150 outlets from 50 countries unite to demand end of targeted attacks on journalists in Gaza and unfettered access for international press Reporters Without Borders and Avaaz call on editors worldwide to join by Sunday Aug 31st For immediate release – More than 150 media outlets from over fifty countries will participate in a world-first, global media mobilization on Monday, September 1, coordin...
Read More

The European Union (EU) and China held their 25th Summit in Beijing on 24 July 2025. The President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, met with China’s President, Xi Jinping, followed by a meeting with Premier Li Qiang. The High Representative of the EU for Foreign and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, also participated in the mee...
Read More

Mr. Prime Minister, it is a pleasure to be here with you, together with President von der Leyen, after an excellent summit with President Xi this morning. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations. Over this period, economic and people-to-people ties have increased exponentially, bringing prosperity to both sides. Being key trading partners, means ...
Read More

President of the European Council, António Costa, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister of Japan, Shigeru Ishiba, met in Tokyo on 23 July 2025 for the 30th summit between the European Union and Japan. During the summit, the leaders adopted a joint statement. Joint statement     Visit the website
Read More

First of all, let me thank Prime Minister Ishiba for hosting us here in Tokyo for our 30th summit. It is always a pleasure to visit Japan. Yesterday, I was truly inspired by the spirit of the Osaka Expo—a place where innovation, culture, sustainability, and global cooperation meet. In many ways, it reflects the values that unite the EU and Japan. Japan is the EU’s closest partner in the Indo-Pa...
Read More

Prime Minister, I would first like to thank you for the warm welcome and for hosting the 30th EU-Japan Summit. It is a great pleasure to meet you again, this time in Tokyo, after the G7 Summit in Kananaskis (Canada). Allow me also to congratulate Japan on the successful organisation of the Osaka Kansai Expo 2025. Japan is our closest partner in the Indo-Pacific. I would like to underline the st...
Read More

The press briefings ahead of the following summits will take place on Friday 18 July 2025: EU-Japan summit at 11.00 (CEST) EU-China summit at 11.30 (CEST) These briefings will be "off the record". The press briefings will take place in a hybrid format: EU accredited journalists will be able to participate and ask questions either in person at the Europa building press room or remotel...
Read More

The EU is alarmed by the continued clashes in Sweida, which have resulted in many casualties, and strongly condemns the reported violence against civilians. We urge all sides to implement immediately the ceasefire agreement reached yesterday, to protect civilians without distinction, and to put an end to hate speech and sectarian discourse. The transitional authorities have the responsibilit...
Read More

Good afternoon. We just concluded the Foreign Affairs Council. There were many important issues on the agenda, and we had very good discussions. So first on Ukraine. Russia's bombing campaign has reached record levels, and we see an increasing use of banned chemical weapons by Russia in Ukraine. All this shows that Russia does not want peace. In response, the EU is set to approve one of its ...
Read More

The European Union and Iceland today signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation on fisheries and ocean affairs. The MoU establishes a framework for deeper and broader cooperation between the EU and Iceland on key priorities, including sustainable fisheries, scientific research and marine conservation. The arrangement also reinforces joint efforts in protecting marine...
Read More