Foreign relations of the European Union

Health Minister Kiril Ananiev issued an order banning the entry of third-country nationals into our country. This was reported by the Ministry of Health.

It shall enter into force on 20 March (midnight) and shall apply until 17 April inclusive. The ban applies to all types of vehicles - air, car, rail and passenger cars.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias is heading to Croatia on Thursday to attend the informal meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers, also known as Gymnich, in the context of Croatia's Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

In the European Union (EU), 35% of non-EU citizens were living in overcrowded households in 2018, meaning they did not have the number of rooms appropriate to the size of the household. By contrast, this rate was 17% for nationals and 20% for foreign EU citizens (i.e. EU citizens residing in another EU country), Eurostat reported.

The EU-Vietnam trade agreement, the "most modern and ambitious agreement ever concluded between the EU and a developing country", got Parliament's backing on Wednesday.

The Ankara Agreement and Customs Union with Turkey will continue during the Brexit transition period of 2020, and the two countries will work to sign a bilateral free trade agreement to be put into effect as of Jan. 1, 2021, British Ambassador to Ankara Sir Dominick Chilcott said on Feb. 7.

The European Commission has issued a recommendation to the Council to open negotiations on a new partnership with the United Kingdom.

This recommendation is based on the existing European Council guidelines and conclusions, as well as on the Political Declaration agreed between the EU and the United Kingdom in October 2019.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias will be traveling to Brussels on Friday to attend an emergency meeting of the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council, called to discuss the crisis with Iran and developments in Libya.

Croatia, the youngest EU member, vowed to advocate for the bloc's Balkan enlargement, and pledged to work for "a strong Europe in a world of challenges" in the upcoming six months, after taking over the European Council's rotating presidency on Jan. 1.

The Cable

This production of the Transatlantic Democracy Working Group and the Institute of Current World Affairs in Washington is all about "the threats to democracy in Europe and the transatlantic relationship, with a particular focus on backsliding countries in Central Europe".

Countries including Australia have asked for trade compensation from the UK and the EU over Brexit disruption, BBC reported.

During negotiations at the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Australia said its exports of beef and lamb had already suffered because of the uncertainty surrounding Brexit.