Joint Statement by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini, Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides on the signature by President Kiir of the peace agreement for South Sudan.

I hosted a meeting of the high level dialogue for normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina with Prime Ministers Aleksandar Vučić and Isa Mustafa and their delegations in Brussels today to finalise implementation arrangements of four key agreements: on energy, telecoms, establishment of the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities as well as the Freedom of Movement/Mitrovica Bridge.

Illicit arms flows fuel conflicts and instability, support criminal activities and result in a terrible human toll. According to the UN, 750 000 people die every year of armed violence, much of it caused by illicit arms trafficking.

The release of Mykalai Statkevich, Mykalai Dziadok, Ihar Alinevich, Jury Rubstov, Euheny Vaskovich and Arytom Prakapenka, is a long -sought step forward. They are now free.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė, currently on a working visit to Latvia, and Latvian President Raimonds Vējonis attended the inauguration ceremony of the NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence (StratCom COE).

The European Commission signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Greece for a new stability support programme late on Wednesday. The European Stability Mechanism (ESM), Europe's firewall established in 2012 in response to the global financial crisis, will be able to disburse up to EUR 86 billion in loans over the next three years, provided that Greek authorities implement reforms to address fundamental economic and social challenges, as specified in the MoU.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania condemns the decision taken by the Pskov Region Court of the Russian Federation to sentence the Estonian security service officer Eston Kohver to 15 years in prison.

Parliamentary elections on 17 August in Sri Lanka were genuine, well administered and peaceful overall. The people of Sri Lanka came out to vote in high numbers, confirming their support for continued democratic reform.

On 14 August in Odessa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius held meetings to discuss economic cooperation, including with the Black Sea Ports of Odessa and Ilyichevsk, the implementation of reforms in the Ukrainian regions, as well as possibilities for civil society projects.

"Shuja Khanzada, Home Minister in the Punjab in Pakistan, was killed along with several other people in a terrorist attack on Sunday during a jirga in Mr Khanzada's home village.