Luxembourg

Laura Kovesi was finally confirmed as Prosecutor General of the European Union. The decision was announced by the European Parliament (EP). Earlier this week, the EU Council adopted its decision.

Today's decision of the leaders of the political groups and the EP President  begins the 7-year term of Kovesi. She will be the first head of the EU prosecutor's office.

European Union ministers failed on Tuesday to reach a consensus on whether to open membership talks with Albania and North Macedonia, amid stiff opposition to the move from France.
"It was not a moment of glory for Europe," Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn told reporters in Luxembourg after taking part in a meeting of European affairs ministers.

Foreign Minister Ramona Manescu has sent a letter to the leaders of political parties in Romania saying that the human resources locally available abroad are limited for the November election of Romania's president, calling on the parties for help with conducting the voting process abroad under the best circumstances.

EU Ministers for EU Affairs had to give green light today in Luxembourg to start the negotiation process with the two Balkan countries. However, Paris was strongly opposed.

Other countries such as the Netherlands and Denmark have demanded the separation of the two countries and the opening of negotiations with northern Macedonia only.

France stuck to its hard line against European Union membership talks for North Macedonia and Albania on Tuesday, setting up a showdown between French President Emmanuel Macron and fellow EU leaders later this week in Brussels.

A Bulgarian delegation headed by this country's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva participated actively at the sitting of the Foreign Affairs Council held in Luxembourg. The first diplomats of the EU member states discussed the situation in Syria together with the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General for Syria Geir Pedersen, BNR reported.

Minister Delegate for European Affairs George Ciamba attended a new General Affairs (Art.50) Council meeting on Tuesday, in Luxembourg, in which the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, presented the latest developments in the Brexit process, as well as his assessment of the prospects for the negotiations to move towards an agreement that would allow an orderly withdrawal and which could be s

EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said it was still possible to reach an agreement with Britain this week, but the British government has to come up with a legally binding text, the Associated Press reported.

European foreign ministers on Monday upped the ante against Ankara, heralding sanctions against companies and individuals involved in illegal prospecting for oil and gas in Cyprus' territorial waters while also committing to restricting arms exports to Turkey over its offensive in northern Syria. 

Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on Monday welcomed a decision by European Union governments to restrict arms exports to Turkey over its invasion of Syria (although stopping short of an embargo) and to draw up economic sanctions on Ankara over its illegal drilling inside Cyprus' exclusive economic zone.