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Kiev to ask for the Vatican's help to secure release of prisoners
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko believes that representatives of the Vatican could join the negotiations on the release of illegally detained Ukrainians. He discussed this issue with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
"We have agreed to coordinate our actions on the involvement of the Holy See in the humanitarian missions to free the hostages," Poroshenko said during a joint briefing with Parolin in Kyiv on Friday. Poroshenko also asked the Vatican to assist in …
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NATO proposes the creation of a 'military Schengen zone'
The commander of U.S. ground forces in Europe, Lt. General Ben Hodges, expressed the need for the unrestsricted movement of military units of the alliance countries.
The U.S. commander of ground forces in Europe, General Ben Hodges, spoke in favor of the creation of a so-called military ‘Schengen zone’ in order to facilitate quick and unrestricted movement of NATO units. "We need a military Schengen zone so allied units can move at the pace fo the growing threats," Hodges stated during the …
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German manufacturer of agricultural machinery signs contract with Russia at economic forum
A manufacturer of agricultural machinery from Germany signed a special investment agreement with the Russian government at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.
The German CLAAS Group was the first foreign company to sign a special investment contract with Russia. The agreement was signed on Friday, June 17, at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The German company received the status of the Russian manufacturer of agricultural equipment, and its products can now qualify for the …
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Finnish President says his country will apply for NATO membership if the security situation deteriorates
The President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö stated in his interview with Dagens Nyheter daily that Finland will apply for membership of NATO in case the security situation deteriorates. “We can’t exclude the possibility of applying for NATO membership. It would be a serious mistake because it’s a tool of national security policy and Russia knows that we have this tool,” Niinistö noted.
“We are developing our partnership and cooperation with NATO at this stage. If we see significant deterioration …
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Norway is upgrading its defense capabilities due to 'unpredictable actions' of Russia
The Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg announced that Norway has begun a large scale strengthening of its defense capability and an upgrade of the military sector for protection from unpredictable actions by the Russian Federation, Deutsche Welle reported.
According to the proposed law that should be approved by the Parliament, Norway plans to increase its military budget by 165 billion crowns (17.5 billion Euros) during the next 20 years. Solberg said the planned upgrade is the largest …