A joint statement by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said both countries have expressed their interest in taking full advantage of trade agreements in order to enhance the transformative impact of their respective economic policies.

The International Organisation for Migration has predicted that migrant deaths in the Mediterranean might be as high as 30,000 this year (EU emergency summit will offer safe haven to only 5,000 refugees, 23 April). (...)There is a humanitarian solution. 

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party discovered the effectiveness of “soft power” early on in its rule. Soft power was successfully used to promote Turkey as a modern Muslim democracy. Unfortunately, this has now gone into reverse gear due to the increasing authoritarian trends of Turkey's leadership.

European powers struggling to hold together a stalled Ukrainian peace accord will resume talks with Russia and Ukraine in Germany next week as efforts shift from the battlefield to solving political disputes.  European Union leaders say easing economic sanctions on Russia requires full compliance with the agreement negotiated in Belarus in February.

Since the beginning of the year, the small autonomous area of Gagauzia in southern Moldova has become an improbably important focus of Russian foreign policy.

The international community has pledged $3.8bn to tackle the humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Syria – less than half the amount the UN says is needed this year to help the millions of people affected by the ongoing conflict.

In updating its security strategy, the EU should avoid setting itself unrealistic ambitions. Restoring Europe’s soft power means, first and foremost, putting Europe’s own political and economic house in order.