Tensions have been running particularly high between the two NATO members since last August, when Ankara sent a research vessel into disputed waters in the Eastern Mediterranean, believed to be rich with natural resources. The move saw both countries escalate and mobilize military vessels and planes. Ankara eventually recalled its …
Read More »EU declares head of Venezuela’s diplomatic mission ‘persona non grata’ in tit-for-tat after expulsion of European envoy
“The Council today agreed that the head of the Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the European Union be declared persona non grata,” the European Council said in a statement on Thursday, adding “this is a response to the decision by the Venezuelan government to declare the head …
Read More »EU fury at UK’s diplomatic snub shows it for what it is, a petty old boys network focused more on status than tackling big issues
Britain’s decision to downgrade the diplomatic standing of both its representative to the European Union and the bloc’s ambassador to the UK makes perfect sense to most. But it has certainly upset the canapé tray in Brussels. After all, as British logic would have it, the EU is not a …
Read More »UK risks sparking diplomatic row after refusing to grant EU officials full diplomatic status
The UK Foreign Office has refused to grant the status to the EU ambassador, which would extend to him privileges and immunities under the Vienna Convention, as it is hesitant to set a precedent of treating an international body like a nation state. The decision could be seen as a …
Read More »One-China policy ‘null & void’? Trump creates diplomatic hot potato for Biden as Pompeo ends all restrictions on Taiwan relations
“Our two democracies share common values of individual freedom, the rule of law and a respect for human dignity,” Pompeo said Saturday in a statement. China doesn’t acknowledge Taiwan’s sovereignty, and the US has operated under a geopolitical compromise with Beijing in its dealing with the island. Neither the US …
Read More »America analysts downbeat as Washington chooses to withdraw its diplomatic presence in Siberia & Russia’s remote Far East
The decision, which has echoes of the Cold War. albeit with roles reversed in terms of the paranoia at play, will see diplomatic offices close in the Far Eastern capital Vladivostok, and in Ekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth largest city, located east of the Ural Mountains. President Donald Trump’s administration notified Congress of the …
Read More »Blow for new Moldovan President Sandu as diplomatic vehicle caught trying to smuggle anabolic steroids across Ukrainian border
In a statement on Saturday, the Ukrainian government said that “the products were found in the cargo compartment of a minibus with license plates of the diplomatic corps.” It has also been reported that the vehicle had been stopped by Moldovan officials before leaving the country. Chisinau’s Foreign Ministry has …
Read More »Open Skies no more: US pulls out of Cold War-era deal that provided global security in diplomatic row with Russia
The Open Skies Treaty was first considered by the US and the Soviet Union in the 1950s as a possible way to increase transparency around troop movements and the deployment of nuclear weapons. It allows signatories to conduct a limited number of mutually beneficial aerial reconnaissance missions in the countries …
Read More »Iran issues diplomatic protest over ‘absurd’ accusation of US election meddling
Iran summoned the Swiss ambassador in Tehran, who serves as a diplomatic go-between for the two rivals, to file a formal complaint against Washington’s “baseless” claim that the Islamic Republic has been meddling in the upcoming election. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe announced on Wednesday that Iran and Russia …
Read More »I’m no fan of Donald Trump, but his peace deals in the Middle East are a diplomatic triumph. Why is MSM virtually ignoring them?
For his efforts in the September 15 treaty between Israel, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and, later, Bahrain, the US president has gotten a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. But much as his enormous ego would absolutely love that award, it’s unlikely the deal will get him across the finish line. For …
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