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Defense Policy / Programs

• Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Holds a Press Briefing DoD 20 May 2022
• U.S.-Georgia Bilateral Defense Consultations DoD 20 May 2022
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting With Colombian Minister of National Defense Diego Molano, May 20, 2022 DoD 20 May 2022
• Navy to Commission Future Littoral Combat Ship Minneapolis-Saint Paul DoD 20 May 2022 -- The Navy will commission the future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21) as the newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) during a 10 a.m. CDT ceremony Saturday, May 21, in Duluth, Minnesota.
• Active, Guard and Reserve Soldiers attend vehicle recovery course Army News 20 May 2022 -- Soldiers assigned to all three components of the Army attended a wheeled vehicle recovery course at Fort Custer Training Center in May.
• Virginia Guard keeps Black Hawks on mission in Kosovo Army News 20 May 2022 -- U.S. Army helicopter repairers and maintainers play a critical role in keeping aviation assets flying through routine upkeep and conducting on-the-spot repairs, keeping helicopters safe and ready to fly in hundreds of Army missions.
• Fort Shater Soldiers participate in Marara 22 Army News 20 May 2022 -- Soldiers from the Headquarters and Headquarters and Charlie Company, 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment, Fort Shafter, Hawaii participated in Marara 22 from May 7 - 20, 2022.
• U.S., Colombia Plan Closer Military Ties DoD News 20 May 2022 -- During a ceremony welcoming the Colombian defense minister to the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said Colombia's recent designation as a major non-NATO ally reflects the depth and breadth of the nations' security relationship and reinforces their defense partnership.
• International Partners Team Up for Pacific Partnership 2022 US Navy 20 May 2022 -- U.S. Navy, Royal Navy and Australian Defence Force military members are embarked aboard Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) as part of the of Pacific Partnership 2022 (PP22) mission team.
• USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group Departs Yokosuka for 2022 Deployment US Navy 20 May 2022 -- The U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and its strike group departed Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) May 20, to support security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Navy's Cyber Chief: Leadership is Key to Integrating Sea Power and Cyber US Navy 20 May 2022 -- Future military leaders must be prepared to fight wars, across specialties and in a virtual battlespace to win in today's dynamic environment said Vice Adm. Ross Myers, commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command and U.S. 10th Fleet (FCC/C10F).
• Virginia, Maine National Guard CSTs conduct joint training Army News 20 May 2022 -- Soldiers and Airmen with the Virginia and Maine National Guard Civil Support Teams participated in Joint Hazard Assessment Team training with the FBI and the Virginia Beach police and fire departments April 25- 29.
• U.S. Army South, Argentine army work to strengthen cybersecurity capabilities Army News 20 May 2022 -- "In traditional military operations we need to be able to shoot, move and communicate. We need to identify key positions, know the terrain and know enemy capabilities. Cybersecurity is the same concept," said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Luis D. Nieves, a U.S. Army cyber defender assigned to the U.S. Army 915th Cyber Warfare Battalion. Nieves was chosen as an Army expert during a recent cyber defense subject matter expertise exchange between the U.S. and Argentine armies.
• DOD: It's Not Just State Actors Who Pose Cyber Threat to U.S. DoD News 20 May 2022 -- It's not just hackers operating at the behest of adversarial nation states who pose a threat to U.S. cyber infrastructure — it's cyber criminals who are just in it for the money, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy said.
• Department of the Army announces updated COVID-19 vaccination statistics US Army 20 May 2022 -- The U.S. Army announced updated COVID-19 vaccination rates and exemption requests as of May 19, 2022.
• NATO Secretary General welcomes US Congress Delegation to NATO headquarters NATO 20 May 2022 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed a US Congressional Delegation to NATO headquarters on Friday (20 May 2022), thanking the lawmakers for the strong and bipartisan commitment of the United States to NATO, as demonstrated by both chambers of Congress.
• Biden: US fully backs Sweden and Finland NATO bids Press TV 20 May 2022 -- President Joe Biden says that Finland and Sweden have the "full, total, complete backing" of the US for their application to join NATO amid resistance from Turkey.
• Turkey insists on saying "no" to Sweden and Finland's NATO bid: Erdogan People's Daily 20 May 2022 -- Turkey would say "no" to Finland and Sweden's NATO membership bid, as the country would not make the same "mistake" again, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday.
• Supplementary budget strengthens defence capability Finnish Government 20 May 2022 -- Russia's invasion of Ukraine has brought about fundamental changes in Finland's security environment and will require immediate actions to strengthen the defence capability.
• Security Council meeting President of Russia 20 May 2022 -- Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting of the Russian Federation Security Council via videoconference. The meeting agenda included ways to improve the security and stability of the state's information infrastructure.
• Shoigu Says Russia To Strengthen Its Western Defenses In Response To NATO Growth RFE/RL 20 May 2022 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says Moscow will create new military bases in its western regions and form 12 new units and divisions in response to Sweden and Finland's move to join the NATO military alliance.
• Russian Duma Mulls Scrapping Upper Age Limit Of 40 For Military Enrollment RFE/RL 20 May 2022 -- Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, says it will discuss a draft bill that would remove the upper age limit and allow anyone over the age of 18 to sign up for the military, a possible sign that Moscow has suffered heavy personnel losses in its war against Ukraine.
• Russian, U.S. military chiefs discuss Ukraine over phone People's Daily 20 May 2022 -- Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov and U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley held a phone call on Thursday to discuss issues of mutual interest, including the situation in Ukraine.
• Austin to Host Second Ukraine Contact Group Meeting Monday DoD News 20 May 2022 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III will host a second meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group on Monday, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said today.
• Report: US aims to arm Ukraine with advanced anti-ship missiles Press TV 20 May 2022 -- The Biden administration is working to deliver anti-ship missiles to Ukrainian fighters to help defeat Russia's naval blockade, a move that could increase the chances of a confrontation between the United States and Russia.
• Britain to provide 1.3 bln pounds in military aid for Ukraine People's Daily 20 May 2022 -- The British government will provide 1.3 billion pounds in military aid for Ukraine, the Ukrainian government-run Ukrinform news agency reported Thursday, citing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
• Military-civilian cooperation in Shandong ensures law-based national defense transportation PLA Daily 20 May 2022 -- Shandong Transportation and Combat Readiness Office, together with a naval department under the PLA Northern Theater Command and a designated national defense transportation enterprise, jointly signed a strategic cooperation agreement for national defense transportation in east China's Shandong Province on May 13. This is a specific method adopted by the Shandong Transportation and Combat Readiness Office to coordinate the military and civilian parties to support national defense transportation in accordance with the law.
• US Refusing Weapons Sales to Taiwan 'Outside Their Definition of Asymmetric Defense', Reports Say Sputnik 20 May 2022 -- US defense leaders have warned that comparing Ukraine and Taiwan is a mistake, but in practice, Washington is pressuring Taipei to adopt an asymmetric warfare policy modeled on its support for Ukraine since Russia's special operation began there in February.
• BRO conducts final break through blast of Nechiphu Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh India PIB 20 May 2022 -- Border Road Organisation (BRO) conducted final "break through blast" to mark the successful completion of excavation work of the Nechiphu Tunnel, in Arunachal Pradesh on May 20, 2022. Director General of BRO Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry conducted it remotely from New Delhi. The foundation stone of project was laid by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh on October 12, 2020.
• Iran unveils indigenously-developed Simorgh light transport aircraft Press TV 20 May 2022 -- A new light transport aircraft, designed and developed by experts at the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA), was unveiled on Thursday in the presence of high-ranking dignitaries.
• Joint Expeditionary Force deploys to the Baltics UK MOD 20 May 2022 -- A major UK military headquarters has deployed to the Baltic region in support of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).
• Biden looks to consolidate US alliances as he starts trip to South Korea, Japan Radio Free Asia 20 May 2022 -- U.S. President Joe Biden has embarked on a five-day trip to East Asia, his first visit to the region since he took office, to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to the Indo-Pacific amid the Ukrainian war and an increasingly assertive China.
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Call with French Foreign Ministry Secretary General Delattre US Dept. of State 20 May 2022
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Kazakhstani Foreign Minister Tileuberdi US Dept. of State 20 May 2022
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Kazakhstani Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 20 May 2022
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan The White House 20 May 2022
• Department Press Briefing – May 20, 2022 US Dept. of State 20 May 2022

Defense Industry

• Contracts For May 20, 2022
• Military Contractor Indicted for $15 Million Bid-Rigging Scheme and Conspiracy to Defraud the United States US Dept. of Justice 20 May 2022 -- A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas returned an indictment charging a military contractor for rigging bids on public military contracts in Texas and Michigan and defrauding the United States.
• Government Contractor Agrees to Pay $425,000 for Alleged False Claims Related to Conflicts of Interest US Dept. of Justice 20 May 2022 -- Cape Henry Associates (Cape Henry), located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, has agreed to pay $425,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by failing to inform contracting officers of the company's organizational conflicts of interest (OCI) in connection with the award and performance of task orders on government contracts. Cape Henry performs manpower analysis, personnel analysis and training services for the U.S. Armed Forces.

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News
• 20 May 2022 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 20 May 2022
• UN Security Council convenes to address food insecurity, calls for global cooperation People's Daily 20 May 2022 -- The UN Security Council met on Thursday to address food insecurity and called on the international community to strengthen cooperation to solve it.
• Taliban Want to Erase Women From Media, Afghan Journalists Say VOA 20 May 2022 -- A Taliban mandate that women cover their faces while on television is seen as an attempt to erase female journalists, say media and women's rights activists.
• Philippines deploys buoys as 'sovereign markers' in South China Sea Radio Free Asia 20 May 2022 -- The Philippines has installed buoys and opened some command posts to mark out and assert its sovereignty in waters and islets it claims in the contested South China Sea, the country's coast guard chief said Friday.
• US setting up military bases in eastern Yemen cashing in on UN-brokered truce, says Houthi Press TV 20 May 2022 -- The leader of Yemen's popular Ansarullah resistance movement says the United States, with the help of its allied Takfiri militant groups, is building several military bases in the country's eastern provinces of Hadhramaut and al-Mahrah as well as on the Red Sea coast.
• US Setting Up Military Bases in Eastern Yemen, Along Red Sea Coast, Houthis Say Sputnik 20 May 2022 -- The US has been involved militarily in Yemen in one capacity or another since the early 2000s. In February 2021, the Biden administration announced a dramatic scaling back of American military assistance for the Saudi-led war in the war-torn country.
• We urge the Security Council to expand the UN's cross-border mandate in Syria UK FCDO 20 May 2022 -- Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria
• Syria: 'Largest-ever number' in need, warns UN relief chief UN News 20 May 2022 -- With a scorching summer fast approaching, food prices rising and access to water and electricity limited in many parts of Syria, donors must make good on $4.3 billion in humanitarian pledges committed at last week's Brussels funding conference, the UN's senior humanitarian official told the Security Council on Friday.
• Dalai Lama not a 'separatist,' Tibet's exile leader says Radio Free Asia 20 May 2022 -- Tibet's Dalai Lama is not a separatist working to split Tibet from China's rule, Tibetan exile political leader Sikyong Penpa Tsering told RFA in an exclusive interview on Friday. Instead, the exiled spiritual leader seeks only a peaceful solution to the question of Tibet's status that protects Tibetans' rights, Tsering said.
• UN Concerned About Situation In Restive Tajik Region After Deadly Protests RFE/RL 20 May 2022 -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed concern over reports of escalating tensions and violence, including casualties, in Tajikistan's restive region of Gorno-Badakhshan (GBAO).
• 18 million in Africa's Sahel on 'the brink of starvation' UN News 20 May 2022 -- As 18 million people in Africa's Sahel region teeter on the edge of severe hunger over the next three months, the UN released on Friday an additional $30 million from its emergency humanitarian fund, to boost the humanitarian response across four countries.
• 18 million people in the Sahel face severe hunger over the next three months UNOCHA 20 May 2022 -- UN releases an additional US$30 million to urgently ramp up humanitarian response in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Niger
• Nigerian Authorities Say Terror Groups Are Shifting to New Bases VOA 20 May 2022 -- Authorities in Nigeria's Kaduna state are raising concerns jihadist insurgents have infiltrated their region and are calling on the federal government to intervene.
• Violence, Lockdown, Running Battles Paralyze Cameroon National Day in Western Regions VOA 20 May 2022 -- Cameron's National Day on May 20 has been marked by running battles between government troops and separatists who imposed a lockdown, crippling business in English-speaking western regions. The military says at least 28 separatists who vowed to disrupt celebrations in English-speaking regions of the majority francophone nation were killed in violent battles. President Paul Biya is attending commemorations.

News Reports

• WHO working closely with countries responding to monkeypox WHO 20 May 2022
• Europe: WHO supporting countries affected by rare monkeypox outbreak UN News 20 May 2022 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) is working closely with countries where cases of the rare viral disease monkeypox have been reported, the UN agency said on Friday. The UN agency said in a statement that there were around 80 cases confirmed so far, across 11 countries, with a further 50 cases pending investigation.
• WHO set to hold emergency meeting on 'monkeypox' outbreak as virus spreads across Europe Press TV 20 May 2022 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) is set to hold an emergency meeting on the outbreak of the rare monkeypox virus, which is spreading in the European continent at an unprecedented speed.
• Europe, US on alert after rare monkeypox virus outbreak Press TV 20 May 2022 -- With the COVID-19 pandemic still lingering, a new health scare in the form of a rare viral infection of monkeypox has emerged in Europe and the US, putting health authorities on high alert.
• Italy reports 1st case of monkeypox People's Daily 20 May 2022 -- Italy announced on Thursday that the country's first case of monkeypox had been identified, with the patient isolated at a hospital in Rome.
• Federal Judge Blocks Biden From Ending Title 42 Border Restrictions VOA 20 May 2022 -- A federal judge on Friday ruled that a pandemic-related public health order must continue, allowing the federal government to turn away migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, including those seeking asylum.
• DHS Statement on District Court Ruling on Title 42 DHS 20 May 2022 -- "As we have repeatedly stated, Title 42 is not an immigration authority, but a public health authority employed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to protect against the spread of communicable disease, in this case, COVID-19."
• Revocation of Five Foreign Terrorist Organizations Designations and the Delisting of Six Deceased Individuals as Specially Designated Global Terrorists US Dept. of State 20 May 2022 -- "Today, the Department of State is announcing the revocation of five Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designations under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA): Basque Fatherland and Liberty, Aum Shinrikyo, Mujahidin Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem, Kahane Chai, and Gama'a al-Islamiyya."
• Russia cuts natural gas supplies to Finland - situation under control Finnish Government 20 May 2022 -- On 20 May 2022, Gazprom Export informed the energy company Gasum Oy that natural gas deliveries to Finland under Gasum's supply contract will be cut on 21 May 2022 at 7.00 am. The reason for the cut is that Finland has not agreed to pay in rubles for pipeline gas supplies.
• Leasing of LNG terminal ship will ensure sufficient gas supply in Finland Finnish Government 20 May 2022 -- Gasgrid Finland Oy and US-based Excelerate Energy, Inc. signed a ten-year lease agreement for the LNG terminal ship Exemplar on 20 May 2022. The vessel will safeguard Finland's security of supply and help Finland meet its gas needs in the event that imports of Russian pipeline gas are shut down.
• Despite Doomsday Predictions, Bulgaria Proves There Is Life After Russian Gas RFE/RL 20 May 2022 -- Shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his country's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on February 24, debate heated up in the European Union over how and when to end the bloc's dependency on Russian natural gas and oil.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement and answers to media questions at a news conference following talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Mali Abdoulaye Diop, Moscow, May 20, 2022 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 20 May 2022
• Russia taking 'countermeasures' against Finland, Sweden joining NATO, cuts gas flows to Helsinki Press TV 20 May 2022 -- Moscow is set to take "adequate countermeasures" to oppose military threats near its western borders posed by Finland and Sweden's NATO membership, says Russia's defense minister.
• Russia To Cut Gas Flow To Finland Over Refusal To Pay In Rubles RFE/RL 20 May 2022 -- Russia's Gazprom has informed Finland it will cut the flow of natural gas from May 21, the Finnish state-owned gas company Gasum said, after the wholesaler refused to pay in rubles.
• Finland's Gasum Announced Gas Supplies From Russia to Stop Early on Saturday Sputnik 20 May 2022 -- Gas supplies from Russia to Finland will stop at 7 a.m. on Saturday, Finland's Gasum said on Friday.
• Hungary Proposes Embargo on Maritime Shipments of Russian Oil, Foreign Minister Says Sputnik 20 May 2022 -- Hungary is proposing to impose an embargo on maritime deliveries of Russian oil instead of onshore deliveries, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has said.
• Canada Slaps New Sanctions On Russian Oligarchs, Including Formula One Driver Mazepin RFE/RL 20 May 2022 -- Canada has announced new sanctions on 14 Russians - including Formula One race-car driver Nikita Mazepin - and a ban on the importing and exporting of certain luxury goods from Russia in response to what it called President Vladimir Putin's "continued aggression" against Ukraine.
• This Is Not Just 'Putin's War' And Russians Should '100 Percent' Feel Guilty: A Veteran Russian Analyst Pulls No Punches RFE/RL 20 May 2022 -- Vladislav Inozemtsev is a Russian academic and the director of the Moscow-based Center for Research on Post-Industrial Studies. In a wide-ranging interview with RFE/RL's Georgian Service, the veteran analyst discusses the health of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whether Russians should feel collective guilt, and predicts how the Putin regime will end.
• Navalny Allies Urge U.S. Lawmakers To Spread Pain Of Sanctions To Mid-Level Russian Politicians RFE/RL 20 May 2022 -- Members of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's team were in Washington on May 19 to urge lawmakers to impose sanctions over the war in Ukraine to include figures lower down Russia's political ranks.
• Russian Finance Ministry Paid Coupon on Eurobonds Maturing in 2026, 2036 in Dollars, Euros Sputnik 20 May 2022 -- The Russian Finance Ministry has paid the coupon on sovereign Eurobonds maturing in 2026 and 2036 in dollars and euros in full, the ministry said in a statement.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on May 20, 2022 PRC MofA 20 May 2022
• Hong Kong: EU report sees a continued deterioration of fundamental freedoms European Commission 20 May 2022 -- The European Commission and the High Representative today reported on political and economic developments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The 24th Annual Report to the European Parliament and the Council covers developments in 2021.
• State Council appoints John Lee as Hong Kong chief executive Global Times 20 May 2022 -- The State Council, China's cabinet, decided Friday to appoint John Lee Ka-chiu as the sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and Lee will assume office on July 1.
• Macao: EU report highlights increasing challenges to political rights and fundamental freedoms European Commission 20 May 2022 -- The European Commission and the High Representative have today reported on political and economic developments in the Macao Special Administrative Region, covering 2021.
• UN rights chief's office announces dates of China visit, including Xinjiang Radio Free Asia 20 May 2022 -- The U.N.'s human rights chief on Monday will begin a six-day official visit to China, including to the far-western Xinjiang region where widespread abuses against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities at the hands of Chinese authorities are said to have occurred.
• Legislature passes bill on economic espionage CNA 20 May 2022 -- The Legislature on Friday passed a law amendment to prohibit the theft of Taiwan's core technologies for use by hostile external forces and to allow a maximum 12-year prison sentence for violators.
• U.S. official responds to China after warning on Taiwan CNA 20 May 2022 -- United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has urged China to dial down actions the U.S. thinks have caused tensions across the Taiwan Strait, in response to a reported warning issued by a Chinese official over U.S. support for Taiwan.
• Bundestag passes resolution to support Taiwan's WHA bid CNA 20 May 2022 -- The German federal parliament Bundestag adopted a resolution on Thursday to call on the German government to advocate for Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization's (WHO) activities and its decision-making body World Health Assembly (WHA).
• Power Production Goes Up in DPRK KCNA 20 May 2022 -- The Pukchang Thermal Power Complex in the DPRK properly carries on the organization and guidance to increase the electricity production even under the situation of lockdown due to the health crisis.
• Hyon Chol Hae Passes Away KCNA 20 May 2022 -- Korean People's Army (KPA) Marshal Hyon Chol Hae, general adviser to the Ministry of National Defence of the DPRK, died of multiple organ failure at 09:00 of May 19, Juche 111 (2022) at the age of 87.
• IAEA chief: No indication of Iran's lack of seriousness in Vienna talks Press TV 20 May 2022 -- The head of the UN atomic watchdog says he has found no sign of Iran's lack of seriousness in the talks with the P4+1 group of countries to revive the multilateral 2015 deal, only days after Washington said Tehran needs to demonstrate its seriousness.
• HRW Says Tehran Again Trying To Stifle Civil Groups Amid Growing Protests RFE/RL 20 May 2022 -- Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the Iranian government has once again resorted to suppressing dissent and detaining protesters as it looks to quell discontent over rising prices and workers' rights and low wages.
• Myanmar junta tribunal sentences 7 youths to death in Yangon Radio Free Asia 20 May 2022 -- Myanmar's junta condemned seven youths to death this week in the Yangon region, with a secret military tribunal finding them guilty of murder, a state-run Myanmar's junta condemned seven youths to death this week in the Yangon newspaper said.
• New Zealand's First Government-Funded Space Mission Expected Next Year VOA 20 May 2022 -- New Zealand's first government-funded space mission, aimed at helping cut global methane emissions, is expected to be ready for launch next year. The joint New Zealand-U.S. satellite aims to help with a key climate change issue by identifying methane gas leaks from oil and gas companies, as well as agriculture. Experts are gathering Friday in Auckland to discuss the ambitious project.
• Turkey overcame 'family disputes' with Saudi Arabia, UAE: Erdogan Press TV 20 May 2022 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country's differences with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been overcome, describing the disputes as ones "within the same family."
• PM call with President Erdoğan: 20 May 2022 Gov.UK 20 May 2022 -- The Prime Minister spoke to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan this evening to discuss UK-Turkey cooperation and the global response to the conflict in Ukraine.
• Somalia: High Representative Josep Borrell spoke with the new President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud European External Action Service (EEAS) 20 May 2022 -- Yesterday, HRVP Borrell spoke with H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, from Brussels. In congratulating the President on his election and on the successful and peaceful Presidential election, he underlined the commitment of the EU to start a new era of cooperation with Somalia, one of the largest recipients of EU security, development and humanitarian assistance.
• Foreign Affairs Council (Development): Remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the press conference European External Action Service (EEAS) 20 May 2022 -- Check against delivery!
• Foreign Affairs Council (Development): Press remarks by High Representative Josep Borrell ahead of the meeting European External Action Service (EEAS) 20 May 2022 -- Check against delivery!
• Parliamentary Elections in Lebanon US Dept. of State 20 May 2022 -- The United States welcomes that parliamentary elections in Lebanon were held on time and without major security incidents.
• UN High Commissioner for Refugees calls on states to lift remaining pandemic-related asylum restrictions UNHCR 20 May 2022 -- More than two years on from the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, at least 20 countries across the world today still deny access to asylum for people fleeing conflict, violence, and persecution based on public health measures. Some of these countries apply exceptions for the entry of asylum seekers in an inconsistent or arbitrary manner.
• EU Calls for Zimbabwe to Implement Electoral Reforms Ahead of 2023 Polls VOA 20 May 2022 -- Elmar Brok, the head of the EU electoral mission, told reporters Friday that as Zimbabwe prepares for next year's elections, it must amend its electoral laws so that all parties have a fair chance of winning at the polls.