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EU Entry/Exit System to be rolled out over six monthsPassport stamping to be replaced by digital recordsEU seeks tighter border controls amid immigration pressuresEuropean Union member countries began rolling out a new entry and exit system on Sunday at the bloc's external borders, electronically registering non-EU nationals' data.The Entry/Exit System (EES), an automated system that requires travellers to register at the border by scanning their passport and having their fingerprints and photograph taken, will be introduced over six months.The move is aimed at detecting overstayers, tackling identity fraud and preventing illegal migration amid political pressure in some EU countries to take a tougher stance."The Entry/Exit System is the digital backbone of our new common European migration and asylum framework," European Internal Affairs and Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner said in a statement.Non-EU citizens will have to register their personal details when they first enter the Schengen area - all EU member countries apart from Ireland and Cyprus, but including Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.Subsequent journeys will only require facial biometric verification.The system should be fully operational, with passport stamping replaced with electronic records, on April 10, 2026."Every third country national who arrives at an external border will undergo identity verification, security screening, and registration in the EU databases," Brunner said.At the Bajakovo border crossing between Serbia and neighbouring Croatia, a EU member state, hundreds of people, many of them Serbians, queued in their cars on Sunday for around 20 minutes before entering booths for fingerprinting and face scanning."There are five lanes open, so it took us about 20 minutes in line and about two minutes (in the booth) for each of the five of us from the car," said Dalibor Vranic, from Serbia.For British travellers using the Port of Dover, the Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone or Eurostar terminal at London's St Pancras International, the process takes place at the border before they leave the UK.At Dover and the Eurotunnel terminal, only freight and coach traffic was subject to EES checks from Sunday.Passenger vehicle checks will follow in November at Dover and by the end of the year at Eurotunnel, while the Eurostar at St Pancras was gradually introducing the new process, starting with some business travellers from Sunday."The UK and EU have a shared objective of securing our borders and these modernisation measures will help us protect our citizens and prevent illegal migration," British Minister for Border Security and Asylum Alex Norris said.

His Excellency Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi met on Monday with the Secretary of State of the Republic of Poland Wladyslaw Teofil, on the sidelines of the 29th Joint Ministerial Meeting between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union (EU), held in Kuwait. During the meeting, they discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to enhance and support them, in addition to several topics of mutual interest.

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands David van Weel on the sidelines of the 29th Joint Ministerial Meeting between the GCC and the European Union, currently taking place in Kuwait. The meeting discussed ways to enhance the GCC-Dutch relations and the strategic partnership between the GCC and the European Union, in a manner that serves common interests. The two sides also exchanged views on the latest regional and international developments. Albudaiwi commended the Netherlands' balanced positions and expressed hope that it would recognize the State of Palestine, a step that would support efforts to achieve the two-state solution and promote security and stability in the region.

The 29th joint ministerial meeting between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union (EU) kicked off today in Kuwait with the participation of foreign ministers and senior officials from both sides. The meeting will address a number of regional and international topics of common interest, including developments in the Middle East, ways to enhance trade and energy corporation, and efforts to combat climate change. It will also follow up on the implementation of the outcomes of the first GCC-EU summit held in Brussels last year. In this context, Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the current session of the GCC Ministerial Council, Abdullah Al-Yahya said in a speech at the launch of the joint ministerial meeting that the convening of the GCC-EU meeting embodies the shared desire to continue building on the solid achievements of cooperation and coordination. He added that regional and international events have proven that common challenges, most notably terrorism, foreign interventions, threats to maritime security, and humanitarian crises, require collective coordination and cooperation to enhance the stability of peoples and support peace and development. He stressed the need to launch joint initiatives that reflect a commitment to collective solutions and international solidarity. He also affirmed the two sides' keenness to enhance cooperation in the areas of regional security, energy security, the green economy, digital transformation, advanced technology, and cultural and educational exchange, to serve the aspirations of their peoples for a more stable and prosperous future. On the Palestinian cause, the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister affirmed that it remains a top priority for the GCC as a matter of right and justice. He condemned the humanitarian tragedies experienced by the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip due to the siege, destruction, and displacement, calling on the international community to take urgent action to stop the violations and enable the Palestinian people to establish their independent state on the June 4, 1967, borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. He also commended the efforts made by US President Donald Trump to stop the war in Gaza and the joint initiative adopted by Saudi Arabia and France to hold an international conference to implement the two-state solution. He also welcomed the announcement by a number of friendly European countries of their recognition of the State of Palestine, expressing hope that this recognition would expand in support of a just and comprehensive peace. The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister expressed the country's support for Syria's path toward stability and reconstruction, and for ongoing efforts to strengthen Lebanon's sovereignty and stability. He called on all parties in Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, and Libya to prevail and engage in political dialogue that achieves security, unity, and sovereignty for these countries.

His Excellency Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari met with the State Secretary for European, Middle Eastern and African Affairs and Coordinator of the European Union and Global Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Clara Georgiana Staicu, who is visiting the country. The meeting focused on aspects of cooperation between the two countries and key economic, investment and trade developments.

The State of Qatar participated in a ministerial meeting 'Joint Efforts for De-escalation in Sudan,' organized by the European Union, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. The State of Qatar was represented by Her Excellency Minister of State for International Cooperation Dr. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad. During the meeting, Her Excellency affirmed Qatar's support for the brotherly Sudanese people and its respect for Sudan's sovereignty and unity, as well as the importance of preserving the integrity of its territory. Her Excellency Minister of State for International Cooperation also highlighted Qatar's support for Sudan in the initiative to protect women in conflict zones, to which it had previously pledged $10 million, in addition to medical and food aid.

The European Union-Qatar joint workshop on adapting regulatory frameworks and practices in the digital age concluded in Doha on Tuesday. The workshop aimed to strengthen mutual understanding of regulatory challenges in the digital sphere, to support exchanges of expertise between Qatari and European institutions, and to discuss practical policy tools for safeguarding digital rights. The programme included real case studies to help build national capacities and underlines the importance of embedding human rights principles, such as freedom of expression, privacy protection, and non-discrimination, at the core of sustainable digital policies, in line with the United Nations Global Digital Compact. The event brought together participants from across Qatar, including representatives of the Public Prosecution, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, and the National Cybersecurity Agency.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani met in Doha Friday with Kaja Kallas, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission.The meeting reviewed co-operation between Qatar and the European Union, as well as regional and international issues of common concern, particularly the developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories.During the meeting, HE Sheikh Mohammed stressed the importance of unifying regional and international efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, ensure the protection of civilians, secure the release of prisoners and detainees, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to alleviate the catastrophic conditions in the Strip.

A senior European Union official said Thursday that Israel's operations in Gaza constitute genocide, the first member of the bloc's commission to make that charge."The genocide in Gaza exposes Europe's failure to act and speak with one voice, even as protests spread across European cities and 14 UN Security Council members call for an immediate ceasefire," Teresa Ribera said at the opening ceremony of the academic year at the Sciences Po university in Paris.Israel's mission to the EU did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Ribera is the European Commission's Executive Vice President, second only in seniority to President Ursula von der Leyen. The Spanish socialist, whose portfolio includes climate and anti-trust issues, is not responsible for EU foreign policy.The comments were stronger than a statement she gave last month when she said the displacement and killing in Gaza looked "very much like" genocide.The European Commission has accused Israel of violating human rights in Gaza, but stopped short of accusing it of genocide.South Africa has brought a case at the International Court of Justice in the Hague accusing Israel of genocide.On Monday, the president of the world's largest academic association of genocide scholars announced that the association had passed a resolution affirming that the legal criteria have been met to determine that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.Israel's Foreign Ministry called that statement disgraceful.More than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's air and ground war in Gaza since then, according to Gaza health officials, who said most of those killed have been women and children.