The EU and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have provided up to €16 million to support the launch of the Amber Capital EU-Armenia Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) Fund. This new private equity fund seeks to raise a total of €70 million to invest in SMEs in Armenia.

By Harut SassounianPublisher, The California Courierwww.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

Navy blue passports will be issued once more after Britain leaves the EU in 2019, the Home Office has confirmed.

BBC - The European Union should abandon its "utopian dreams" of ever-closer integration to combat rising Euroscepticism, Donald Tusk has said.

BBC- The Greek prime minister has said sanctions imposed on Russia over its actions in Ukraine are not productive.

Euronews - With the German chancellor attending the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey’s president has used the occasion to raise the issue of Turkish visa-free travel to the European Union.

Euronews - Eurozone finance ministers have agreed to offer Greece debt relief in 2018. The amount was not “quantified” by its creditors but the deal is being seen as a break through for the country.

BERLIN (Reuters) – A combative European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Thursday that a landmark migrants deal between the EU and Turkey would collapse unless Ankara fulfilled its commitments, including making agreed changes to its anti-terror law.

Turkey’s president has strong words for the EU saying he would not change anti-terror laws in exchange for visa-free travel to Europe, Euronews reports.

The Guardian - Barack Obama has made an emotional plea to the British public to “stick together” with the rest of the European Union, as he arrived in the UK to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday.