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Foreign Ministers concluded two days of talks in Brussels on Thursday (4 April 2024) with a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, and another meeting with Indo-Pacific partners and the European Union. Thursday marked 75 years since NATOs founding. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the landmark, saying: "since 1949, we have been the strongest and most successful Alliance in history."

Speaking at the end of the ministerial, Mr Stoltenberg welcomed that Allies continue to step up with new support to Ukraine. In recent days, this includes nearly 600 million euros from Germany for the Czech-led artillery initiative; as well as 10,000 drones from the United Kingdom; more missiles and armoured vehicles from France; and just yesterday, a new package of aid from Finland worth 188 million euros, he said. He added: we need to do even more, and we need to put our support on an even firmer and more enduring basis. Allies have now agreed to move forward with planning for a greater NATO role in coordinating necessary security assistance and training for Ukraine.

Foreign Ministers also discussed the global implications of Russias war against Ukraine, including support for Moscow from China, North Korea and Iran. Allies were joined by Indo-Pacific partners Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea, as well as the European Union. Together, ministers discussed how to enhance cooperation in responding to cyber and hybrid threats, as well as new technologies and defence industrial production. As authoritarian powers increasingly align, NATO and its partners must stand united to defend a global order governed by law, not by force, said the Secretary General.

On Wednesday, NATO Foreign Ministers met to address NATOs support to Ukraine, as well as security challenges in the Alliances southern neighbourhood.

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Foreign Ministers mark NATO's 75th anniversary, meet with Ukraine, Indo-Pacific partners, European Union - NATO HQ

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Prime Minister Pashinyan,

Dear Secretary Blinken,

I am very glad to host this meeting together with the HR/VP Josep Borrell here in the Berlaymont in support of Armenia. We are delivering on a promise we made last October: The promise to stand shoulder to shoulder with Armenia, and at the same time, the promise to set a vision for the future of our partnership. This is what we are going to be discussing today.

This vision will be underpinned on the European Union side by a Resilience and Growth Plan for Armenia, EUR 270 million in grants over the next 4 years. We will invest in making the Armenian economy and society more robust and resistant to shocks. We will support your businesses, your talents, in particular your small and medium enterprises, so that we can help them to grow, to innovate and to access new markets. And we will invest in key infrastructure projects. For example in the Black Sea electricity cable that is a new transmission route full of opportunities. It can notably bring clean, renewable energy into Europe. We are ready to support it. In parallel, we will continue investing in Armenia's renewable energy production and in better interconnections with Georgia. We will also be exploring cross-border transport, if and when conditions allow. In this context, I welcome your Crossroads of Peace initiative Prime Minister. Finally, we come today with new measures for aviation and nuclear safety, and for trade diversification.

This support package we are presenting today builds on the success of an existing Economic and Investment Plan from the European Union for Armenia. It has already mobilised over half a billion in investments. I think this is great news. And now we can do even more with a fresh investment perspective. This is why we have recently launched an Investment Coordination Platform. So that we can jointly identify new projects, accelerate the pace and maximise the potential of our investments on the ground. Of course, the European Union will continue to support reforms in Armenia through advice, technical support and funding.

In this context, Prime Minister, I want to congratulate you for your efforts to carry out democratic reforms. And this, despite the challenges faced. I also welcome the measures that Armenia has taken against the circumvention of our sanctions against Russia. In particular, to make sure that lethal equipment and technologies do not end up in the hands of the Russian military. This shows that the European Union and Armenia are increasingly aligned in values and interests. Now, we are going to look today at the broader partnership. And let us take it forward with a new and ambitious Partnership Agenda between the European Union and Armenia. This is what we will be discussing in more detail in a moment.

We are not forgetting, Prime Minister, about the plight of the displaced Karabakh Armenians. The humanitarian situation of refugees in Armenia remains a priority. We have provided over EUR 30 million in support for the refugees since last September. We are ready to do more to support the long-term integration of refugees.

To conclude, I want to say how happy I am to receive both of you here in the Berlaymont. Because Europe and Armenia share a long and common history. The time has come to write now a new chapter. And I am very glad, Secretary Blinken, to count on the United States as a committed and like-minded partner in these efforts. We will continue to work all together for the future of Armenia, in a stable and prosperous South Caucasus region.

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Press statement by President von der Leyen on a Resilience and Growth Plan for Armenia - European Union

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Criminal networks in the European Union are penetrating legal businesses across the 27-nation bloc and rely heavily on corruption to develop their activities. Thats the bleak picture emerging from a report published Friday by the EU crime agency.

Europol has identified 821 particularly threatening criminal networks with more than 25,000 members in the bloc.

According to the agency, 86% of those networks are able to infiltrate the legal economy to hide their activities and launder their criminal profits.

Europol cited the example of a gang leader identified as an Italian businessman of Argentinian origin residing in Marbella, Spain. The individual specialized in drug trafficking and money laundering and manages several companies, including one that imports bananas from Ecuador to the EU. He also owns sports centers in Marbella, commercial centers in Granada and multiple bars and restaurants, it said.

An Albanian accomplice, based in Ecuador, takes care of the import of cocaine from Colombia to Ecuador and the subsequent distribution to the EU. Ecuadorian fruit companies are used as a front for these criminal activities, the report said.

Europol also cites families fromItalys Ndranghetaorganized crime syndicate, one of the worlds most powerful, extensive and wealthy drug-trafficking groups. Their profits from drug and arms trafficking as well as tax defrauding are invested throughout Europe in real estate, supermarkets, hotels and other commercial activities, it said.

Another characteristic of these networks is the borderless nature of their structure, with 112 nationalities represented among their members, the report said.

However, looking at the locations of their core activities, the vast majority maintain a strong geographical focus and do not extend their core activities too broadly, Europol said.

As for their activities, drug trafficking and corruption are the main concern for EU officials.

As record amounts of cocaine are being seized in Europeand drug-related violent crime is becoming increasingly visible in many EU countries such as Belgium and France, drug trafficking is standing out as the key activity, the report said. Half of the most threatening criminal networks are involved in drug trafficking, either as a standalone activity or as part of a portfolio.

In addition, more than 70% of networks engage in corruption to facilitate criminal activity or obstruct law enforcement or judicial proceedings. 68% of networks use violence and intimidation as an inherent feature of their modus operandi, the report said.

In Belgium,with Antwerp the main gatewayfor Latin American cocaine cartels into the continent, gang violence has been rife in the port city for years. With drug useon the rise across the whole country, federal authorities say trafficking is rapidly penetrating society.

Organized crime is one of the biggest threats we face today, threatening society with corruption and extreme violence, said the European commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson.

Europol said the data will be shared with law enforcement agencies in EU member countries, which should help better target criminals.

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EU pulls back the curtain on organized crime, with 821 networks numbering 25000 strong poisoning the economy - Fortune

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The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, today announced a substantial Resilience and Growth package for Armenia, to underpin the Armenia-EU Partnership Agenda.

The announcement was made after a trilateral meeting between the EU, the US, and Armenia, held in Brussels.

We are delivering on a promise we made last October: the promise to stand shoulder to shoulder with Armenia, and at the same time, the promise to set a vision for the future of our partnership, Von der Leyen told a press conference.

To underpin this partnership, the EU is proposing a 270 million Resilience and Growth Plan for Armenia for 2024-2027: 200 million in grant assistance and 70 million in grant funding to leverage investments in connectivity, resilience and business development.

We will invest in making the Armenian economy and society more robust and resistant to shocks. We will support your businesses, your talents, in particular your small and medium enterprises, so that we can help them to grow, to innovate and to access new markets. And we will invest in key infrastructure projects, Von der Leyen said.

She said the EU was ready to support the Black Sea electricity cable that can notably bring clean, renewable energy into Europe. In parallel, the EU will continue investing in Armenias renewable energy production and in better interconnections with Georgia.

The European Commission will also propose new measures for aviation and nuclear safety, and for trade diversification.

The new support package builds on the existing Economic and Investment Plan from the European Union for Armenia that, according to Von der Leyen, has already mobilised over half a billion euros in investments.

Ursula von der Leyen also welcomed the measures that Armenia has taken against the circumvention of EU sanctions against Russia in particular, to make sure that lethal equipment and technologies do not end up in the hands of the Russian military. This shows, she said, that the European Union and Armenia are increasingly aligned in values and interests.

She also said that the EU was ready to do even more to support the long-term integration of refugees displaced from Nagorno Karabakh, in addition to the more than 30 million allocated since September last year.

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Press release

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EU announces new 270 million Resilience and Growth package for Armenia - euneighbourseast.eu

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The European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) announced the 2024 winner and special mentions in Brussels yesterday. The Danish author, Theis rntoft, received the award yesterday for his book Jordisk. The Icelandic author, Mara Elsabet Bragadttir, received a special mention for her book Spufuglinn.

The European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) recognises emerging fiction writers from the European Union and beyond. Engaging the 40 countries participating in the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, the Prize celebrates 40 outstanding new literary talents across a cycle of three years.

Spotlighting the creativity and the immense and diverse wealth of Europes contemporary literature in the field of fiction, EUPL aims to promote the circulation of literature within Europe and encourages greater interest in non-national literary works.

Thirteen countries participated in EUPL 2024: Albania, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Tunisia. The13 national nominees were revealed on 29 February 2024,one for each participating country. The authors and their novels were nominated by national entities, knowledgeable about the literary scene in their countries and used to promoting their national literature abroad. Aseven-member European jurymade of literary experts with professional influence read translated excerpts of the 13 nominated books and selected one overall laureate accompanied by five special mentions.

We are pleased to announce the #EUPL2024 laureate:

Denmark: Theis rntoft, Jordisk, Publisher: Gyldendal

This years five special mentions are, in alphabetical order by country:

Bulgaria: Todor Todorov, , Publisher: Janet 45

Germany: Deniz Utlu, Vaters Meer, Publisher: Suhrkamp

Iceland: Mara Elsabet Bragadttir, Spufuglinn, Publisher: Una tgfuhs

Netherlands: Sholeh Rezazadeh, Ik ken een berg die op me wacht, Publisher: Ambo|Anthos

Slovenia: Tina Vraj, Na klancu, Publisher: Cankarjeva zaloba

All nominated authors will be continuously promoted on a European stage, aiming to reach a wider and international audience, as well as connect with readers beyond their national and linguistic borders.

The EUPL is organised by a Consortium of associations comprising the Federation of European Publishers (FEP) and the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF), with the support of theCreative Europe Programme of theEuropeanUnion.

Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Iliana Ivanova said: "All works nominated this year showcase the richness and diversity of European literature. At the European Commission, we take pride in supporting a prize that helps talented writers from across Europe connect with readers worldwide through translations and promotion. Let's keep celebrating our diverse European literature!"

Ricardo Franco Levi, FEP President said We now have a decision for our expert jury. Congratulations to Theis rntoft and the special mentions. To all authors nominees, being on the EUPL longlist is a unique chance to increase the visibility of your book to a professional audience and of course, to readers. I would encourage you all to make the best use of EUPL opportunities and in a few months, to have the chance to read many of you in translation.

Jean Luc Treutenaere, co-President of EIBF, said: Congratulations to Theis rntoft for winning the 2024 EUPL Prize, along with the five special mentions and all the nominated authors in this edition. Their literary work further consolidates the role of the EUPL as an ambassador for the diversity and richness of European contemporary literature, underpinning a message of tolerance and mutual understanding. I wish their novels find the recognition they deserve in bookshops across Europe and beyond, and that they contribute to creating bonds between different regions and culture.

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Mara Elsabet receives a special mention for Spufuglinn - EEAS

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