Press Releases

Thank you, dear Minister Al-Shaibani. Thank you for welcoming us in Damascus and also thank you for really good discussions that we had today. We just met a few days ago in New York, but it is really a pleasure to be here in Damascus. The success of Syrian transition matters greatly to Europe. Above all, it matters to Syrians, of course, who have waited for far too long for peace, freedom, and fu...
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On 29 September, High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas will travel to Syria. On Tuesday, the High Representative will hold bilateral meetings with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani. The meeting with the Foreign Minister will be followed by a joint press conference which will be transmitted on EBS. During th...
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We just concluded a good meeting of European Defence Ministers. This morning we started with the European Defence Agency steering board and approved also the next phase for strengthening the European Defence Agency. It allows EDA to increase joint procurement and focus more on defence innovation, as well as helping EU countries develop capabilities together. This is what we are pushing for. We a...
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The Council has adopted the ‘pharma package’, a new set of rules that will increase patients’ access to medicine and make the EU’s pharmaceutical sector fairer and more competitive. The package represents a far-reaching reform of the EU’s pharmaceutical legislation and will help ensure fair access to safe, effective and affordable medicines across the EU. It also seeks to boost the competiti...
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We start the week with the Defence Ministers' meeting. First, we have the European Defence Agency Steering Board, where we discuss the EU defence readiness report. As you recall, this was required by the leaders to present such a report. What it shows? It shows the things that we have already done. We have done a lot. The investment in defence has increased, but at the same time, we have big de...
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The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) remains vital to global security. 30 years ago, 71 countries made a pledge to ban all nuclear weapons testing. Today the CTBT is one of the most universally accepted treaties, signed by 188 States and ratified by 179, including all EU Member States. This speaks to the persistent global commitment to prevent nuclear proliferation. Nuclear test bans k...
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Multilateralism is not an ideal of the past. It is the only realistic way to address the problems of today. Alone, no country can prevent a pandemic, stabilise the climate, secure resilient supply chains, regulate Artificial Intelligence, ensure financial stability or deliver sustainable development. Alone, no country, however powerful, can build lasting peace. This is why our message is cle...
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During the High-Level Week of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Belgium is prioritizing the protection of the ocean. The Minister for Justice and the North Sea, Annelies Verlinden, is particularly emphasizing Belgium’s commitment. She is actively campaigning in New York for Brussels to host the secretariat of the new BBNJ Agreement on the protection of biodiversity in the high ...
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During a gathering dedicated to Brussels’ tourism partners, the winners of the visit.brussels Awards 2026 were revealed. The awards ceremony took place on Thursday 24 September at the BIP, home to visit.brussels. Five Brussels-based initiatives were honoured. Read the press release
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Last year, when 142 states endorsed the New York Declaration on the Two-State Solution and the UN Security Council Resolution 2803 gave the Gaza Peace Plan an operative framework, there was hope. One year later, the situation on the ground has barely improved. It is high time to fully implement the roadmap for Gaza: the decommissioning of Hamas matched by Israel’s withdrawal the depl...
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