Trump-Erdogan talks
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks over the phone with US President Donald Trump this week. According to sources from the Turkish presidential administration, the recent events in Syria, the importance of supporting the political settlement process and the need for joint action against terrorism were all on the agenda.
Erdogan reaffirmed his desire to continue Turkey’s strategic partnership with the United States.
Both leaders were of the opinion that the withdrawal of American forces from Syria should be carried out in the spirit of common interests and objectives.
Erdogan and Trump also discussed further developing bilateral economic ties and bringing the volume of trade between the two countries to $ 75 billion.
The White House later said that it had reached an agreement on coordinating efforts to create a safe zone in northern Syria. The American side also noted that additional talks with Turkish authorities will be held this week with the participation of Deputy Defense Minister Patrick Shanahan and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces General Joseph Dunford.
Venezuelan crisis
At least two people have died and 300 were injured in clashes between demonstrators and the military in Venezuela on the border with Colombia.
On February 23, Venezuelan authorities decided to partially close the border in order to prevent US aid convoys from entering the country. Prior to that, Maduro announced the closure of the border with Brazil and the three Caribbean islands: Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire.
Opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself president of Venezuela on January 23, with US authorities quickly recognizing him as the “transitional president.” In response, the current president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, announced the severance of diplomatic relations with the US.
Elections in Moldova
The opposition Socialist Party took the majority in parliamentary elections in Moldova. According to preliminary calculations, the party received 31.35% of the vote.
Despite the Moscow-oriented Socialists getting the majority of the vote, the ruling pro-EU Democratic party came close behind, resulting in a hung election. Now the parties will be forced into a difficult negotiating process. The Socialist Party also announced its lawyers were looking into potential election violations and declared it might contest the results.
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