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On Sunday, Ukrainians celebrated their first day of visa-free access to most of the EU's 28 nations following a measure adopted by the European Parliament in April and the European Council heads of government in May.

One of many elements of the EU-Ukraine association agreement signed in 2014, expanded access wasput on hold during themajor tensions that followed the overthrow of Russia-backed President Viktor Yanukovych that winter, and was further delayed after a 2016 referendum in the Netherlands initially rejected the pact.

Two weeks ago, the Dutch parliament backed a revised pact, which European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said could be finalized at a EU-Ukraine summit in July. If so, it is likely to come into force in September.

The new waiver allows one in 10 Ukrainians - those with biometric passports - to travel in the European Union without visas for up to 90 days in any 180-day periodfor tourism, business or family visits, but not to work.

Excluded from the setup are Britain and Ireland, but included are four non-EU Schengen zone members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

In Kyiv late on Saturday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told a crowd that the new travel arrangement "symbolizes a final breakaway of our state from the Russian empire."

Poroshenkodescribed the moment as the onset of a "different historical era" and said Ukraine would now seek cheaper rail and aviation links withEU cities.

Ukrainians, some without visas, board a train from Kyiv to Poland

Ukraine's border authoritytold the news agency Interfax that 600 people with the new passports entered the European Union in the early hours of Sunday.

Contested borders

Ukraine's popular pro-EU uprising in 2014 was followed by Russia's annexation of Crimea and the imposition of Western sanctionson Moscow. Despite peace efforts involving German diplomats, since 2014fighting between pro-Russia separatists and government forcesin Ukraine's industrial east has claimed more than 10,000 lives and displaced many more people.

Since Saturday, four Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the most recent fighting, according to a report carried by the German news agency DPA.

Russian officials have often rejected claims that the Kremlin is arming the rebels.

In May, when the European Council finalized its visa waiver for Ukrainians, the EU announced thatthe measure contained a suspension mechanism "if there are serious migration or security issues with Ukraine."

Georgia, which fought a brief but bitter war with Russia in 2008, was granted a similar EU visa-free travel scheme that began in late March.

In February, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognizing passports issued by the self-declared Luhansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine.

At the time, Poroshenko blasted the decree as a "violation by Russia of international law."

ipj/mkg (APF, dpa, Reuters)

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Ukrainians can now enter the European Union visa-free - Deutsche Welle

The 12th EU-Thailand Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) took place at the European External Action Service in Brussels on 9 June 2017. The EU side was chaired by Mr Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director, Asia and the Pacific, European External Action Service. The Thai side was chaired by Mr Songphol Sukchan, Director-General of the Department of European Affairs, Royal Thai Foreign Ministry.

It was the first SOM since 2012. The EU and Thai senior officials held an open and friendly exchange on a broad range of issues of mutual interest with regard to the development of their relations. Prior to the SOM, the EU-Thailand Working Group on Trade and Investment was also convened.

The discussions included political, security, economic, trade, development cooperation, environmental as well as human rights issues in Thailand and the EU, together with regional and international matters. ASEAN integration and Thailand's role as ASEAN coordinator for the EU figured prominently in the meeting. The EU and Thailand remain committed to the global efforts against climate change and the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss, in particular, the on-going substantial and intense dialogues concerning illegal fishing (IUU), labour issues and prevention of human trafficking, as well as air safety and to underline the need to complete the implementation of the ongoing reforms. Both sides welcomed that Thailand and the European Union will hold the first negotiation round for a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) to strengthen cooperation on tackling illegal logging of timber and related trade later this month. Bilateral cooperation was also discussed on sustainable development, and science, technology and innovation.

Legislative preparations are being made for Thailand's general election which, with all the required processes being met in accordance with the timeline under the Constitution, could take place by the end of 2018. Against this background the two sides discussed not only the current cooperation, but also prospects for closer ties. The co-chairs concurred that the SOM was a significant step for facilitating future strengthened engagement and closer cooperation between the European Union and Thailand.

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12th European Union-Thailand Senior Officials' Meeting - EU News

The 22nd European Union Film Festival (EUFF) premiered at Siri Fort auditorium on Saturday with the screening of Estonian film Cherry Tobacco. The five-day event is being organised by the Delegation of the EU and Embassies of EU Members in collaboration with Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Award winning movies from countries like Austria, Cyprus, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Finland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Spain , Greece, Sweden, Italy, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia among others, will be shown during the festival.

Movies panning across various genres ranging from comedy to family drama, romance and adventure are part of EUFF. Perennial themes of redemption of love, resilience of youth, and the triumph of human spirit in adversity run through the creative works of these award winning directors.

Other highlights of the festival include the story of inner struggle of a father, and his complicated relationship with his son; the coming of age of a 17-year-old girl, who has to take decisions that even a grown up woman will find difficult to make.

Audiences can also look forward to a film based on a true story of a Moroccan man who decides to go back home and faces multiple challenges on the way, turning his journey into a real odyssey; another about a stubborn violin maker and his pharmacist cousin who face hardship and adversity as they oppose a powerful tycoon who forces the duo to vacate their house to build a luxurious hotel at the place.

Speaking about the 22nd edition of EUFF, Tomasz Kozlowski, ambassador of European Union to India said, "We are happy to provide an annual platform for film enthusiasts to watch award winning movies from EU right here. I believe that cinema has a universal appeal and helps to bring people and cultures together."

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22nd edition of European Union Film Festival begins - Daily News & Analysis

On 8 June, the Council adopted the decision establishing of the military planning and conduct capability (MPCC) within the EU military staff (EUMS). The terms of reference of the EUMS, which is part of the EEAS, have also been amended and approved.

"The establishment of the MPCC is a very important operational decision to strengthen European defence. It will contribute to make the non-executive European missions more effective and to improve the training of soldiers of partner countries, to guarantee peace and security. This is important not just for our partners, but also for the European Union's security", said the High Representative Federica Mogherini.

The MPCC will assume command of EU non-executive military missions, currently: EU Training Mission (EUTM) Somalia, EUTM Rpublique Centrale Africaine (RCA) and EUTM Mali. The MPCC will be the static, out-of-area command and control structure at the military strategic level, responsible for the operational planning and conduct of non-executive missions, including the building up, launching, sustaining and recovery of European Union forces. This will allow the mission staff in the field to concentrate on the specific activities of their mission, withbetter support provided from Brussels.

The MPCC improves the crisis management structures of the EU. It will work under thepolitical control and strategic guidanceof the Political and Security Committee (PSC), which is composed of EU member states' ambassadors and is based in Brussels.

The MPCC will be composed initially of up to 25 staff but will also benefit from the support of other departments of the EUMS. The Director General of the EU Military Staff will also be the director of the MPCC. He will exercise command and control over the current three training missions and other possible future non-executive military missions. He will also exercise the responsibilities related to deployment and recovery of the missions as well as overall budgeting, auditing and reporting.

The MPCC will work closely with its existing civilian counterpart, the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) through a joint support coordination cell. This cell will be able to share expertise, knowledge and best practices on issues relevant to both military and civilian missions, as well as capabilities when civilian and military missions are simultaneously deployed in the same area, including medical support or protective measures.

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EU defence cooperation: Council establishes a Military Planning ... - EU News

The jointly developed strategy, in the form of a Joint Statement, was signed today during the annual two-day European Development Days by the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani, the Prime Minister of Malta Joseph Muscat, on behalf of the Council and Member States, the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and the High Representative/Vice President Federica Mogherini.

The new European Consensus on Development constitutes a comprehensive common framework for European development cooperation. For the first time, it applies in its entirety to all European Union Institutions and all Member States, which commit to work more closely together.

The new Consensus strongly reaffirms that poverty eradication remains the primary objective of European development policy. It fully integrates the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. In doing so, it aligns European development action with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which is also a cross-cutting dimension for the EU Global Strategy.

European leaders committed to three areas:

Background

Europe is a global leader in development, being the world's biggest provider of Official Development Assistance. The new European Consensus on Development was agreed jointly by all European Institutions and all EU Member States in an open and transparent manner, also in consultation with other partners. It is the EU's response to today's global trends and challenges, aligning EU external action to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The 2030 Agenda was adopted by the international community in September 2015, and includes at its core the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and associated targets, which run to 2030. Along with the other international summits and conferences held in 2015 in Addis Ababa and in Paris, the international community has an ambitious new frame for all countries to work together on shared challenges. For the first time, the SDGs are universally applicable to all countries and the EU is committed to be a frontrunner in implementing them.

On 22 November 2016, the European Commission proposed its ideas for a strategic approach for achieving sustainable development in Europe and around the world, including a Commission proposal for a new Consensus. Since then the European Parliament, the Council under the Maltese Presidency, and the Commission have engaged in an intensive series of inter-institutional discussions aimed at agreeing to a new collective vision for development policy which responds to the 2030 Agenda and other global challenges.

Europe is a frontrunner when it comes to sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda, through external and other policies.

For more information:

New European Consensus on Development

A Joint Statement by the Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission: A new European Consensus on development: Our World, Our Dignity, Our Future

Factsheet - "Q&A: The new European Consensus on development"

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

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The new European Consensus on Development EU and Member States sign joint strategy to eradicate poverty - EU News