The High-Representative / Vice-President Federica Mogherini visits Argentina today, where she will meet President Mauricio Macri and Minister of Foreign Affairs Susana Mabel Malcorra.

Argentina is currently holding the rotating presidency of Mercosur. During her subsequent visit to Chile tomorrow, she will meet President Michelle Bachelet, Minister of Foreign Affairs Heraldo Muñoz and the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean Alicia Bárcena.

The visit will be a chance to further deepen and strengthen the already strong ties between the European Union and Latin America. Argentina and Chile are important partners of the EU in a wide spectrum of areas, from foreign policy to trade and investment, and closely cooperate in the multilateral fora on global issues such as climate change and security.

This visit comes ahead of the Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, which will take place in El Salvador in October 2017.

The new Chairperson of the EIGE Management Board for 2017 – 2019, Kalliope Agapiou Josephides from Cyprus, took office in May 2017.

She has extensive experience in the field of gender equality at the international, national and regional level: management of institutions dealing with gender equality and human rights (former Vice-President of the European Inter University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation in Venice, EIGE Management Board Member); good knowledge of the EU policies and politics (Jean Monnet Chair Holder, University of Cyprus). As an established international expert she has been serving as academic convener/speaker in high-level international events, providing advise and training for institutions and leaders as well as teaching and research. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the Paris I Panthéon – Sorbonne University.

For the complete list of Management Board members see the EIGE website.

The fighting in Tripoli on recent days has broken a hard-wrought ceasefire that had been in place since March. The renewed violence puts at risk the promising start to a dialogue aimed at fostering reconciliation in Libya. 

We expect the  warring factions to restore the ceasefire. There is no military solution to Libya’s political crisis. 

The EU calls on Libya’s political leaders from all sides to come together to resolve the conflict through negotiation and compromise, in a Libya-led process under the aegis of the UN.

The people of Libya desire peace and are hoping for the chance to rebuild their lives in a stable, secure and prosperous country.  The EU, working together in the Libya Quartet with the African Union, the League of Arab States and the UN, continues to support this. 

For further information: Catherine Ray 0032498969921

Les Cinq Organisations internationales partenaires du processus de consolidation de la paix en Guinée-Bissau (UA, CEDEAO, CPLP, UE et NU), communément dénommées ‘P5’, notent avec inquiétude l’évolution de la situation en Guinée-Bissau. En effet, l’on constate une brusque montée de tension dans le pays, caractérisée par une nouvelle inflation de communiqués émaillée de rhétorique offensive, de grèves et de menaces de manifestation de rues.

Il importe de rappeler le communiqué final de la mission de haut niveau de la CEDEAO conduite à Bissau les 23 et 24 Avril 2017, la déclaration du Conseil de Sécurité des Nations Unies rendue publique le 11 Mai 2017, ainsi que la déclaration de l’Union Européenne du 19 Mai 2017.

Toutes ces déclarations émanant de composantes éminentes de la communauté internationale invitent instamment les autorités publiques ainsi que les acteurs politiques et sociaux à faire preuve de responsabilité et de retenue afin de préserver la paix sociale, la sécurité et la stabilité de ce beau pays qu’est la Guinée-Bissau et de son vaillant peuple; ceci dans le strict respect des accords et instruments internationaux auxquels la Guinée-Bissau et ses représentants ont librement souscrit.

The Christian Coptic community has been targeted once again in Egypt: dozens of worshippers travelling on a bus in Al Minya in Egypt have been killed today. We share the pain of the families of the victims, to whom we send our condolences, and of the many wounded.

When religious communities are attacked, all religious communities, the whole human kind is attacked. The freedom of faith and the right to pray in safety are fundamental human rights and whoever violates these rights commits a crime against humanity.

As European Union, we renew our support and commitment along the Egyptian authorities and the Egyptian people in the fight against terrorism and we expect those responsible must be brought to justice and held accountable.