European Council

Ashton was "not completely honest," says analyst

BRUSSELS -- Catherine Ashton's visit to Serbia represents "an unusually strong expression of support for the new government and the country's EU integration."

This is the conclusion of two Brussels-based political analysts who spoke for the Tanjug news agency on Friday.

BRUSSELS - Chief of Serbia's negotiating team Tanja Miscevic has said that a screening on the energy sector and trans-European networks will be held in Brussels on Tuesday, underlining that Belgrade did not receive any concrete objections from the EU in relation to the South Stream gas pipeline.

Japan will provide a USD 1.1 M financial assistance to support the resolution of the crisis in Ukraine.

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev is to take part in the EU-Africa summit, which will be held April 2 and 3.

Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin will also participate in the event, Bulgaria's CROSS news agency has reported.

Regional countries to seek EU observer status

"The world is safer and more just" when the European Union and the United States stand together, US President Barack Obama stated.

Obama is on an official trip to Brussels, the first such visit to the EU's political heart since 2005.

Veto is not an instrument in the dialogue between leaders of the European Council, Bulgaria's Prime Minister said.

Plamen Oresharski made this comment on Tuesday, shedding some light on his future stance toward the prospect of introducing European-level measures against Russia, the website Dnevnik.bg has reported.

Ukraine and the EU signed on Friday the political chapter of the Association Agreement.

The event took place at a ceremony attended by European Council and European Commission Presidents, as well as by heads of state and government of all EU members, Ukrainian newspaper KyivPost has reported.

Austria and Luxembourg have agreed to back EU plans to increase transparency in tax reporting at a summit in Brussels, Thursday.

The EU has imposed sanctions on another 12 individuals over Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, but failed to agree on economic sanctions. 

With this the total number of persons on the sanctions list reached 33. 

Meanwhile, the EU leaders warned that further economic sanctions can be imposed on Russia, if the situation in Ukraine deteriorates.