Tag: summit
BRICS leaders to debate expanding membership at summit
JOHANNESBURG, Aug 23, 2023 (AFP) – BRICS leaders on Wednesday will debate admitting new members to their five-nation bloc as it pursues a bigger role in shaping world affairs it sees as dominated by western powers. China is seeking to rapidly grow the club of large emerging economies amid rising competition with the United States, and more than 40 nations are lining up to join. But the BRICS other major power, India, is wary of […]
BRICS summit of emerging economies to begin in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG, Aug 22, 2023 (AFP) – BRICS leaders meet in South Africa on Tuesday as the loose association of major emerging economies seeks to assert its voice as a counterweight to Western dominance in global affairs. The so-called BRICS nations — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — represent a quarter of the global economy, and interest in joining the club has surged ahead of its three-day summit in Johannesburg. Security has been bolstered […]
Long-term aid plan for Ukraine shows Russia time ‘not on its side:’ US
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AFP) — A plan to secure long-term military aid for Ukraine from the G7 countries Wednesday will show Russia that “time is not on its side,” a top US official said. “It signals a joint long-term commitment to building a powerful defensive insurance force for Ukraine,” lead White House advisor for European affairs Amanda Sloat told reporters. “This multilateral declaration will send a significant signal to Russia that time is not on its […]
Allies disappoint Zelensky’s plea for NATO membership timetable
By Dave CLARK Agence France-Presse VILNIUS, Lithuania (AFP) — NATO leaders on Tuesday dashed Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky’s hopes for a clear timeline to join the alliance, saying they would offer an invite to become a member only when “conditions are met”. At a summit in Vilnius of the 31 NATO nations, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg insisted the alliance had never used “stronger language” to back Ukraine in its bitter fight to defeat the Russian […]
NATO wrestles with Ukraine bid at summit on Russia’s doorstep
By Max DELANY Agence France-Presse VILNIUS, Lithuania (AFP) — NATO leaders will grapple with Ukraine’s membership ambitions at their summit Tuesday, their determination to face down Russia boosted by a breakthrough in Sweden’s bid to join the alliance. German Patriot missile systems and French fighter jets were guarding the skies as NATO heads gathered in Lithuania, on NATO’s eastern flank and a land once occupied by Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to head […]
Turkey unblocks Sweden NATO bid, setting stage for summit
By Dave CLARK Agence France-Presse VILNIUS, Lithuania (AFP) — Turkey agreed Monday to allow Sweden to join NATO, setting the stage for the allies to showcase their unity at a summit focused on supporting Ukraine against Russia’s invasion. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s block on Sweden’s membership bid had cast a cloud over preparations for Tuesday’s meeting, but the countries ironed out their differences in eleventh-hour talks in Vilnius. “Completing Sweden’s accession to NATO is […]
EU fears ‘weaker Putin’
BRUSSELS, June 29, 2023 (AFP) – The EU warned Thursday that Russia has become unstable and more dangerous following the brief mutiny by its Wagner mercenaries that exposed President Vladimir Putin as weaker than previously thought. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the “aftershocks” of the Wagner rebellion were still playing out. “A weaker Putin is a greater danger,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said as he arrived for a Brussels summit. […]
Japan, South Korea leaders in historic Hiroshima visit
HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 21, 2023 (AFP) – Japan and South Korea’s leaders made a historic visit Sunday to a memorial for Koreans killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, as long-frosty ties between the neighbours warm. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol, joined by their wives, laid white bouquets at the stone memorial and bowed side-by-side at the site. The visit came on the sidelines of the G7 […]
G7 vows economic coercion will ‘face consequences’
HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 20, 2023 (AFP) – G7 leaders vowed Saturday that attempts to “weaponise” trade and supply chains would “fail and face consequences,” in a thinly veiled warning to China over its economic practices. Pushing back against Beijing’s willingness to wield trade measures in diplomatic disputes has been a key theme of the bloc’s meeting in Hiroshima though, in the end, its statement on economic security did not directly reference China. Still, the target […]
Indonesia’s Widodo calls for ASEAN unity as Myanmar crisis worsens
LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia, May 10, 2023 (AFP) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo called Wednesday for “unity” among Southeast Asian nations, as they come under growing pressure to end the violence ravaging Myanmar or risk irrelevance. Turmoil in junta-ruled Myanmar has dominated talks at this week’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Indonesia, as the regional bloc faces criticism for its perceived inaction. ASEAN has led diplomatic attempts to resolve the crisis, but […]
Myanmar to dominate ASEAN summit as violence escalates
By Martin Abbugao and Allison Jackson Agence France-Presse LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia (AFP) — Junta-ruled Myanmar is set to dominate a meeting of Southeast Asian nations in Indonesia starting Tuesday, after an airstrike on a village last month reportedly killed at least 170 people. Myanmar has been ravaged by deadly violence since a military coup deposed Aung San Suu Kyi’s government more than two years ago and unleashed a bloody crackdown on dissent. The Association […]
