EU-Mideast ties

The helicopter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lands on Abdulhamid Han drill ship, the fourth built by Turkey, in Mersin on Aug. 9, 2022, before being sent for gas exploration to an undisputed area in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Gazipasa.

New Turkey maritime draft bill fuels EastMed tensions with Greece, Cyprus

Turkey’s draft maritime bill seeks to formalize Ankara’s claims in the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean and Black seas, raising tensions with Greece and Cyprus over contested maritime boundaries and offshore energy rights.

French Deputy Armed Forces Minister Alice Rufo

After year away, France returns ambassador to Algeria: What to know

France and Algeria have made efforts to improve ties recently, with the strain resulting from disagreements over Western Sahara and their shared colonial past.

Two men stand next to the burned remains of a Palestinian vehicle in the Wadi al-Rakhim area of Susya village in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on May 1, 2026.

EU ministers agree to sanction violent West Bank settlers: What to know

European foreign ministers have agreed to sanction extremist West Bank settlers, but are still discussing the list of names.

An Iranian woman holds up an image of Iran's new supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

Iran president says he held official meeting with Mojtaba Khamenei: What to know

The president’s announcement marks the first public confirmation of a meeting between a senior official and Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since the start of the war.

Latest News

EU says energy costs tied to Hormuz crisis have surged past $35B

Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP via Getty Images)

Macron casts doubt on Trump’s Hormuz operation as France-US gap grows

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 18: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R), French President Emmanuel Macron (L), and European leaders at the White House on August 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump hosted President Zelensky at the White House for a bilateral meeting and an expanded meeting with European leaders to discuss a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Turkey advances gas pipeline plan to northern Cyprus as East Med rivalry grows

This aerial photograph shows Turkey's first floating natural gas production platform, "Osman Gazi," passing through the Bosphorus, in Istanbul, on May 29, 2025.

In first, Libya’s rival armies to join drill in Turkey: What to know

Cadets of the Saiqa Force (Special Forces) of the self-styled Libyan National Army affiliated with eastern strongman Khalifa Hifter take part in a graduation ceremony in tribute to the force's late commander, Wanis Bukhamada, in the eastern city of Benghazi, on Jan. 20, 2022.

Finalization of a historic Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Ukraine and the UAE.

UAE, Ukraine conclude trade deal talks, Emirates to help post-war reconstruction

Ukraine’s bilateral trade has sharply fallen since Russia invaded the country in February 2022.

United Arab Emirates

Steinmeier Kabob

Erdogan and Germany's Steinmeier chuckle over doner kebab as ties grow

The German president’s visit, marking the centennial of diplomatic ties between Turkey and Germany, came during a challenging time for Ankara-Berlin relations, given the wide gap over the Israel-Hamas war.

(L to R) EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud during a plenary session titled "Transforming for a New Era", during the Doha Forum in Qatar's capital on March 26, 2022. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP) (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

What does EU visa relaxation for Saudi, Bahraini, Omani citizens mean?

Under the new rules, Bahraini, Omani and Saudi Arabian nationals will be eligible for multiple-entry visas, allowing them to visit the Schengen area (the EU’s 27 member states as well as Bulgaria and Romania) and move freely between them.

In divided Cyprus, century-old bookshop brings people together

Located in Europe's last divided city, a bookshop in Nicosia, Cyprus, has been weathering volatility since its inception in 1937.

French police officers take part in a security perimeter near the Iranian Consulate in Paris after a person was suspected of entering the building with explosives, April 19, 2024.

Breaking | Last Updated: April 19, 2024, 1:43 pm

Paris police arrest man in Iran consulate incident

The motivation of the unidentified man remains unclear.

A boy rides a donkey near one of the batteries of Israel's Iron Dome missile defense.

As it waits for Passover, Israel still bent on retaliating against Iran

Statements by Israeli tops indicate that while the country has decided to retaliate against Iran for last weekend's attack, it might not do so immediately and, in all likelihood, not before the end of Passover on April 30.

A handout photo made available by the Israeli Government Office (GPO).

In Israel, UK, Germany FMs caution against retaliation to Iran attack

On a visit to Israel, British Foreign Minister David Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock are calling on the Jewish state to avoid a military operation against Iran, though statements by Israeli officials indicate that the die is cast.

From left: Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and European Union Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell, hold a joint press conference in Brussels on April 5, 2024. (Photo by Johanna Geron / POOL / AFP) (Photo by JOHANNA GERON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

As EU courts Armenia, Iran and US are bound to clash in South Caucasus

Yerevan’s pivot to the West is a challenge for Tehran, yet Iranian authorities and media kept mum on a high-level trilateral EU-US-Armenia meeting last week.

Palestinian solidarity murals can be seen on the International Wall on the Falls Road on March 18, 2024, in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Ireland wealth fund to divest from 6 Israeli companies in blow to relations

The amount of Ireland's divestment is relatively small, but it is part of the wider effects of the Gaza war on Israeli businesses.

French Ambassador to the United Nations Nicolas de Riviere speaks during a UN Security Council vote on the Israel-Hamas war, UN Headquarters, New York City, Feb. 20, 2024.

France to submit Gaza UN resolution that can ‘actually be adopted,’ rivaling US draft

France says its proposal will not compete with or contradict a draft resolution sponsored by the US currently in circulation.

A picture taken on Sept. 17, 2021, shows people queuing to cross into Tunisia through the Libyan Ras Jdeir border crossing.

What’s behind Libya-Tunisia border closure?

Tunisia closed the troubled Ras Jdir crossing following a security incident. Tunisia and Libya are facing a crisis over migrants seeking to reach Europe.

European Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen and Egypt president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi pictured during a diplomatic meeting on Sunday 17 March 2024 in Cairo, Egypt. The Belgian Prime Minister is on a 3-day visit to Jordan, Qatar and Egypt. BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM (Photo by DIRK WAEM / BELGA MAG / Belga via AFP) (Photo by DIRK WAEM/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Beyond migration, what does EU's $8bn package mean for Egypt?

The 27-member bloc's 7.4 billion euros in funding in the North African country will be disbursed over the next three years and cover economic and trade relations, energy and immigration.

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