by Oui
Tue Oct 5th, 2021 at 02:03:33 PM EST
EU leaders seek unity on how to face China, US | France24 |
EU leaders will have a hard discussion on Europe's place in the world on Tuesday as they seek unity on how to approach ties with superpowers China and the US.
The 27 heads of state and government are set to converge on Brdo Castle in the former Yugoslav republic of Slovenia, the country that currently holds the EU's rotating presidency.
While no concrete outcome is expected from the meeting, "this is the first time leaders have met since June, and with everything that has happened, that seems ages ago", a senior EU diplomat said.
The dinner takes place on the eve of an EU-Western Balkans summit in which countries to the bloc's east will seek assurances on one day joining the European Union.
France Bids Adieu to Its Military Mission in West Africa | FP - July 2021 |
After nearly a decade battling terrorists in West Africa, France is now winding down its largest overseas military mission--and potentially unwinding decades of deep involvement in former colonies like Mali, Chad, and Burkina Faso.
French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to wrap up "Operation Barkhane" reflects both disappointing results from the eight-year effort to stamp out jihadis from their newest staging ground and Macron's own desire to reset relations with Africa. Since the early days of his presidency, Macron has vowed to put an end once and for all to "Françafrique," Paris's longstanding habit of meddling in the political, economic, and military affairs of its former colonies on the continent.
The Conflict of France with Algiers
Macron fuels dispute with Algerian leadership:
"The post 1962 Algerian nation has lived
off the idea that France is the problem."
Algiers calls Macron's comments "inadmissible" * FRANCE 24 English
Fighting Terror In Mali post-Gaddafi Era
Wagner mercenaries fighting alongside Estonian NATO troops ... comrades in arms.
North Africa, Sahel and Maghreb - Chaos after Western (Military) Intervention
Blinken In Paris to Rebuild Trust
Le Drian had taken Blinken on a walking tour of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs at Quai d'Orsay lasting about 90 minutes before the pair sat down for a meeting. Blinken then met Macron and Bonne at the presidential Élysée Palace.
Diplomatic rift, a stab in the back
French officials have been at pains to emphasize that AUKUS was a wakeup call for EU states and that they should respond to the recent crisis between Paris and Washington by ending the bloc's naivety when it comes to defending its interests and building its own military capacity within the NATO framework.
In his meetings with French officials on Tuesday, Blinken discussed French proposals for more security and counterterrorism cooperation between the two countries in the Sahel region of West Africa, the U.S. official said.
The official declined to give specifics of what might be agreed, saying that Blinken's discussions would "tee up" a meeting later this month between Biden and Macron.
Yugoslav Nations and Integrated Europe
Great effort by Ursula von der Leyen to mend ties in the weeks ahead of the EU Summit ...
Good meeting with BiH presidency.
We discussed:
- Importance of regional integration and key role of the Berlin process.
- Opportunity for the EU and BiH to work together on clean energy to phase out coal
- Support for the enlargement prospects of BiH & Western Balkans
Tempers Flare At Serbia-Kosovo Border As Pristina Presses 'Reciprocal' Move Over License Plates | RFERL |
