Press Releases

Thank you, President Nausėda, dear Gitanas, for your warm welcome here in Vilnius. It is a pleasure to be here on the second day of my tour of European capitals. I truly appreciate the opportunity to hear from you directly and in person ahead of a busy autumn. It is very important for me to engage directly with all the European leaders to properly prepare the upcoming meetings of the European ...
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Prime Minister, dear Kristen, Thank you very much, it is a great pleasure for me to meet with you once again here in Tallin. It is very important for me to engage directly with all European leaders to properly prepare the upcoming meetings of the European Council. This year my trip to Tallin follows my visit to Kyiv, marking my fifth journey to Ukraine since I took office. I understand, dea...
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The European Union takes note of the preliminary results of parliamentary elections held on 23 August 2026 in Kazakhstan. In the past few months, Kazakhstan has undergone a major reform of its political system, with the adoption of a new Constitution by referendum in March 2026 and the introduction of a unicameral Parliament (Kurultai). The EU acknowledges the efforts made by the Kazakh auth...
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The recent decision of the Lukashenka regime to designate the websites and social media of EUvsDisinfo, of the EU-supported SALT and “Education for Belarusians” programmes, and of Lithuania’s Central Project Management Agency (CPVA) as “extremist information sources” is yet another example of the regime’s systematic efforts to suppress critical thinking, restrict fundamental freedoms and shrink ci...
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First of all, congratulations on this 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence Day. It's a very important moment in your history, in our common history. And in fact, this war is about your independence, your sovereignty, your territorial integrity. That means the respect of international law. And we can count on the European Union. I'm very honoured to receive the Order of Europe, that I acce...
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Dear Volodymyr, dear people of Ukraine, I am honoured to be here today, on Sofiiska Square in Kyiv, to celebrate Ukraine’s Independence Day. August 24 marks the moment when Ukraine joined the free nations of Europe. It is a crucial date in Ukraine’s long struggle for freedom and independence. It is also a day to pay tribute to all those who are standing strong in defending their homeland on the...
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The President of the European Council, António Costa, will visit EU leaders in their capitals in the next weeks. This annual “Tour des Capitales” will allow President Costa to gather views from the heads of state or government, with a particular focus on the EU’s next long-term budget. As it was the case last year, the exchanges will help prepare the ground for the upcoming European Councils and i...
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The Israeli Government’s publication of a tender for the construction of over 1,200 housing units under the E1 settlement project fundamentally harms the prospect of the two-State solution. Implementation of the E1 plan would divide the West Bank in two, isolating East Jerusalem, and further eroding the viability of a two-state solution. These developments take place as the West Bank experience...
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The new season of the Tram Experience is off to a flying start The Tram Experience returns on Friday 28 August. The menus for this new season will be created by some of the biggest names in Belgian gastronomy. Among them are the promising David-Alexandre Bruno (Quartz), who will join Michelin-starred chefs such as Olly Ceulenaere (Publiek*) and Ricarda Grommes (Quadras*). To mark 100 years of C...
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The conviction under the National Security Law of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China and two of its former leaders, Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, on 21 August confirms the continuing deterioration of the freedoms of expression and assembly and a further shrinking of the space for independent civil society in Hong Kong. A third defendant, former lawmake...
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