European Council

The Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union will officially begin today with a ceremony in the National Theater.

It will be accompanied by several big protests - the policemen, the eco-activists and the defenders of Bansko ski zone will protest in the capital. 

Authentic folklore songs and pieces, old church chants, folk dances and folkloric rhythm with modern sound will be part of the opening ceremony for the Bulgarian EU presidency at the National Theatre on January 11, the Ministry for the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU 2018 said.

From the Russian Federation, the holiday messages came from President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, and Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill.

From the People's Republic of China, Vucic received greetings from President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang.

This is according to a statement issued after Mogherini on Monday hosted an informal gathering with the prime ministers of the Western Balkans, that discussed "the situation in the region and in particular the opportunities to advance the regions European Union integration in 2018."

EU leaders have agreed to move Brexit talks on to the second phase but called for "further clarity" from the UK about its future intentions, according to BBC.

Talks will now move on to the long-term relationship between the UK and EU.

The first issue to be discussed, at talks next month, will be the terms of an expected two-year transition phase after the UK's March 2019 exit.

Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, sought to distance himself from the hard-line anti-migrant views of leaders in his native Poland, saying he would never speak about migrants the way they do.

Greek opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis has voiced his opposition to calls by European Council President Donald Tusk for the abolition of mandatory quotas on relocating refugees across the European Union.

Arriving at a meeting of the center-right European People's Party (EPP) in Brussels, Mitsotakis said Tusk's proposal was "wrong."

Speaking from a summit of European leaders in Brussels where he hopes to secure the support of Berlin and Brussels in curbing a newly burgeoning migration crisis, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Friday described as "unacceptable" calls by European Council President Donald Tusk for obligatory refugee quotas to be abolished.

European leaders agreed to extend economic sanctions against Russia by 6 months. European Council President Donald Tusk revealed that at the summit on Thursday, EU countries have agreed to resume economic sanctions against Russia again, the France press reported.

Prime Minister Boyko Borisov will participate in the regular European Council meeting in Brussels today and tomorrow. The main topics to be discussed by the leaders of the EU countries are "Security and Defense" and "Social Dimension, Education and Culture".