Georgia

A political shift is beginning to take hold across the U.S. as tens of thousands of suburban swing voters who helped fuel the Democratic Party's gains in recent years are becoming Republicans.

Ljubljana – Slovenia is receiving congratulations from many world leaders on Statehood Day, with President Borut Pahor having received messages from Queen Elizabeth II, US President Joe Biden, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and French President Emmanuel Macron, among others.

Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

The Council of the EU has approved Ukraine and Moldova receiving candidate status

Yesterday, the Council of the European Union approved Ukraine and Moldova receiving candidate status.

This was announced on Twitter by the President of the Council Charles Michel.

The European Council, the body comprising the heads of state or government of the EU member states, was expected on Thursday to grant candidate country status to Ukraine and Moldova, according to an internal document of the European Council seen by Balkan Insight.

At the EU-Western Balkans summit in Brussels and at the meeting of European leaders after that, no concrete proposal is expected from Bulgaria to lift its veto on North Macedonia.

The European Commission has recommended that Ukraine and Moldova be granted candidate status as a symbolic step on the long road to membership in the European Union.
Georgia will be asked to fulfill certain conditions before it receives that status, Reuters reported today.

Ljubljana/Brussels – Prime Minister Robert Golob will start his two-day visit to Brussels on Thursday to meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel. The PM’s first visit abroad after assuming office will be mainly aimed at preparations for next week’s EU summit that will focus on Ukraine.

Ljubljana – Slovenia’s Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon has indicated the country’s efforts regarding Ukraine would shift to the provision of development and humanitarian aid, after the previous government focused on sending military aid.

Thessaloniki – Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon attended a ministerial of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in Thessaloniki on Friday, and held a number of bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Greece event. In the debate, Fajon noted the importance of a credible EU enlargement policy for the reform efforts of the Western Balkans.

Turkey appointed ambassadors to 25 foreign diplomatic missions, while ambassadors from 23 countries are recalled to their headquarters in Ankara, according to a presidential decision published in the Official Gazette on June 2.