Spain is closer to the Arab world than any other European country, but it has no better response than the rest of the EU.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus commented on the decision of Germany and Estonia to make free national visas for Belarusians. According to the spokesman of the Republic of Belarus Andrei Savinykh, Belarus will able to convey the truth about the situation in the country to the Europeans "at least at the level of public diplomacy."

This is one of those rare, defining moments in world history. In Egypt - as well as Tunisia, Sudan, Yemen and elsewhere - change is unfolding at almost blinding speed. The reactions of the USA, EU, and UN so far have succeeded mainly in positioning the international community well behind the curve, scrambling to catch up. Developments on the ground continue to outpace responses by a wide margin.

The European Union failed to agree on a statement against the persecution of religious minorities on Monday after Italy objected to the omission of any reference to the protection of Christians.

The European Union has frozen the assets of ousted Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and his wife. The sanctions were approved by EU foreign ministers, after a request from Tunisia's new interim government.

In a recent article in Newsweek, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan branded the EU “geriatric” and “comatose.” This reflects not only Ankara’s frustrations with the EU accession process, but also the global transformations of the early 21st century.