International organizations

Spain takes over the helm of the rotating European Union Council Presidency on June 1. As a member of the EU since 1986, this is Spain's fifth EU Presidency.

Foreign Minister Vassilis Kaskarelis is on Wednesday expected to meet Albanian counterpart Olta Xhacka, on the sidelines of the informal meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Oslo to discuss the release of a jailed ethnic Greek official. 

The European Parliament will on Thursday question Hungary's ability to hold the rotating presidency of the 27-nation European Union next year, citing the country's problems with the rule of law, a draft parliamentary resolution showed.

Two Italian intelligence agents and a former member of the Israeli security forces died when a boat carrying tourists overturned in strong winds on Lake Maggiore in Italy, officials said Monday.

A Russian woman was also reportedly killed when the boat capsized Sunday evening near Lisanza at the southern end of the lake in northern Italy, after the weather suddenly turned stormy.

The European Commissioner for crisis management has emphasized the importance of a pilot program for prepositioning firefighters and equipment implemented in Greece last summer.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, global companies were quick to respond, some announcing they would get out of Russia immediately, others curtailing imports or new investment.

Billions of dollars' worth of factories, energy holdings and power plants were written off or put up for sale, accompanied by fierce condemnation of the war and expressions of solidarity with Ukraine.

After Albanian Foreign Minister Olta Xhacka met with her Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias last Monday to discuss elected ethnic Greek mayor of Himare Fredi Beleri's jailing on charges of buying votes, she tweeted: "The meeting w/my colleague & good friend FM @NikosDendias in Brussels was a good opportunity to discuss in a frank manner Mr Beleri's case.

A boat carrying about 500 migrants, including a newborn baby and pregnant women, has disappeared in the central Mediterranean, two charities said on Friday.

Alarm Phone, a group that picks up calls from migrant vessels in distress, said it lost contact with the boat on Wednesday morning.

In other news, the European Parliament threatens to take away Hungary's EU presidency next year; Poland moves to set up controversial commission to investigate Russia lobbying; and Czech TV finally to get more money.

Ten years after the outbreak of the financial crisis it suffered, with the bank bail-in, the Republic of Cyprus has finally exited the excessive imbalances procedure (EIP) of the European Commission, on the basis of the European Union documents that were issued under the spring package of the 2023 European Semester on Wednesday in Brussels.