Colombia's president, FARC leader sign revised peace agreement

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC Commander Rodrigo Londoño Echeverri, better known as "Timochenko," signed the revised peace agreement Thursday in Bogota, ending a 52-year-old internal armed conflict.

France and Spain object to separate negotiations in Scotland with the EU

French President Francois Hollande and the Prime Minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy strongly oppose the idea to keep Scotland in the EU – bypassing of results of a British national referendum.

Colombia and FARC sign historic ceasefire deal

The Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have signed a ceasefire, which includes the armed group laying down their arms after more than 50 years of conflict.

Brexit referendum marks Britons' most important decision in decades, political experts say

Up to 46 million Britons will make their most important decision in decades in Thursday's referendum on the nation's membership in the EU, according to political experts.

Catalan president announces independence referendum

 Catalan President Artur Mas has signed a decree calling for an independence referendum on November 9, defying the Spanish national government’s vow to halt such a vote.

Mas said on Saturday that semi-autonomous Catalonia wanted to "vote and decide."

Calls for an independence vote have grown in the wake of fiscal crisis that hit Spain and led to austerity measures.

No matter the outcome, ‘Scotland will never be the same again’

Just a day before Scotland votes on the most important decision to face the country in centuries, people in the capital Edinburgh, like the rest of the UK, await the outcome of the referendum with a tangible mix of hope, fear, and apprehension.

In the historic city’s bustling pubs and cafés, the talk is of little else. Local radio and TV coverage is blanket, and tabloid headlines scream from newsagent windows. Hardly a wall in the capital isn’t covered with the now iconic “yes” and “no” posters, and on each of the capital’s cobbled streets are enthusiastic campaigners brandishing placards for both the rival camps.

Cameron warns of 'painful divorce' for Scotland

British Prime Minister David Cameron has said he would be "utterly heartbroken" if Scotland votes to leave the UK.
Mr Cameron issued a warning that Thursday's referendum is a "once and for all" decision as he made a last-ditch trip north to urge voters to save the union.
Speaking in Aberdeen, the prime minister warned that if Scots vote for independence it would result in a "painful divorce".

He said: "On Thursday, Scotland votes, and the future of our country is at stake.

Kurdish President: Conditions Favorable for Independence. (The Kurds tried to help build “a new Iraq.”)

As Iraq’s attempts at building a new government failed on Tuesday, Kurdish President Massoud Barzani said he would push for a referendum on independence for Kurdistan.

Barzani spoke with VOA's Persian service on Tuesday in Irbil, the largest city in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

The Iraqi army has struggled against offensives by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic militant group that has captured large sections of Iraq’s north and west.

Some 1,0,000 people in Ukraine now affected by displacement (UN agency says)

 UN, 20 May 2014 – The United Nations refugee agency estimated today that 10,000 people, most ethnic Tatars, but also Ukrainians, Russians and mixed families, have fled Crimea and restive eastern Ukraine to other parts of the country, out of fear of insecurity or persecution.

“Displacement in Ukraine started before the March referendum in Crimea and has been rising gradually since. Registration numbers are being compiled on the basis of data we are receiving from local authorities,” Adrian Edwards, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said at a press briefing in Geneva.

Ukraine president warns of 'step into abyss'

As two of the most tense regions in eastern Ukraine prepare to vote on declaring sovereignty, the country's acting president has warned them against self-destruction.
Ukrainian acting president Oleksandr Turchynov, in comments posted on the presidential website on Saturday, said the pro-Russian supporters of independence for the Donetsk and Luhansk regions "don't understand that this would be a complete destruction of the economy, social programs and general life for the majority of the population".
"This is a step into the abyss for the regions," Turchynov said.

Intervention du vice-Premier ministre et ministre des Affaires étrangères, E. Vénizélos sur l'Ukraine lors du Conseil des Affaires étrangères de l'UE (Bruxelles, 17 mars 2014)

MAE Hellénique, 17/3/14
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Nous vous communiquons ci-dessous le texte de l'intervention d'aujourd'hui du vice-Premier ministre et ministre des Affaires étrangères sur l'Ukraine lors du Conseil des Affaires étrangères tenu aujourd'hui à Bruxelles:

«Notre réaction d'aujourd'hui, un jour après le référendum en Crimée, est facile et presque automatique. La politique européenne doit être toujours axée sur des principes. L'intégrité territoriale et le respect des frontières existantes sont le fondement du statu quo, de l'ordre légal international, de la paix et de la stabilité dans le monde entier.

United Nations Security Council action on Crimea referendum blocked

UN, 15 March 2014 – Owing to the negative vote of one of its permanent members, the United Nations Security Council today failed to adopt a draft resolution which urged countries not to recognize the results of this weekend's referendum in Crimea.
Thirteen of the Council's 15 members voted in favour of the draft text, Russia voted against, and China abstained. A veto by any of the Council's five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – means a resolution cannot be adopted.

'No common vision' on Ukraine, Russia says after US talks

 
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Russia and the West do not share a common view of the situation in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry in London on Friday, just two days ahead of a referendum in Crimea.

"We have no common vision of the situation. Differences remain," said Lavrov after the longer-than-expected talks, just two days before the Ukrainian region of Crimea holds a weekend referendum.

Obama: Crimea Referendum Violates International Law

President Barack Obama says new sanctions will "impose a cost" on Russia for its military move into Crimea and that a planned referendum on whether the peninsula should join Russia violates international law and Ukraine's constitution.

Mr. Obama told reporters at the White House an executive order he signed Thursday authorizes sanctions, including visa restrictions, on those who violate Ukraine's territorial integrity or steal the assets of the Ukrainian people.

He said that the steps were taken in "close coordination" with America's European allies, adding that he was "pleased that our international unity is on display at this critical moment."

Kiev has no money to pay off debts, financial crisis to follow - Ukraine's ex-minister

Ukraine’s new government is saying that it would try to do its best to stabilize the situation in the country. We have got in touch with Victor Suslov, once Ukraine’s Minister of Economy and now Ukraine’s representative in the Eurasian Economic Commission.
Ukraine’s new Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk says that now, Ukrainians would have to toughly economize for some time. Meanwhile, the head of Ukraine’s National Bank Stepan Kubiv has said that Ukraine has enough money to pay back its foreign debts.

Communiqué du ministère des Affaires étrangères concernant les résultats du référendum organisé en Suisse. -MAE Hellénique

MAE, Dimanche, 09 février 2014

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La Présidence hellénique du Conseil de l’Union européenne regrette les résultats du référendum intitulé « Contre l’immigration de masse », organisé en Suisse.

L’introduction de quotas à l’immigration des citoyens de l’UE est contraire au principe de la libre circulation des personnes, entre l’Union européenne et la Confédération helvétique, telle que décrite dans l’accord bilatéral en vigueur qui constitue un facteur clé du développement harmonieux de nos relations.

Compte à rebours vers le référendum d'indépendance de la Catalogne

"Au moins, nous avons une date. Nous devons voter pour savoir ce que veulent vraiment les Catalans", lance Neus Munter, une universitaire de 21 ans, alors que débute le compte à rebours qui doit mener la Catalogne vers un référendum sur son indépendance.

Cette jeune Barcelonaise est sûre de ses convictions, comme une large partie des 7,5 millions d'habitants de cette région du nord-est de l'Espagne, qui par centaines de milliers avaient formé, le 11 septembre, une chaîne humaine du nord au sud de la région du nord-est de l'Espagne, pour réclamer l'indépendance.

Rajoy asegura que la declaración soberanista aprobada por el Parlament "no sirve para nada"

El presidente ha asegurado que el Gobierno aplicará la ley contra aquellas resoluciones que vulneran el espíritu constitucional

El Gobierno ha avisado que "hará cumplir la ley" ante la declaración de soberanía del Parlament y su "derecho a decidir", mientras que el ejecutivo catalán de Artur Mas contempla celebrar una consulta no vinculante en la que tengan derecho a votar los mayores de 16 años con un censo modificado.

El Parlament aprueba por amplia mayoría la declaración soberanista

En el primer pleno de la legislatura, el Parlamento de Cataluña ha aprobado esta tarde una declaración en la que proclama al pueblo catalán como "sujeto político y jurídico soberano” y reclama la celebración de una consulta para decidir su futuro político. El texto ha sido secundado por 85 diputados de CiU, ERC e Iniciativa y la CUP, mientras que 41 diputados del PSC, PP y Ciutadans han votado en contra. Dos diputados de la CUP se han abstenido para mostrar sus reticencias al texto. Además dos diputados del PP no han acudido a la votación por enfermedad.