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Energy, raw materials co-op 'vital' to EU - Kallas says 'diversified trade routes' needed at meeting with Kazakhstan's FM Kosherbayev

Energy, raw materials co-op 'vital' to EU - Kallas says 'diversified trade routes' needed at meeting with Kazakhstan's FM Kosherbayev

"EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas highlighted the importance of Brussels' co-operation on 'energy and raw materials' with Kazakhstan, during a meeting with the country's Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev on Monday. "Kazakhstan is truly a vital partner for the European Union, especially for our energy security. 90% of Kazakh exports to EU are oil, gas and uranium. And Kazakhstan is home to many critical raw materials. Lithium for batteries, nickel for steel and wires, turbines," Kajas said. "Russia's war in Ukraine has woken us all up to the need for diversified trade routes, and this need will remain even if the war is over," she added. The European Union and Kazakhstan are set to launch talks on December 2 for a Visa Facilitation Agreement and a readmission deal aimed at simplifying travel and reducing visa burdens for Kazakh citizens. "Once in force, a formal agreement would reduce visa processing times, lower admin fees, reduce paperwork, and make it easier to visit the European Union," Kaja Kallas, Vice President of the European Commission, said at the EU joint doorstep with the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Yermek Kosherbayev, in Brussels. “Today's discussion reaffirmed the strength of our partnership and provided an opportunity to shape plans for the next decade of success," Kosherbayev said. European Council President Antonio Costa will visit Astana on December 3 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA). "We hope that it would be another brick to the bridge of friendship and cooperation with European Union," he added. In April, the EU pledged a €12 billion package for its 'strategic partnership' with Central Asia through the Global Gateway initiative to strengthen transport links and deepen cooperation on critical raw materials, digital connectivity, water, and energy. "

National guard shooting suspect spent ‘weeks on end’ in isolation, emails show

National guard shooting suspect spent ‘weeks on end’ in isolation, emails show

Mental health of Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who is charged with murder, had reportedly been unravelling for years The suspect in the shooting of two West Virginia national guard soldiers in Washington DC on the eve of Thanksgiving had been struggling with his mental health, sometimes spending “weeks on end” in isolation, as he struggled to assimilate in the years since arriving in the United States, it has emerged. According to emails obtained by the Associated Press, Rahmanullah Lakanwal’s mental health had been unravelling for years, leaving him unable to hold a job and flipping between long, dark stretches of isolation and taking sudden weeks-long cross-country drives. Continue reading...