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Major European Union states decried US President Donald Trump's ‌tariff threats against European allies over Greenland ‍as blackmail on Sunday, as France proposed responding with a range of previously untested economic countermeasures.Trump vowed on Saturday to implement a wave of increasing tariffs ⁠on EU members Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands ⁠and Finland, along with Britain and Norway, until the US is allowed to buy Greenland.All eight countries, already subject ‍to US tariffs of 10% and 15%, have sent small numbers of military personnel to Greenland, as a row with the United States over the future of Denmark's vast Arctic island escalates."Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral," the eight-nations said in a joint statement published on Sunday.They said the Danish exercise was designed to strengthen Arctic security and posed no threat to anyone. They said they were ready to engage in dialogue, based on principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a written statement that she ‌was pleased with the consistent messages from the rest of the continent, adding: "Europe will not be blackmailed", a view echoed by Germany's finance minister and Sweden's prime minister."It's blackmail what he's doing," Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel said on Dutch television of Trump's threat.Cyprus, holder of the rotating ⁠six-month EU presidency, summoned ambassadors ‌to an emergency meeting in Brussels on Sunday.A source close to French President Emmanuel Macron said he was pushing for activation of the "Anti-Coercion Instrument", which could limit access to public tenders, investments or banking activity or restrict trade in services, in which the US has a surplus with the bloc, including digital services.Bernd Lange, the German Social Democrat who chairs the European Parliament's trade committee, and Valerie Hayer, head of the centrist Renew Europe group, echoed Macron's call, as did Germany's engineering association.Meanwhile, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said that while there should be no doubt that the EU would retaliate, it was "a bit premature" to activate the anti-coercion instrument.And Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is closer to the US President than some other EU leaders, described the tariff threat ​on Sunday as "a mistake", adding she had ‌spoken to Trump a few hours earlier and told him what she thought."He seemed interesting in listening," she told a briefing with reporters during a trip to Korea, ⁠adding she planned to call other European leaders ‍later on Sunday.Italy has not sent troops to Greenland.Asked how Britain would respond to new tariffs, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said allies needed to work with the United States to resolve the dispute."Our position on Greenland is non-negotiable ... It is in our collective interest to work together and not to start a war of words," she told Sky News on Sunday.The tariff threats do though call into question trade deals the U.S. struck with Britain in May and the ​EU in July.The limited agreements have already faced criticism about their lopsided nature, with the US maintaining broad tariffs, while their partners are required to remove import duties.The European Parliament looks likely now to suspend its work on the EU-US trade deal. It had been due to vote on removing many EU import duties on January 26-27, but Manfred Weber, head of the European People's Party, the largest group in parliament, said late on Saturday that approval was not possible for now.German Christian Democrat lawmaker Juergen Hardt also mooted what he told Bild newspaper could be a last resort "to bring President Trump to his senses on the Greenland issue", a boycott of the soccer World Cup that the US ⁠is hosting this year. 

The European Union can help provide security ‌for Greenland, should Denmark request ‍it, the European Commissioner for Defence and Space said Monday, warning that a US military takeover of Greenland would ⁠be the end of NATO.Trump has said the ⁠United States must own Greenland, an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark, to prevent ‍Russia or China occupying the strategically located and minerals-rich Arctic territory. He says a US military presence there is not enough.Denmark and the US, both NATO members, are scheduled to meet this week to discuss Greenland. Greenland and Denmark have said that Greenland is not for sale, but Trump has not ruled out taking it by force."I agree with the Danish prime minister that it will be the end of NATO, but also among people it will ‌be also very, very negative," Commissioner Andrius Kubilius told Reuters at a security conference in Sweden.He said it would have a "very deep negative impact among the people and on ‍our transatlantic relations".Trump said "I'm the one ⁠who SAVED NATO!!!" ‌on Truth Social Monday, without giving further details or context.Kubilius said he did not think a US military invasion was coming but that the European Union Treaty article 42.7 obliged member states to come to Denmark's assistance if it was faced with military aggression."It will depend on very much on Denmark, how they will react, what will be their position, but definitely there is such an obligation of member states to come for mutual assistance if another member state is facing military aggression," he said.Kubilius questioned the rationale of occupying Greenland by force and warned that it would have impacts on all aspects of the relations between Europe and the United States."Who will recognise that occupation ​and what impacts on all the ‌relationship in between of the United States and Europe, including, for example, trade, where also Americans can face quite painful negative consequences," he ⁠said.Kubilius said the EU could provide ‍more security for Greenland, if Denmark requested it, including troops and military infrastructure such as warships and anti-drone capabilities."That's for military people to say what Greenland or the Arctic defence needs. Everything is possible," he said.Kubilius also said Europe needed to build up its military capabilities, regardless of whether they could rely on US help - but that any US withdrawal from NATO would be ​very tough."It will be a very big challenge to be ready to defend Europe, being independent, being without the United States," he said."The question would be how we can use in that case NATO structures, how they can be, you know, become a basis for European pillar of NATO. But NATO such as it is now definitely will not exist anymore."Trump said last week the US would always support NATO and that Russia and China only feared the alliance as long as the United States was a member.Many NATO countries have substantially increased military spending in ⁠recent years, following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and demands by Trump for European allies to invest more in their own defence. 

Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah El Sisi and European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, who is visiting Egypt, reiterated the need to implement the Gaza ceasefire agreement fully and ensure the regular and unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Both sides stressed their absolute rejection of any attempts to displace Palestinians from their land and the need to begin implementing the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal and the reconstruction of the strip. They also reaffirmed the importance of resuming the political process to achieve a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in accordance with the two-state solution. El Sisi and Kallas discussed ways to advance cooperation in combating terrorism and organized crime, in addition to addressing irregular migration.

Bulgaria Wednesday became the 21st country to switch to the euro, a milestone met with both cheers and fears, nearly 20 years after the Balkan nation joined the European Union (EU).At midnight (2200 GMT Wednesday), Bulgaria gave up the lev, in use since the late 19th century, and Bulgarian euro coins were projected onto the central bank’s building.“I warmly welcome Bulgaria to the euro family,” said Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, calling the euro a “powerful symbol” of “shared values and collective strength”. “Great! It works!” exclaimed Dimitar, a 43-year-old man after withdrawing €100 from an automated teller machine shortly after midnight. Successive governments in the country of 6.4mn people have advocated joining the euro, hoping that it will boost the economy of the European Union’s poorest member, reinforce ties to the West and protect against Russia’s influence. But Bulgarians have long been divided over the switch, with many worrying the introduction could usher in higher prices and add to the political instability rattling the country. In a speech broadcast shortly before midnight, President Rumen Radev hailed it as the “final step” in Bulgaria’s EU integration, as thousands of people braved sub-zero temperatures in the capital Sofia to celebrate the New Year. Radev however voiced regret that Bulgarians had not been consulted by referendum on the adoption. “This refusal was one of the dramatic symptoms of the deep divide between the political class and the people, confirmed by mass demonstrations across the country.” Anti-corruption protests swept a conservative-led government from office in mid-December, leaving a country anxious about inflation on the verge of its eighth election in five years. “People are afraid that prices will rise, while salaries will remain the same,” a woman in her 40s who declined to give her name told AFP in Sofia. At one of the city’s largest markets, stalls displayed prices of everything from groceries to New Year’s Eve essentials like sparklers in both levs and euros. “The whole of Europe has managed with the euro, we’ll manage too,” retiree Vlad told AFP. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that Bulgaria’s move into the eurozone marked “an important milestone” for Bulgarians. “It will make travelling and living abroad easier, boost the transparency and competitiveness of markets, and facilitate trade,” she said. Central bank governor Dimitar Radev said the euro symbolised much more than “just a currency — it is a sign of belonging”. But according to the latest Eurobarometer survey, 49% of Bulgarians are against the switch. Outgoing Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov sought to reassure the public ahead of the move, saying he was “counting on the tolerance and understanding of citizens and businesses”. He added that inflation in the Black Sea nation, which joined the EU in 2007, was not linked to the euro’s adoption. But the concerns of Bulgarians about inflation are not idle. Food prices rose by 5% year-on-year in November, more than double the eurozone average, according to the National Statistical Institute. “Unfortunately, prices no longer correspond to those in levs,” pastry shop owner Turgut Ismail, 33, told AFP, saying that prices have already begun surging. A euro protest campaign earlier this year tapping into a generally negative view of the single currency among much of the population also fanned fears of price hikes. Given Bulgaria’s ongoing political instability, any problems with euro adoption would be seized on by anti-EU politicians, warned Boryana Dimitrova of the Alpha Research polling institute. Some people, including business owners, have complained that it has been difficult to get their hands on euros, with shopkeepers saying they haven’t received the euro starter packages they ordered. The euro was first rolled out in 12 countries on January 1, 2002. Croatia was the latest to join, in 2023. Bulgaria’s accession will bring the number of Europeans using the euro to more than 350mn. 

His Excellency the Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Sayed affirmed that Qatari investments are growing in the Arab Republic of Egypt, and that concerted efforts are underway for industrial and investment integration and co-operation between the two countries.Talking to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the sidelines of the Egyptian-Qatari Investment Forum in Cairo, HE Dr al-Sayed said that this forum was held under the directives of the leadership of both countries and as a continuation of the exchange of visits between Qatari and Egyptian officials to enhance opportunities for joint co-operation.He explained that the Egyptian economy possesses many competitive advantages, noting in this regard the Egyptian market's access to European markets due to the free trade agreements between Egypt and the European Union. He pointed out that this is important for increasing the flow of Qatari exports and investments to European markets.Regarding efforts to attract investment to the State of Qatar, HE Dr al-Sayed said that Qatar has established a sophisticated infrastructure and an attractive investment regulatory environment in recent years, emphasising the importance of attracting Egyptian investments to Qatar in the coming period.He also encouraged Egyptian companies to use Qatar as a base for accessing Asian markets for Egyptian goods, while calling for further joint investments between the private sectors of both countries to accelerate economic growth, as the private sector plays a fundamental role in driving this growth.HE Dr al-Sayed noted that trade figures between the two countries have witnessed a steady increase in recent years, hoping for a significant increase in the coming period, as well as an increase in the flow of capital between the two countries, ultimately leading to economic and investment integration.HE Dr al-Sayed and the Egyptian Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Eng Hassan El Khatib inaugurated the Egyptian-Qatari Investment Forum, in the presence of ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Arab Republic of Egypt and its Permanent Representative to the League of Arab States Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.The forum addressed a number of topics including prospects for investment co-operation between the two countries and strengthening the economic partnership between Egypt and Qatar, vision for real estate and tourism investment and the role of financial services in enabling projects, in addition to the role of the logistics sector as an engine for economic growth, and enhancing competitiveness in industry: innovative solutions and effective partnerships. 

Europe’s embattled automakers are set to get a breather as they struggle with the transition to emission-free driving, a critical moment that will shape the future of the continent’s transport sector for better or worse.The European Union is preparing to soften ambitious rules that would have effectively banned new combustion-engine vehicles from 2035. While the situation is fluid, loopholes are under discussion that could lead to a five-year extension, but other scenarios are being considered, including taking a ban off the table, according to people familiar with the discussions.“We will only be able to do something for climate protection if we have a competitive manufacturing sector,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said at a press briefing in Heidelberg alongside Manfred Weber, who heads the conservative bloc in the European Parliament. “We need to correct the conditions in Europe as quickly as possible so that this industry in Europe has a future.”The stepback — set to be unveiled on Tuesday — is the result of intense lobbying from companies such as Stellantis NV and Mercedes-Benz Group AG, who sought to ease the risk of fines that could have exceeded €1bn ($1.2bn) in the coming years. Major auto-producing countries including Germany — home of Mercedes, Volkswagen AG and BMW AG — also pushed for changes to defuse political tensions and threats of job losses.While the breathing room might be welcome for an industry that accounts for about €1tn ($1.2tn) of economic output, it harbours risks. Too much flexibility threatens to slow development and increase the technology gap to Tesla Inc and Chinese rivals such as BYD Co. That could result in the EU becoming a bastion for yesterday’s technology and doing little to bolster the sector’s flagging competitiveness.“What’s happening now is a wake-up call for the industry,” said Jos Delbeke, professor at the European University Institute in Florence and a former senior EU climate official. “Some flexibility may be needed for all good reasons, but it should be temporary; otherwise we will risk missing the climate targets and losing the technology race.”Loosening the deadline could also be a chance for Europe’s leaders to regroup and make the transition more palatable for consumers. Up to now, the burden was on producers to make good on the EU’s EV ambitions, with many national governments doing little to implement policy to make the technology more appealing.Although there is now time for policymakers to change course, incentives for buying or operating electric vehicles cost money and fiscal headroom is unlikely to increase in the coming years.The EU already outlined plans earlier this year to support the industry. In an action plan unveiled in March, the bloc’s executive arm pledged measures to make local battery cells and components cost-competitive.The cost of the green transition is a highly sensitive issue for governments in the face of rising populism. Their concerns were on display earlier this month, when the EU clinched a preliminary deal on a new climate target for 2040, while simultaneously delaying the introduction of carbon prices at the pump by a year to 2028.While that would make driving combustion-engine vehicles more expensive and in the process make EVs more attractive, politicians fear the move could trigger another backlash from voters.“The EU’s climate ambition demands that every sector delivers, yet emissions reductions from road transport are lagging,” said Ingo Ramming, head of carbon markets at Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA in Madrid. The success of the new fuel pricing system “will depend on political and social concerns that are only heightened in today’s challenging environment.”For manufacturers, the delay offers a brief window to rework investment plans that have been knocked off course by rising costs and uncertain EV demand. Carmakers have already slowed or scaled back several battery-plant projects, while suppliers — which employ the bulk of the industry’s workforce — are under acute pressure as combustion-engine orders shrink faster than electric volumes ramp up.Industry groups warn that without a transition better aligned with market reality, thousands of smaller parts makers would face a cliff edge, raising the risk of deeper job losses and supply-chain disruptions across the bloc.“Europe’s industrial base is under pressure as electrification and global competition shift value to Asia,” said Archibald Poty, trade and market affairs manager at CLEPA, the European supplier association. “In a less favourable business environment, strategic policies are vital.”Under pressure from climate-sceptic populist parties, green policies have been cast as a threat to prosperity, and governments have leaned toward safeguarding legacy manufacturing sectors to avoid stoking political tensions.Despite the backsliding, environmental commitments are still in place and the coming months will test whether policymakers can strike a balance that keeps Europe’s car industry globally competitive without derailing efforts to eliminate net emissions of climate-warming gases in 25 years.For automakers, it’s far from clear the extra time will deliver the jobs boost they claim. Many executives argue that shifting the deadline won’t fix the industry’s deeper problems — ranging from high energy prices to sluggish permitting and a lack of local battery production.Without progress on those fronts, they warn, Europe risks merely postponing the pain rather than improving its chances in the global race for electric cars.Some fear the reprieve could even entrench hesitation. By easing the pressure, critics say the EU may inadvertently encourage companies to stick with profitable conventional technologies rather than accelerate the pivot to EVs — a move that could leave the region further behind as China presses ahead. The risk, they argue, is that Europe spends valuable years in a holding pattern.Weaker rules could also breathe life into interim solutions such as range extenders and hybrid systems. Like most current EV batteries, many of the key components are sourced from China, meaning any short-term uplift for Europe’s suppliers could be modest. 

The biggest oil company in the United Arab Emirates has secured a key European approval that brings it a step closer to completing a €12bn ($14bn) takeover of Covestro AG, part of a global deals push to create a natural gas and chemicals leader.Abu Dhabi National Oil Co won a conditional European Union go-ahead for the proposed buyout after addressing regulators’ concerns around state subsidies. The European Commission said on Friday that an offer from Adnoc to maintain Covestro’s intellectual property in Europe, as well as concessions around state guarantees, had settled earlier concerns, with the commitments valid for 10 years.The deal will be the largest takeover of a European firm by a Middle Eastern company and marks the region’s ambitions in employing its hydrocarbon wealth to build international networks. Adnoc and regional rival Saudi Aramco are snapping up liquefied natural gas supply contracts to feed growing trading arms.The Gulf countries are betting that demand for natural gas and chemicals will continue to grow as inputs for power and building blocks for consumer goods like the plastics, packaging and lightweight materials that go into mobile phones, computers and cars. Adnoc’s offer would be a cash injection into an industry that’s suffering falling prices and slack margins, hurting profit across the chemicals sector in Europe.The planned purchase of Covestro would give Adnoc control over a German company that supplies materials for some of the world’s most prominent phone and carmakers. Adnoc would own Covestro through its investment unit XRG, set up in last year as the company’s international platform for natural gas, chemicals and energy solutions.A year ago, Abu Dhabi launched the high-profile energy investment firm hoping to deploy billions of dollars on deals around the world. The company had early successes with gas deals in the US, Africa and central Asia. XRG’s biggest effort yet fell apart in September when the firm dropped its planned $19bn takeover of Australian natural gas producer Santos Ltd. It bounced back with a deal announced last week to explore buying into an LNG project in Argentina.In July, the commission, the EU’s antitrust arm, opened a full-scale investigation into the Covestro deal under tough new foreign subsidies rules. EU officials warned at the time that Adnoc’s state funding may have given it an unfair advantage over rivals with less-deep pockets, concerns that were allayed during negotiations between the parties.“Commitments offered by Adnoc effectively address the potential negative effects by allowing market participants to access key Covestro patents in the field of sustainability,” EU competition chief Teresa Ribera said in a statement. “Clear, pre-defined access to these patents will enable others to innovate and advance research in an area that is critical for Europe’s future.”Adnoc also transferred to XRG its holdings in four subsidiaries listed on the Abu Dhabi stock exchange in September. The transaction will bolster XRG’s balance sheet by providing it with cash flows from companies with total market capitalisation of nearly $120bn.

The World Bank backs language in a US-drafted United Nations Security Council resolution on Gaza that would authorise a two-year mandate for a transitional governance body.The 15-member UN Security Council began negotiations on Thursday on the text that would mandate a so-called Board of Peace transitional governance administration, giving it the authority to establish operational entities to address issues including the reconstruction of Gaza and of economic recovery programmes.The World Bank, the UN and the European Union had estimated in February it would cost more than $50bn to rebuild Gaza, and are finalising a new interim estimate of $70bn."Our engagement in Gaza will require the ability to work with international partners who enjoy the full support of the international community and full authorisation to undertake their efforts," World Bank President Ajay Banga wrote to US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz."The proposal to establish an authority, in the current draft the Board of Peace, by the UN Security Council with the authorisations set out in the resolution would provide the needed framework for engagement by the Bank," he said in the letter Sunday.Banga was responding to correspondence from Waltz, thanking him for sharing the draft UN resolution.The current text also "calls upon the World Bank and other financial institutions to facilitate and provide financial resources to support the reconstruction and development of Gaza as it would provide to its members, including through the establishment of a dedicated trust fund for this purpose and governed by donors."Banga said the bank appreciated this language, adding: "We are moving with all deliberate speed in these efforts so we will be ready on day one when asked to answer this call."Israel and Palestinian group Hamas agreed a month ago to the first phase of US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza, a ceasefire in their two-year war and a hostage release deal. The next phase of the plan, which the draft UN resolution would endorse, is to establish the Board of Peace and a temporary International Stabilization Force in Gaza.The US formally circulated the draft resolution to Security Council members late on Wednesday.The draft would authorize a two-year mandate for the ISF that could "use all necessary measures" - language for force - to carry out its mandate.The US asked countries to submit feedback on the text by last Friday, said diplomats. A council resolution needs at least nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, France, Britain or the United States to be adopted. Washington has said it aims to put the draft to a vote within "weeks, not months.""Overall, things are looking very positive. We're making changes to respond to concerns that some have raised," a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas discussed via phone the latest developments in Gaza and Sudan, efforts to promote peace and sustainable development across Africa, and strengthening the Egypt-EU bilateral relations.In a statement issued Saturday, Egypt's Foreign Ministry said Abdelatty briefed Kallas on Cairo's efforts to uphold the Sharm El-Sheikh cease-fire agreement in Gaza. He also outlined preparations for Egypt's upcoming hosting of the International Conference on Early Recovery and Reconstruction in Gaza, scheduled for later this month, and expressed hope for active participation from EU member states.On Sudan, both sides emphasized the importance of preserving the country's unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national institutions. They also condemned the recent atrocities reported in the city of El Fasher.

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi met in Kuwait with European Union (EU) Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic.The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 9th GCC-EU Economic Forum. During the meeting, several economic and commercial topics were discussed, along with ways to enhance GCC-European relations in areas and priorities of common interest. Both sides affirmed their aspiration to strengthen relations and build numerous partnerships in various fields between the Cooperation Council and the EU.

The State of Qatar participated in the 10th meeting of Permanent Representatives to the League of Arab States and Ambassadors of the Political and Security Committee of the Council of the European Union (EU), held today in Brussels.The State of Qatar's delegation was headed by Acting Charge d'Affaires at the Embassy of the State of Qatar to the Arab Republic of Egypt and Permanent Representative to the League of Arab States, Maryam Ahmed Al Shaibi.The meeting discussed the course of the Arab-European dialogue and ways to strengthen political and security consultation channels in light of the rapid regional and international developments. They also reviewed the most prominent issues, foremost among them the Palestinian issue, in addition to the latest developments in Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen and their humanitarian and security implications. The meeting also followed up on issues of security in the Red Sea, water security, migration, refugees and displaced persons, and the Ukrainian crisis and its repercussions on regional and international security.In this context, Al Shaibi affirmed the State of Qatar's firm commitment to continuing its diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to support the Palestinian people, stressing that dialogue and a political solution are the only way to end the conflict and achieve a just and comprehensive peace.She also reviewed Qatar's ongoing mediation efforts in coordination with both the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States of America, which resulted in previous understandings and truces, prisoner and hostage exchanges, and the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, noting that the Sharm El Sheikh Peace Summit represented a turning point that resulted in a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.Al Shaibi expressed Qatar's appreciation to regional and international partners for their cooperation, stressing Doha's commitment to continuing to work towards achieving a just and sustainable peace that preserves the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. She also emphasized that humanitarian efforts are inseparable from political solutions, and that ending the suffering of the Palestinians requires a cessation of aggression and urgent international action to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.The State of Qatar will remain committed to its approach as a mediating and peace-making state, whose wise leadership dedicates its efforts to resolving conflicts through diplomatic means, alleviating the suffering in the Gaza Strip, and creating the appropriate conditions for the return of displaced persons to their lands, Al Shaibi added.Regarding developments in the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, Al Shaibi affirmed that the State of Qatar has adopted a firm stance since the outbreak of the crisis based on prioritizing peaceful and diplomatic solutions. She stated that the State of Qatar has believed since the start that ending the conflict cannot be achieved through military force, but rather through dialogue, respect for international law, and the sovereignty of states.She emphasized that the humanitarian dimension was a key focus of Doha's actions, as the State of Qatar provided USD 100 million in aid to support the Ukrainian people, including the rehabilitation of health and educational infrastructure, the provision of drinking water, mine clearance, and the rehabilitation of agricultural lands.Al Shaibi added that Qatar also provided 50 scholarships to Ukrainian students, believing that education is the cornerstone for building the future, and contributed to reuniting hundreds of children with their families. In April 2024, Qatar received a number of Ukrainian families as part of an integrated care and support program, in addition to supporting efforts to document and exchange prisoners' letters.Al Shaibi concluded her remarks by emphasizing Qatar's readiness to participate in any regional or international efforts aimed at achieving an urgent and peaceful solution to the crisis, stating that Qatar will continue to call for dialogue and restraint, and to keep communication channels open in order to achieve security and stability.

HE the Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs ambassador Faisal bin Abdullah al-Hanzab met Monday with the visiting Special Envoy of the European Union for Afghanistan, Gilles Bertrand. The meeting discussed co-operation between Qatar and the European Union, particularly joint efforts in Afghanistan.