Federal government of the United States

President Joe Biden singled out a "growing rivalry with China" as a key challenge facing the United States, with his top diplomat describing the Asian country as "the biggest geopolitical test" of this century.

Antony J. Blinken wrote a statemen published on the web site of the U.S. Department of State

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaking in Istanbul in December 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN

Erdogan pledged to strengthen freedom of expression and assembly in the country, as well as the right to a fair trial, as part of the plan which he said will be implemented in two years.

"It is not a wish list. We will do everything to substantiate this plan," Erdogan said.

The Biden administration wants to downgrade the region: Here are the countries he can ignore and the ones he can’t

The Biden administration said on Feb. 28 it remains open to talks with Iran over the 2015 nuclear deal despite Tehran's rejection of an EU invitation to join a meeting with the U.S. and the other original participants in the agreement.

Brussels – As EU foreign ministers reached a political agreement on Monday to introduce sanctions against the persons responsible for the arrest and prison sentencing of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Slovenia’s Anže Logar pointed to the need for the EU to be united in its attitude towards Russia.

The Biden administration says it's ready to join talks with Iran and world powers to discuss a return to the 2015 nuclear deal, in a sharp repudiation of former President Donald Trump's "maximum pressure campaign" that sought to isolate the Islamic Republic.

"This is a key step forward in meeting our financial obligations as a member of the WHO and reflects our renewed commitment to providing the necessary WHO support to guide the global pandemic response," Blinken said at the United Nations Security Council.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias held his first phone call earlier on Monday with US State Secretary Anthony Blinken, the foreign ministry said.

The two officials discussed bilateral relations and ways of further enhancing the strategic cooperation between the two countries, with an emphasis on energy and defence.

Joe Biden had his first call as president with Xi Jinping, pressing the Chinese leader about trade and Beijing's crackdown on democracy activists in Hong Kong as well as other human rights concerns.