its region.

“We need the 2015 accord,” he said of the agreement. “Is this accord enough? It is not, given the growing pressure that Iran is applying in the region.”

Macron was speaking in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, while ministers from Iran the six world powers that signed the accord met to discuss it.