Member states of the United Nations

Bulgaria continues to rank at the bottom of the European Union in terms of material well-being and GDP per capita for 2023, according to the latest data from Eurostat. The country's "actual individual consumption" (AIC) is 30% below the EU average, which is equivalent to 70% of the European average.

Tourism spending in Greece increased by 14% in the period from October 2023 to September 2024 compared to previous 12-month period, according to Visa.

Somalia and Ethiopia have reached a deal to end a nearly year-old bitter dispute following hours of Turkish-brokered talks in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Wednesday.

Hailing it as a "historic agreement", Erdoğan said he hoped the deal would be "the first step towards a new beginning based on peace and cooperation between Somalia and Ethiopia".

The Greek-Turkish rapprochement process is moving within a framework of step-by-step efforts to maintain a calm climate and manage issues that could provoke tensions in the immediate future. Naturally, the significant distance separating the two countries on the major issue of maritime delimitation defines both the framework and the limits of this challenging undertaking.

Austria has officially announced that it is lifting its veto on Bulgaria and Romania's accession to the Schengen Area by land. The decision was confirmed by the Austrian Interior Ministry, marking a significant step forward for the two countries' integration into the Schengen zone.

Greece and Turkey agreed to disagree on core disputes while seeking collaboration on less contentious issues during their third round of political dialogue in Athens on Tuesday. 

The meeting, led by Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou and her Turkish counterpart Mehmet Kemal Bozay, marked an effort to balance persistent tensions with targeted cooperation.

Cultural expenditures in Türkiye surged by 84.7 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year, surpassing 276 billion Turkish Liras ($7.9 billion), with approximately 64 percent of the spending undertaken by the state, according to official data.

BELGRADE - Serbia registered 1.9 pct more tourist visits in October 2024 relative to the same month of last year and the number of overnight stays was down by 3.5 pct y-o-y, according to figures released by the national statistical office.

Overnight stays by Serbian tourists were down by 14.6 pct y-o-y, while those generated by foreign tourists were up by 9.7 pct y-o-y.

Foreigners gave Greece a higher score than the European average at the peak of the tourism season, mainly thanks to its culture and gastronomy, the experience at sea, as well as its human resources.

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler emphasized the importance of reducing tensions in the Aegean Sea while simultaneously promoting the "Blue Homeland" doctrine, which envisages Turkish influence over vast swaths of the Eastern Mediterranean at the expense of countries in region, like Greece and Cyprus.