Diplomatic Briefing
Your exclusive news aggregator handpicked daily!Archive for October 14, 2022
Newsline: Russia summons diplomats from Germany, Denmark and Sweden
Russia summoned diplomats from Germany, Denmark and Sweden to complain that representatives from Moscow and Gazprom had not been invited to join an investigation into ruptures of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. “Russia will obviously not recognise the pseudo-results of such an investigation unless Russian experts are involved,” the foreign ministry said. (https://news.yahoo.com/russia-rebukes-germany-denmark-sweden-094511333.html) The cause of the ruptures in the Nord Stream pipelines, which run under the Baltic Sea, remains unclear, but European Union countries have pointed to sabotage. The Danish Foreign Ministry said “the Russian wish to participate in the investigation of the Nord Stream leaks has been brought up through diplomatic channels in Moscow and Copenhagen.” Sweden’s Foreign Ministry said it had not received any summons, adding in an email that diplomats in Moscow were last week given a copy of a letter to Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, demanding Russia be part of the probe. Sweden has rejected the calls, denying Russian authorities to be part of the investigation or to share any findings before it is completed.
Newsline: EU foreign ministers to discuss Iranian drone sales to Russia
European foreign ministers will on Monday discuss the transfer of Iranian drones to Russia and could come to a political agreement on future sanctions related to such activity, two diplomats said on Friday. Ukraine has reported a spate of Russian attacks using Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones in recent weeks. Iran denies supplying the drones to Russia, while the Kremlin has not commented. According to the diplomats citing preparatory meetings ahead of Monday’s ministerial meeting in Luxembourg, an analysis of the drone activity has been carried out with the topic now on the agenda. (https://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-eu-ministers-discuss-iran-123118500.html) The diplomats said although an agreement on new listings was not possible on Monday, there could be a political agreement that would pave the way for sanctions at a later stage.
Newsline: EU, Peru top diplomats clinch defense deal
The European Union and Peru signed agreements on Friday to strengthen relations in areas such as inclusive growth, democratic cooperation, climate change and the fight for cybersecurity, including an agreement that will allow Peru to participate in European defense missions. At a press conference after the signing, the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, has valued Peru as a “key partner” in Latin America, claiming that it is a democratic country open to the outside world. In this sense, Borrell stressed that the signing of the understanding agreement with Peru and the agreement on Defense and Security will give an “additional boost” to an “excellent” cooperation between Lima and Brussels. Specifically, on military cooperation, the head of European diplomacy pointed out that Peru will be able to contribute to European military operations, following the example of Colombia and Chile. “We look forward to the deployment on the ground of Peruvian troops in EU missions,” he said. (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/peru-agrees-with-the-eu-to-participate-in-european-military-missions/ar-AA12Xs6M?li=BBnb7Kz) For his part, the Peruvian Foreign Minister, César Landa, emphasized the “very positive relations” that Peru and the EU have and stressed that the agreements sealed this Friday in Brussels are a sign of the commitment to continue working to strengthen relations.
Newsline: Church leaders voice concern over possible UK Embassy move to Jerusalem
The leaders of the Christian Churches in Jerusalem have joined in expressing their deep concerns over the possible transfer of the UK Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. British Prime Minister Liz Truss hinted to this possibility on September 21 during a bilateral meeting in New York with her Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid. The proposed relocation has spurred strong criticism, including from the Palestinian leaders and the Arab League, as both Israeli and Palestinian authorities claim Jerusalem to be their capital city. This is the reason why most nations, including the United Kingdom, use Tel Aviv as their diplomatic headquarters. In a statement, the Council of the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem said the relocation of the UK embassy would be “a further impediment to advancing the already moribund Peace Process”, between Israel and the Palestinians. (https://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/church-leaders-urge-british-pm-not-to-move-embassy-to-jerusalem/68051/1) The US have already relocated their embassy to Jerusalem. The move was announced in 2017 by the Trump Administration and sparked international condemnation.
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