About: Middle East Archives

Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas will ask the EU to officially recognise the state of Palestine when he meets foreign ministers from the bloc today (22 January), a senior official told AFP on Sunday.

Today’s (11 December) Foreign Affairs Council begins with a discussion with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, against the background of the decision of US President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalm as the capital of Israel.

He never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity. So went the Abba Eban-penned 1973 slogan used to describe the late PLO chief, Yasser Arafat, who was routinely blamed for failing to secure peace with Israel.

The world has changed and there is a long list of things that Europe should do to protect itself. First, we have to increase defence spending, Anders Fogh Rasmussen told EURACTIV Czech Republic.

The Middle East used to be known for its stale continuity. But with the Qatar crisis now in its third week, the region is finding itself convulsed in its biggest diplomatic shakeup in decades, warns Willem Oosterveld.

Saudi Arabia and several of its allies yesterday (5 June) cut relations with Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremism, in the biggest diplomatic crisis to have hit the region in years. Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and the Maldives …

Ribbon-cutting, jets overhead and a dinner in a new, billion-dollar headquarters: Donald Trump's first meeting at NATO on Thursday (24 May) is being choreographed to impress a US president who called the Western alliance "obsolete"

Hassan was in Kirkuk when a bomb exploded in a nearby building. He was with some friends. They entered to see if they can help. A machine gun opened fire on them. His companions died. He is now 18 and calls Romania his home. Hassan spoke to EURACTIV.ro

Few European cities are as disparaged for their multicultural makeup as much as Malmö. With over 20% of its residents estimated to be Muslim, Malmö is an ideal whipping boy for populists. The reality is something else. EURACTIV's media partner Gazeta Wyborcza reports.

At first, the Russian approach was to admit to everything. Well, almost. Following the first reports of the Syrian chemical attack on Khan Sheikhoun on Tuesday, the defence ministry appeared almost too willing to confirm what happened.

The EU unveiled an ambitious plan Tuesday (14 March) to support the reconstruction of war-torn Syria, calling it a "dividend" to encourage warring parties to reach a peace deal.

Interests within NATO diverge, particularly between the United States and many European countries. George Friedman takes a closer look.

Global arms deals have reached their highest level since the end of the Cold War, according to one study. EURACTIV Germany reports.

The EU warned today (8 February) that it will consider punishing member states next month if they fail to share the burden of asylum seekers stranded in Greece and Italy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday (3 January) he hoped to stave off any possible moves at the UN Security Council against his government's policies following a Paris conference scheduled for later this month on Middle East peace.

Children who flee to Europe from war-torn regions without their parents have no clear way of escaping abusive or exploitative adults as there are no unified policies in place to protect them, a European Union agency said yesterday (21 December).

The EU is stepping up its efforts on common defence policy and a "coalition of the willing" could quickly deploy EU troops and promote common defence projects. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 US presidential elections marks a watershed moment in American political history, and, very possibly, world affairs, writes Giovanni Grevi.

As divisions in Europe are hardening under the pressure of the biggest flow of refugees since WWII, experts are making the case to adjust the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), so that it’s ready to adapt and make the bloc resilient to rapid geopolitical changes.

Turkey and Israel signed a deal on Tuesday (28 June) to restore ties after a six-year rift, formalising an agreement which UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said sent a “hopeful signal” for regional stability.

The European Union can play a role in the stabilisation of Iraq that could contribute to economic growth and peace while helping stem migration flows from the region, writes Dr. Theodore Karasik.

European citizens see the migration crisis as the biggest threat to the EU, ahead of the threat of terrorism, a recent survey has found. Climate change has been pushed to the bottom of the pile. EURACTIV France reports.

Europe will resolve its migration crisis only by giving people fleeing the Middle East new reasons to stay there, such as legitimate jobs, schooling and a future, the UK’s international development secretary has said.

Islamic State has perpetrated some of the most fearsome acts of the War on Terror. On Wednesday (3 February), the European Parliament will vote on a resolution that seeks to class their brutality as genocide, writes Lars Adaktusson.