Mon. Oct 7th, 2024

EXTERNAL SECURITY

LATEST NEWS

UK: Foreign Secretary call with US Secretary of State Blinken, January 2024

The Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State discussed the international community’s shared condemnation of the illegal and unjustified attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea by Houthi militants. They made clear that the UK and US will work with our partners to hold the Houthis accountable for these unlawful seizures and attacks. The Foreign Secretary raised worsening food insecurity in Gaza and the urgent need for significantly more aid

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Attack in Iraqi Kurdistan (31 December 2023)

France utterly condemns the particularly serious armed drone attack on a Kurdish forces base in Pirmam, in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region. These violent, destabilizing actions must end and their perpetrators must be identified and prosecuted. France calls on all parties to respect Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the stability and security of the autonomous Kurdistan Region within it.

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Ukraine: Condemnation of massive new Russian strikes (2 January 2024)

In launching nearly 100 missiles and dozens of drones across Ukraine four days after a strike of unprecedented dimensions that resulted in at least 39 casualties, Russia is continuing its strategy of terror aimed at destroying Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, in order to weaken the resilience of the Ukrainian people during the second winter of the conflict. Russia alone bears responsibility for this escalation, which has no justification whatsoever and which

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Niger: Embassy closure (2 January 2024)

The Embassy of France in Niger is now closed until further notice. For the past five months, our Embassy has been subjected to major obstacles that have made it impossible to do its job: a blockade around the Embassy, restrictions on employee movements, and the turning away of all diplomatic personnel who were supposed to arrive in Niger, in clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The Embassy

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U.S. Treasury: Countering Houthi maritime attacks on international shipping

The United States is designating one individual and three entities for facilitating Iranian financial assistance to the Houthis that enables attacks on international shipping and other destabilizing activities. Those designated today have facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars to the Houthis at the direction of U.S.-designated Sa’id al-Jamal, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force-backed Houthi financial facilitator based in Iran.

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UN rights chief warns of ‘dehumanization’ of Palestinians amid West Bank violence

Bulldozers in refugee camps, detainees stripped naked and spat at, farmers robbed of their harvest: against the backdrop of the war in Gaza the situation in the occupied West Bank is “rapidly deteriorating” amid levels of violence not seen in years, UN rights chief Volker Türk warned on Thursday. Commenting on a new report on the West Bank released by his office, OHCHR, Mr. Türk expressed concern at the use

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Lebanon: UN Force condemns attack on peacekeepers

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Thursday condemned an attack on one of its patrols, in which one peacekeeper was injured. The windows of a patrol vehicle were also smashed. The patrol was attacked on Wednesday night (local time) by a group of young men in Taybeh in Marjayoun district, south Lebanon, the Force said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

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Rebuild trust and restore hope in 2024: UN chief’s call

In his message, the UN chief reflected on the pain and suffering afflicting humanity. Conflicts persist, claiming tens of thousands of civilian lives, many of them women and children. Millions have been driven from their homes, facing hunger and disease. At the same time, “the planet is peril”, Mr. Guterres said, marked by record-breaking temperatures and worsening impacts of climate change.

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UN Security Council: Middle East

The continued daily fire across the Blue Line poses great risk to regional stability. There have been several instances of strikes deeper into the territories of Lebanon and Israel, raising the risk of conflict with potentially devastating consequences for the people of both countries. With the risk of miscalculation increasing, it is crucial that all actors immediately de-escalate and return to the cessation of hostilities.

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UK: Government exceeds target as over 2,100 more county lines closed

More than 2,000 county lines have been dismantled in the last 18 months, as the government hits its target of closing thousands of these criminal networks early. Data published this month shows the ambitious three-year target, made in the government’s 10-year drug strategy, has been achieved in just a year and a half, with dedicated police taskforces from the County Lines Programme arresting senior line holders and breaking the gangs

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Ministerial Conference on Peacekeeping (Accra, 6 December 2023)

I mention these numbers because we cannot remain indifferent when these soldiers who wear this very iconic blue helmet and who defend this very iconic blue flag of the United Nations are being physically attacked on the ground but are also the targets of hate speech, and I can only agree with the panellists and speakers who think that we need to take action collectively to stop these attacks on

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Ukraine: French condemnation of Russian strikes (29 December 2023)

In launching more than 110 missiles and dozens of drones across Ukraine, as it has done almost daily over the past several months, Russia is continuing its strategy of terror aimed at destroying Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, in order to weaken the resilience of the Ukrainian people during the second winter of the conflict. As Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna has repeatedly emphasized, France will continue to work

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Israel/Palestine: Reception of injured Palestinian children in French hospitals 

In line with President Macron’s commitments, France is welcoming an initial two injured Palestinian children, who arrived in France today, Thursday 28 December. They were taken into care in pediatric hospital services. The Ministry of Health and Prevention, and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs through its Crisis and Support Centre and the French Embassy in Cairo, are working on a new operation to take in injured or seriously

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Georgia: France on the transfer of land from Abkhazia

France reaffirms its total support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
Any decision undermining Georgia’s territorial integrity, such as the attempted transfer of land from the separatist region of Abkhazia to the Russian Federation, is illegal, null and void.

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Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelenskyy on new defense packages 

For the next year, we have set ourselves crystal clear goals in terms of artillery, drones, missiles, and armored vehicles. One of our major political results this year is an agreement with our partners, particularly the United States, on co-production of weapons. Establishment of new production facilities. Localization in Ukraine. Expansion of the repair base. All this contributes to Ukraine’s defense and economic robustness, resulting in considerable GDP growth and

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France and Azerbaijan exchange diplomatic expulsions

France notes the decision taken by Azerbaijan to declare two members of the French Embassy in Azerbaijan persona non grata. It categorically rejects the allegations presented by Azerbaijan to justify its decision. As a reciprocal measure, France has declared two employees of the Azerbaijani Embassy in France persona non grata.

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Moldova establishes National Cybersecurity Agency with e-Governance Academy Expertise

The newly formed Agency will be responsible for implementing state policies on cybersecurity, ensuring high security for the networks and information systems of critical service providers. As part of its mandate, the Agency will form a national cyber incident response team and establish a national contact point to facilitate interaction between national authorities and public institutions with similar authorities in other countries. Additionally, the Agency will contribute to increasing citizens’

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protective suit, face mask, face shield

UN: ‘Act on the lessons of COVID-19’, Guterres says on Epidemic Preparedness Day 

The Secretary-General said these efforts are making progress. He recalled that the High-level meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, held in September, concluded with a robust political declaration which complements negotiations underway towards a pandemic accord. This first-ever global agreement aims to enhance collaboration, cooperation, and equity in responding to pandemics of the future, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in his end-of-year message published on Tuesday.

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Ukraine: Andriy Yermak had a phone call with the National Security Advisor to the President of South Africa

On the instructions of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak had a phone call with National Security Advisor to the President of the Republic of South Africa Sydney Mufamadi. Andriy Yermak thanked his interlocutor for the active participation in the meetings at the level of advisors on the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula. The parties exchanged views on preparations for the next meeting

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