Vučić touts Russian-Serbian brotherhood as regional tensions rise – EURACTIV.com

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In today’s news from the capitals:
In a sign of resistance to Western calls to choose between Moscow and the West, Serbian President Aleksander Vucic said that his country’s brotherly relations with Russia could not be destroyed and that Belgrade would never succumb to pressure during a meeting with Turko Daudov, an adviser to the controversial Chechen society. leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Read more.
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EU INSTITUTIONS
The European Parliament and EU countries reach an agreement on the EU budget. European Parliament negotiators and member state representatives reached an agreement on the EU’s 2023 budget on Monday evening, with Parliament demanding extra resources to deal with the fallout from the war in Ukraine. Read more.
ePrivacy: EU lawmakers are seeking a compromise on the processing of electronic communications data. After months of stagnant debate over the ePrivacy Regulation, EU lawmakers and diplomats have moved on to discussing the sensitive issue of the processing of data, metadata and the content of electronic communications. Read more.
The Commission must temporarily re-approve glyphosate without the green light from member states. Member states have once again blocked the Commission’s proposal to extend the marketing authorization for the herbicide glyphosate for another year, but the EU executive is still expected to approve a provisional renewal before mid-December . Read more.
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VIENNA
Austrian conservatives bicker over migrant rights. First Conservative Austrian politicians have called for making it harder for economic migrants to seek asylum, sparking outrage across the political spectrum. Read more.
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BERLIN
The German army withdraws a supporter of Putin from the EU mission in Georgia. The German military has withdrawn a soldier from the EU’s EUMM mission in Georgia following reports that he supports Russian President Vladimir Putin and views Moscow as blameless for the war in Ukraine. Read more.
Germany inaugurates its first new LNG terminal. The German government on Tuesday inaugurated its first floating terminal, built in record time and intended to receive liquefied natural gas as part of the Berlin plan to replace Russian gas, with the first regasification vessel due to dock in mid-December. Read more.
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PARIS
France will offer asylum to seven Afghan athletes. Residence permits will be issued to seven Afghan female handball refugees in Pakistan after fleeing the Taliban regime, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced on Tuesday. Read more.
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THE HAGUE
Dutch Foreign Minister takes cover in Kyiv during missile strike. Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra and his delegation hid in an air-raid shelter for about three hours as air raid sirens went off and missiles destroyed Kyiv’s electricity infrastructure on Tuesday. Read more.
UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND
LONDON
Britain’s Cleverly is cooling expectations over the Northern Ireland Protocol deal. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly played down prospects of reaching a deal on the Northern Ireland Protocol just days after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said there was a new ‘window of opportunity’ to conclude the talks. Read more.
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DUBLIN
Ireland is set to rule the gambling industry. Widespread bans will be introduced on gambling advertisements, with breaches potentially resulting in prison terms, following new legislation approved by the Irish government on Tuesday. Read more.
NORDIC AND BALTIC
HELSINKI
A record number of parties are watching the Finnish parliamentary elections. According to the latest list of candidates, a record 24 parties are aiming to enter the 200-seat unicameral parliament in the April 2023 elections. Read more.
SOUTHERN EUROPE
ROME
The Italian Meloni calls for a reform of the global energy market at the G20. The global energy sector must be reformed to prevent countries from using energy as a weapon, said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the G20 summit in Bali. Read more.
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MADRID
Spain will train 2,400 Ukrainian soldiers every year, according to the defense minister. Spain has the capacity to train 2,400 Ukrainian soldiers a year under the recently approved EU mission, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said on Tuesday. Read more.
VISEGRAD
WARSAW
Missile Strike in Poland: What We Know So Far. Two people were killed after a missile hit Polish territory in the village of Przewodów near the border with Ukraine on Tuesday, marking the first explosion on NATO members’ soil since the outbreak of war in february. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Hungary’s opposition to EU loan to Ukraine bolsters criticism, Czech minister says The rejection of the EU’s joint loan for Ukraine strengthens EU critical voices against Hungary, Czech European Affairs Minister Mikuláš Bek said on Tuesday. Read more.
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BRATISLAVA
The Slovak government will cap electricity and gas prices for municipalities. The price of electricity will be capped at €199 per megawatt hour and at €99 per MWh for gas, Finance Minister Igor Matovič decided with the municipalities following discussions for next year’s budget. Read more.
BALKAN NEWS
LJUBLJANA
Slovenia secures Algerian gas to cover a third of its needs. Slovenia has obtained natural gas from Algeria that will cover a third of the country’s needs for the next three years under an agreement signed by Geoplin, Slovenia’s largest energy trader, and the Algerian state energy company Sonatrach. Read more.
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SOFIA
Confusion in Bulgaria over Dutch F-16 offer. Bulgarian Ministry of Defense says Netherlands only offer to train Bulgarian pilots despite media reports, The Hague was considering transferring F-16 planes to NATO allies in Eastern Europe if they agreed to supply their MiG-29s to Ukraine. Read more.
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BUCHAREST
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PRISTINE
Kurti: Association of Serbian municipalities pushed by Belgrade, not Kosovo Serbs. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti doubled down on his decision not to allow the establishment of an association of Serbian municipalities, noting that it is unconstitutional and unwanted by the local population, rather than by Belgrade. Read more.
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TIRANA
Albania woos Azerbaijani president in Tirana. After Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev visited Albania on Tuesday in the first-ever such visit, Albanian President Bajram Begaj declared welcoming of Azerbaijani investments and possible establishment of diplomatic missions. Read more.
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AGENDA
- EU: European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meet Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia;
- European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans announces with Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson an EU-Egypt Hydrogen Partnership; Participates in the side event “EU Innovation Fund – The role of clean technology financing for net zero”;
- The College of Commissioners presents a communication on the enlargement of Schengen;
- Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, participates in the 9th EPP Group High Level Conference on the Western Balkans;
- Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson speaks at the high-level event ‘How can we use technology to keep children safe online’ as part of the first Technology Awareness Week organized by the European Parliament ;
- European Parliament President Roberta Metsola meets German Parliament (Bundestag) President Bärbel Bas; Participates in the European Business Summit;
- ECB publishes Financial Stability Review for November 2022;
- Germany: G7 Interior Ministers meet;
- Austria: UN Nuclear Watchdog IAEA Holds Quarterly Board of Governors Meeting; IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi attends a press conference in the United States;
- Sweden: Parliament votes on a constitutional amendment that would strengthen anti-terrorism laws;
- Morocco: The World Investment Forum 2022 takes place;
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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Vlad Makszimov, Daniel Eck, Zoran Radosavljevic, Alice Taylor, Sofia Stuart Leeson, Sofia Mandilara]