All articles tagged with #foreign ministry
China’s foreign ministry urged Europe to stop endorsing the so‑called illegal ruling on the South China Sea, saying Europe is not a party to the dispute and has no right to comment on China’s sovereignty, warning the stance could harm China‑EU cooperation. Beijing also summoned EU/embassy officials and lodged formal representations after European statements challenging China’s maritime claims.
Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said Afghans who helped the U.S. war effort can return home safely, offering assurances of safety amid ongoing security concerns and potential Taliban-era reprisals.
Lebanon expelled Iran's ambassador, signaling a sharp deterioration in relations and a crackdown on Tehran's influence amid rising regional tensions.
Iran's foreign ministry reiterated that the conditions for ending the war have not changed, signaling no shift in its stance on the terms amid ongoing hostilities.
Prague has accused China of hacking into the Czech foreign ministry, highlighting ongoing concerns about cyber espionage and international cybersecurity threats.
Qatar has condemned Israel's attempt to designate the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) as a "terrorist organization," following a preliminary motion passed by the Israeli parliament.
Families of Indian men who were lured to Russia with promises of lucrative job opportunities claim that their relatives were forced to fight in the Ukraine war against their will. The Indian foreign ministry has stated that they are working to secure the release of around 20 individuals in similar situations. Reports indicate that the men were recruited through misleading YouTube videos and were coerced into joining the army or face imprisonment. The families of the deceased are awaiting the return of their loved ones' bodies to conduct their last rites.
Retired Indian Navy officer Ragesh Gopakumar, who was released after 529 days in a Qatar jail, expressed confusion about the reasons for their arrest, stating that their agency had no direct links with Qatar's defense sector. Gopakumar, along with seven other Indian instructors, was given death sentences and jailed, but after intervention from the Indian embassy, foreign ministry, and Prime Minister Modi, they were eventually released.
China's foreign ministry announced that its visa-free travel policy, which covers several European countries and Malaysia, has had a positive impact on tourism. The policy, which came into effect on December 1, has made travel easier for visitors, resulting in a significant increase in tourist numbers from the covered countries. The ministry plans to continue adjusting visa policies to further facilitate cross-border travel and create more favorable conditions for travelers.
Russia has imposed domestic travel restrictions on British diplomats, requiring them to notify authorities in advance about their movements within the country. The measures are in response to what Russia perceives as "hostile actions" by the UK and hindrances to the normal operation of Russian foreign missions in the UK. The notification procedure applies to accredited personnel of the British Embassy in Moscow and the consulate general in Yekaterinburg, excluding the British ambassador and a few other senior diplomats. Diplomats must provide at least five working days' notice for travel outside the 120-kilometer free movement zone, including details about the purpose, timing, business contacts, accompanying persons, mode of transport, places of visit, accommodation, and route of the trip.
China has expressed support for Russia's efforts to counter the Wagner mercenary group's mutiny led by Yevgeny Prigozhin. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that China had backed Moscow's efforts to stabilize the situation in the country. Wagner mercenaries were headed back to base Sunday as their mutinous leader agreed to go into exile after President Vladimir Putin was forced to accept an amnesty deal.
Mali's Foreign Ministry has called on the United Nations Security Council to withdraw the UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSMA, from the country, citing its "failure" to respond to security challenges. The government of Mali rejected all options proposed by the UN secretary-general to change the mandate of the mission. Relations between the mission and the ruling regime became tense recently, especially following the military take-over in a 2020 coup, followed by another coup nine months later.
China's foreign ministry has stated that the unmanned airship that flew over US territory was an unexpected and isolated event, rejecting any distortion or hyping up of the incident. The Pentagon has said it cannot confirm whether China collected real-time data from the balloon earlier this year.
Sweden's Foreign Ministry is summoning the Russian ambassador to Stockholm over his comments on the country's NATO bid, deeming them an "attempt at interference." The ambassador had warned that if Sweden and Finland join NATO, the alliance's borders with Russia would almost double, making new NATO members "a legitimate target for Russian retaliatory measures, including those of a military nature." Sweden and Finland abandoned their military neutrality last year and sought NATO membership following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
A suicide attack near Afghanistan's foreign ministry has killed at least six civilians and wounded several others. The attacker was targeted by Afghan forces but the explosives he carried detonated. No group has claimed responsibility so far. The Taliban administration has said it is focused on securing the country and has carried out several raids against suspected ISIL members in recent weeks.