Ansa news

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 9 - The United States has approved the sale of Tomahawk missiles to Germany, according to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who spoke to the Bundestag and referred to a "agreement" with the Americans. "The Tomahawks can be stationed in Germany," he explained. "This closes a significant gap in our defence," Merz explained. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 8 - On the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Ankara, French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned future joint military exercises for Ukraine by members of the so-called "coalition of the willing." "On July 13, in Paris, the Coalition of the Willing will reconvene. It will be an opportunity to discuss the fight against the phantom fleet, new capability initiatives, the mobilisation of our industry in support of Ukraine, make additional announcements, and plan joint exercises,"…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 8 - "The Serbian government continues to claim that EU accession is its strategic goal, but this 'objective' is frequently not reflected in its actions." Serbia's accession talks should begin only after measurable and sustainable progress has been made in areas such as the rule of law, free elections, and the fight against corruption." This is the emphasis of the European Parliament's 2025 report on Serbia, which was adopted today during the Strasbourg plenary session. In…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 8 - Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria have signed an amendment to the memorandum of understanding that governs the trilateral mine countermeasures task force in the Black Sea, expanding the group's mandate to include the protection of critical underwater infrastructure. The three countries' defence ministers signed the agreement in Ankara during a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit, according to Anadolu Agency. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 8 - There was no sign of the opening of Cluster 3 of Serbia's accession negotiations with the European Union at the meeting of the Twenty-seven Ambassadors. A diplomatic source told ANSA that the necessary consensus among member states had not been reached. The rotating presidency of the EU Council acknowledged this, but did not say when or if the issue would be brought back to the agenda. During the meeting, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Estonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria,…

(ANSA) - ZAGABRIA, JUL 8 - The Italian Ambassador to Croatia, Paolo Trichilo, traveled to Rijeka on an official visit to meet with the new leadership of the Italian Union and attend a book presentation at the local Italian community center. The program began with a meeting at the Consulate General, attended by Consul General Iva Palmieri and the new leadership of the Italian Union (UI), elected in the May 31 vote: UI President (and member of the Italian minority delegation in the Croatian Parliament,…

(ANSA-AFP) - ROME, JUL 8 - Italy's UniCredit said Wednesday it had secured an additional 17.6 percent stake in Germany's Commerzbank as part of its hostile and highly political takeover bid to create a European giant. UniCredit said in a statement that "shares representing 17.60 percent of Commerzbank's outstanding share capital have been tendered, well ahead of original expectations". UniCredit said that this added up to 49.65 percent of Commerzbank voting rights, taking into account its directly…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 8 - "We are determined to re-establish Hungary as a reliable ally; we will reach 5% by 2035," Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar stated during his first NATO summit. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 8 - "It's always possible that Putin will use force against Central Europe. We are working to strengthen military forces in Poland and across Europe. We're here to acknowledge the Russian threat. Trump is a true friend to Poland. We currently have approximately 10,000 American soldiers in Poland and would like to establish a permanent military base there. And I am confident that American soldiers will remain, working alongside Polish soldiers to secure Central and Eastern…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 7 - "The Trieste-Belgrade corridor, like the Trieste-Venice line and the Adriatic-Baltic backbone, is a systemic goal for Italy, and it strengthens the gateway role of Friuli Venezia Giulia, where the project for this Balkan connection has been developing for many years. Serbia is, in fact, a key player in the Western Balkans' stability, which we have prioritised in every Democratic Party parliamentary resolution." This was stated by Tatjana Rojc (Democratic Party), Secretary…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 7 - Albulena Haxhiu, Kosovo's interim President, has urged that the country's application for membership in the European Union be reviewed immediately and evaluated solely on its merits. The request was made during a meeting with Estonian MEP Riho Terras, the European Parliament's standing rapporteur on Kosovo. According to a presidency statement, Haxhiu stated that Pristina does not seek exemptions from the accession criteria, but rather "a fair process that allows the country…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 7 - "I'm not in a position to make predictions, but" at the NATO summit in Istanbul, "there are issues of such geopolitical and international importance that I don't believe there should be any room for controversy or arguments. Certainly not on the Italian side," Transport Minister Matteo Salvini told ANSA on the sidelines of his visit to Belgrade, referring to a possible clarification between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the summit following…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 7 - Serbia is investing heavily in economic and infrastructure development, with Chinese companies leading the way. However, Italy, which already has a strong presence in the country with over 1,200 large and small businesses, can contribute to this "renaissance" because of the quality of its products and experience. This was the main purpose of the two-day visit of Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Matteo Salvini to Belgrade, where he had a working meeting yesterday…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 7 - "No other country in the world has our ability to defend itself against attack drones, such as the Russian Shaheds; we achieve over 90% interception rates. Do you really think it makes sense for this country, with these people, to stay out of NATO? With us in it, NATO would be more secure," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated at the NATO defence forum. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - UDINE, 07 LUG - A digital bridge between Friuli and Austria to put artificial intelligence at the service of the fight against gliomas, rare and aggressive brain tumors. That is the goal of the Interreg Italy-Austria AI-Brain project, presented in Udine, with the Friuli Centrale University Health Authority (Asufc) as lead partner. The project will run from 2026 to 2028 and has a budget of 784,611 euros. For ASUFC Health Director David Turello, it represents "a convergence of activities…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 7 - Matteo Salvini, the Italian Vice-President of the Council and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade last night. The Italian ambassador to Belgrade, Luca Gori, and Serbian Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Aleksandra Sofronijević, were also in attendance. This was learned from League sources. The conversation centred on strengthening cooperation between Italy and Serbia, beginning with…

(ANSA) - PORDENONE, JUL 7 - Finest Spa, the financial company that supports the internationalization of businesses in the Triveneto region, has signed, in Tirana (Albania), two Memoranda of Understanding with Aida (Albanian Investment Development Agency) and Adb (Albanian Development Bank), aimed at increasing investment opportunities for Italian companies and facilitating and supporting investments by companies from Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, and Trentino-Alto Adige in Albania. The first MoU…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 6 - Foreign Ministers from the "Friends of the Western Balkans" Group and the Western Balkans' foreign ministers will meet at Villa Madama on Friday, July 10, 2026. The meeting will be presided over by Antonio Tajani, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. FMs and representatives from Austria, Croatia, Greece, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the six Balkan EU candidates or potential candidates: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia,…

(ANSA-AFP) - BELGRADE, JUL 6 - As doubts swirl over US President Donald Trump's commitment to protecting NATO, both sides of the Atlantic agree: Europe needs to take more responsibility for its own defence. The shift away from relying on America's might will be a key focus as leaders from the 32-country alliance meet for a summit in Ankara this week. From what's happening to how far it could go, here are some of the key issues: - US steps back - Trump has not been shy about his criticisms of NATO…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 6 - An Italian-Albanian criminal organisation that supplied drugs to Veneto and Friuli beaches and summer nightclubs along the Adriatic coast has been busted. The operation, known as "King George," was organised by the Milan District Anti-Mafia Directorate and carried out by the Trieste Guardia di Finanza in collaboration with the Guardia di Finanza's Central Investigative Service for Organised Crime. It resulted in 35 suspects, 16 arrests, and the seizure of 98.7 kilogrammes…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 6 - The regulated prices of petroleum products on Slovenia's national road network will increase at midnight, with a litre of regular petrol priced at EUR 1.561, up 2.4 cents, and diesel priced at EUR 1.64, up 3.5 cents, according to Slovenian news agency STA. The new prices, which only apply to service stations outside of motorways and motorway networks, will be in effect until July 13, according to Slovenia's Infrastructure and Energy Ministry. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - MILANO, JUL 6 - Officers from the Milan Provincial Command and the Central Investigation Service for Organized Crime, acting on behalf of the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office—DDA, executed an asset seizure order in Kosovo for assets with a total value of approximately 1 million euros. The investigation, conducted in collaboration with the National Gendarmerie—Analysis and Research Section in Marseille, and coordinated by Eurojust and Europol, is linked to a previous operation in September…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 6 - Russian threats to NATO, particularly towards Poland, are "provocations to try to intimidate someone," but "no one is intimidated by the statements of some Kremlin official. However, we must work towards peace. Naturally, Poland has our full support, and I will reiterate this tomorrow in Ankara at an E5 meeting of foreign ministers, where I will reiterate our friendship, closeness, and solidarity with Poland," Antonio Tajani, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister,…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 6 - Intesa Sanpaolo is entering a new phase of international development in wealth management and protection with the launch of an advisory model for international banks based on the Fideuram model. A new, advanced advisory approach is being implemented in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Egypt, based on personalised advice, long-term client relationships, and increased operational flexibility. This is another step towards putting Intesa Sanpaolo's 2026-29 Business Plan…

(ANSA-AFP) - ERFURT, 04 LUG - Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla were re-elected as the far-right AfD party co-leaders Saturday at the congress in Erfurt for another two years, as expected. Weidel received 81 percent of the vote and Chrupalla 70 percent -- a reversal from the previous ballot two years ago, when Chrupalla won more votes. Merz has made it his mission to reverse the rise of the AfD, which has been locked out of power as all other parties have refused to cooperate with it. The AfD says…

(ANSA) - BRUSSELS, 04 LUG - "Today I signed one more SAFE agreement to strengthen defence in Europe - with Bulgaria. The EU support of €3,3 bln through SAFE instrument will boost Bulgarian defence capabilities and defence industry, necessary for achieving national and European." EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius wrote on X. (ANSA).

(ANSA-AFP) - ERFURT, 04 LUG - Thousands of demonstrators flooded a German city on Saturday, blocking major roads and disrupting public transport, in a bid to shut down the annual congress of the far-right AfD party. About 20,000 people flocked to Erfurt, in Thuringia state, according to police, to protest against the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party that tops national opinion polls. The protesters, led by an alliance dubbed "Resistance", blocked routes into the city, with some abseiling from…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 3 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has decided to send a contingent of police officers to Paris for the July 14 military parade on the Champs-Élysées, replacing military personnel. General Tihomir Kundid, Chief of Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, complied with President Zoran Milanović's order to prevent the army from participating. Plenković announced the decision, accusing Kundid of acting "as if we were in a state of war" by following the head of state's…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JUL 3 - Anti-terrorism investigations in Kosovo have dismantled a transnational criminal network dedicated to extorting money and funding ISIS with cryptocurrency proceeds via digital channels that can evade control and tracking. This was reported by Balkan Insight, an English-language news portal. The police operation that arrested three Kosovar suspects began on June 9th, and the Pristina Court validated the arrests on June 11th, ordering the three to be held in pre-trial detention…

(ANSA-AFP) - BERLIN, JUL 3 - Lithuania's president said Friday his country wants to be integrated into Western nuclear deterrence against Russia as it moves to end a ban on atomic weapons deployment. Speaking at a Berlin press conference, President Gitanas Nauseda said Lithuania was taking steps to remove the constitutional ban and added: "We would like to be the integral part of this nuclear deterrence". "A few days ago, I initiated a constitutional amendment to remove the existing restriction…