On 11 February in Kyiv, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Andrius Krivas held consultations with the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Sergiy Kyslytsya and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Olena Zerkal to discuss bilateral cooperation, Ukraine's integration into the EU, issues related to the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and cooperation within international organizations.

On 12 February 2016, the European Union and Andorra signed an agreement aimed at improving tax compliance by private savers.

Meeting in Munich on February 11 & 12, 2016, as the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), the Arab League, China, Egypt, the EU, France, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United Nations, and the United States decided that humanitarian access will commence this week to besieged areas, and an ISSG task force will within one week elaborate modalities for a nationwide cessation of hostilities.

On February 10, a milestone decision to enhance Alliance presence in the eastern part of NATO was taken at the NATO Defence Ministers meeting in Brussels.

On 29 November 2015, at the EU-Turkey summit, Turkey and the EU activated the Joint Action Plan aimed at stepping up cooperation for the support of Syrian refugees under temporary protection and their host communities in Turkey and to strengthen cooperation to prevent irregular migration flows to the EU. The European Commission is today publishing a report on the implementation of the EU-Turkey Joint Action Plan, assessing the follow-up of the respective commitments under the Action Plan

Turkey plays a crucial role in the refugee crisis: not only is it hosting more than 2.5 million Syrian refugees but also most of the one million migrants who reached the EU last year passed through the country. MEPs have called on EU countries to deliver on the €3 billion refugee facility for Turkey. As the EU searches for the best approach to tackle the crisis, two delegations from the civil liberties and budgets committees travel to Turkey this week to assess the situation on the ground.

The launch using ballistic missile technology conducted earlier today by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is yet another outright and grave violation of its international obligations, as set out in several UN Security Council Resolutions. It follows the extremely serious and illegal nuclear test by the DPRK on 6 January. These actions represent a direct threat to international peace and security in the region and beyond, and they further aggravate tensions on the Korean Peninsula to the detriment of all.

On 4 February, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius attended the Supporting Syria and the Region London 2016 conference.

Executive orders for the execution of 80 persons have recently been announced in Iraq, with further possible execution orders to follow. This is a regrettable development as, following the formation of a new Government in Iraq in 2014, a review of all pending cases was undertaken. This review and a possible permanent suspension of all executions had been seen as a positive signal by the EU, in line with its principled opposition to the use of the death penalty.

Economic disintegration and violence in Libya are worsening its fragility and enabling extremist organisations to flourish there, warned MEPs in Wednesday's debate with Dutch foreign minister Bert Koenders, representing the EU foreign policy chief. Spillovers from Libya's conflicts are also destabilising the Sahel region, they add. In a resolution voted on Thursday, MEPs urge the EU and international community to be ready to support Libyans' efforts to implement the Libyan Political Agreement.