Mon. Oct 7th, 2024

EXTERNAL SECURITY

LATEST NEWS

New legislative project to be launched to combat instrumentalised migration

The Ministry of the Interior will set up a legislative project to combat instrumentalised migration and to bolster border security. The term of the project is from 19 February to 31 March 2024. The aim is for a government proposal to be submitted to Parliament in March 2024. The project will prepare legislative amendments that will help strengthen border security and effectively combat any attempts to put pressure on Finland

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19/02/2024

Norway assists in scheme for crucial financial transfers from Israel to Palestine

The Palestinian Authority’s economic situation has become even more precarious since 7 October. There have been reports of an imminent financial collapse. One of the reasons is that Israel has withheld some of the clearance revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, due to the war in Gaza. The Palestinian Authority has refused to accept all transfers unless Israel changes its decision. The impasse has gone on for

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19/02/2024

Belarus: EU Council conclusions confirm EU’s unwavering support for democracy and human rights

In its conclusions, the Council expresses its continued and deep concern about the deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus. It strongly condemns the continuing persecution and intimidation campaigns against all segments of Belarusian society, the unprecedented level of repression, and restrictions on political participation, which undermine the potential for fairness and legitimacy of the parliamentary and local elections scheduled to take place on 25 February 2024.

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19/02/2024

Security in the Red Sea: EU Council launches EUNAVFOR ASPIDES

Operation ASPIDES will ensure an EU naval presence in the area where numerous Houthi attacks have targeted international commercial vessels since October 2023. In close cooperation with like-minded international partners, ASPIDES will contribute to safeguard maritime security and ensure freedom of navigation, especially for merchant and commercial vessels. Within its defensive mandate, the operation will provide maritime situational awareness, accompany vessels, and protect them against possible multi-domain attacks at sea.

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19/02/2024

Foreign Affairs Council: Press remarks by EU HRVP Borrell upon arrival

The sad news of the passing of [Alexei] Navalny came to Munich where the Security Conference was taking place. Today, we will have here with us his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, who will send a message, a political message, about how to support the political opposition inside Russia against Putin’s regime. You see, during this weekend, many people have been demonstrating in the streets of Russia, in Sankt Petersburg and Moscow,

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19/02/2024

Europol: Properties worth €48m frozen after cocaine sweep in Ecuador and Spain

Europol initiated this cooperation with Ecuador, one of the main transit hubs for cocaine shipments to the EU. The common efforts to combat these large-scale criminal activities resulted in the signature of a Working Arrangement between Europol and Ecuador in October 2023. This new framework enhances the cooperation between law enforcement authorities from EU Member States and their Ecuadorian counterparts in the joint fight against multinational drug cartels.

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16/02/2024

U.S. OFAC sanctions network smuggling U.S. tech to Central Bank of Iran

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned a procurement network responsible for facilitating the illegal export of goods and technology from over two dozen U.S. companies to end-users in Iran, including the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), which is designated for its role in providing financial support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and Hizballah.

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15/02/2024

Sweden: Foreign and security policy focus on NATO membership, the neighbourhood and support to Ukraine

Today, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström presented the Government’s 2024 Statement of Foreign Policy in the Riksdag. The Government’s most important foreign policy priorities are support to Ukraine, Sweden’s NATO membership and deepened cooperation in the neighbourhood. Since Russia’s large-scale invasion began in February 2022, Sweden’s support to Ukraine has totalled around SEK 30 billion. Sweden has provided military support, advanced weapons systems and humanitarian and economic assistance. Sweden

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14/02/2024

Israel/Palestine: France adopts sanctions against violent Israeli settlers

France is adopting sanctions against extremist Israeli settlers who have been guilty of violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. In this regard, 28 individuals have been targeted by an administrative ban on entering French territory.
These measures come at a time when violence perpetrated by settlers against the Palestinian population has been increasing in recent months. France reaffirms its strong condemnation of this unacceptable violence. As we

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13/02/2024

Funding of NGOs involved in smuggling of illegal migrants into the EU – EU Commission answer

The efforts of all actors, including non-governmental organisations, involved in rescuing persons in distress at sea in line with international law, are commendable. To prevent loss of life at sea, the Commission has repeatedly called on all actors to ensure full cooperation and coordination, in line with the obligations set out by international and, where applicable, EU law. To this end, the Commission promotes a structured cooperation among actors involved

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12/02/2024

UK sanctions extremist settlers in the West Bank

The UK announces new sanctions against extremist Israeli settlers who have violently attacked Palestinians in the West Bank.
The Foreign Secretary has announced sanctions on 4 extremist Israeli settlers who have committed human rights abuses against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
There have been unprecedented levels of violence by extremist settlers in the West Bank over the past year. Some residents of illegal Israeli settlements and

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12/02/2024

France expresses concern over Israeli strikes in Rafah 

France expresses its deepest concern following the Israeli strikes in Rafah.
More than 1.3 million people are currently taking refuge in Rafah. It is also a vital crossing point for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza’s population. A large-scale Israeli offensive in Rafah would create a disastrous and unjustifiable humanitarian situation on a new scale. In order to prevent such a disaster, we reiterate our call for an end to

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12/02/2024

Informal Foreign Affairs Council (Development): Press remarks by EU HR Borrell upon arrival

We are going to take stock with the [EU] Cooperation and Development Ministers of our policy of cooperation with emerging countries. We are in the middle of the financial perspective. It has to be reviewed what we have done and what still has to be done. We have to review the financial allocations in order to continue doing in the framework of these two wars, because certainly, everything that we

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12/02/2024

Europol: International cybercrime Trojan malware service dismantled

On 7 February, two suspects were arrested in Malta and Nigeria in the framework of the operation. The suspects are accused of selling the malware and supporting cybercriminals who used the malware for malicious purposes.
Europol provided analytical support to the investigation which led to the operation involving Australia, Canada, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Malta, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Romania and the United States. These countries provided valuable assistance securing

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12/02/2024

British Embassy collaborates with campaign for free journalism in Guatemala

Since November 2023, the collective of journalists #NoNosCallarán (they will not shut us up) launched the audio-visual series “For your right to know” where journalists narrate the attacks to which they have been exposed for practicing their profession and actively defending citizens’ right to information. Racist attacks, defamation on social networks, police attacks, imprisonment and criminalization for the spurious use of the justice system are among the tactics that the

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09/02/2024

Azerbaijan presidential election 2024: UK statement

“However, we share a number of issues of concern with the election taking place in a restrictive environment, lacking genuine political alternatives. Serious violations were observed, some of which run counter to the 1990 Copenhagen Document which outlines a number of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The OSCE’s ODIHR plays a vital role in ensuring that election processes are assessed fairly and the UK strongly encourages Azerbaijan to

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09/02/2024
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