DIARY-Political and General News Events from Feb. 16

BRUSSELS - NATO Defence Ministers hold video conference (To Feb 18) PRISTINA - 13th anniversary of Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia. BRUSSELS - European Commission vice-president Margrethe Vestager gives a press conference on "Europe’s Digital Decade: 2030 Digital Targets." - - - - - - - - - THURSDAY, MAR.

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---------------------------------------------------------------- This diary is filed daily. ** Indicates new events ---------------------------------------------------------------- TUESDAY, FEB. 16 ** KYIV - Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic Ivan Korcok will pay a working visit to Ukraine

** CAIRO - Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi visits Egypt (to Feb. 17). ** BRUSSELS - EU Council head Charles Michel to hold video conference on Sahel summit - 0800 GMT

VENICE, Italy - Venice Carnival 2021 (final day). N'DJAMENA - G5 Sahel countries and allies hold summit over security in the Sahel region, Leaders of a group of five West African Sahel nations and allies will meet for a summit in the Chadian capital to take stock of the security situation as France prepares to "adjust" the operations of its troops in the region. (final day)

DUBLIN - European Commission Vice President Sefcovic speaks at the Irish parliament - 1000 GMT. SINGAPORE - Singapore's finance minister, Heng Swee Keat, will announce his budget for 2021 - 0700 GMT

BRUSSELS – EU Informal video conference of economic and finance ministers. - - - - - - - - - WEDNESDAY, FEB. 17 ** MOSCOW - Russian foreign minister Lavrov meets Armenian counterpart Ara Aivazian to discuss the implementation of the agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan around the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.

BRUSSELS - High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell presents a joint communication on strengthening the EU's contribution to rules-based multilateralism. BRUSSELS - European Commission vice-president Margaritis Schinas gives a press conference on the EU's bio-defence preparedness program. KRAKOW - President of the European Council, Charles Michel attends meeting of Visegrad Four leaders in Krakow, Poland. BRUSSELS - European Commission vice-president Margrethe Vestager presents the EU's action plan on synergies between civil, defence and space industries. BRUSSELS - NATO Defence Ministers hold video conference (To Feb 18)

PRISTINA - 13th anniversary of Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia. - - - - - - - - - FRIDAY, FEB. 19

** MUNICH - US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to speak at the Special Edition 2021 of the Munich Security Conference BRUSSELS - Informal video conference of the members of the EU-Tajikistan Cooperation Council. - - - - - - - - -

SUNDAY, FEB. 21 NIGER - Niger holds second round of presidential election

- - - - - - - - - MONDAY, FEB. 22

BRUSSELS – EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting. WELLINGTON - Deputy finance ministers of Asia-Pacific countries meet in preparation for APEC Summit in New Zealand. (to March 07) - - - - - - - - - TUESDAY, FEB. 23 COLOMBO - Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka

BRUSSELS – EU Informal video conference of European affairs ministers. - - - - - - - - - WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24 ** CAPE TOWN - South Africa's finance minister Tito Mboweni to present the April 2021-March 2022 fiscal year budget to parliament. - 1200 GMT

MEXICO CITY - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador meets Argentina counterpart, Alberto Fernandez. AMLO invited Fernandez to attend Mexico's 200 Independence anniversary celebrations. - - - - - - - - -

THURSDAY, FEB. 25 BRUSSELS - Video conference of the members of the European Council. (To Feb. 26)

BRUSSELS - Euro zone finance ministers meet to discuss macroeconomic developments and policy prospects in the euro zone - 1400 GMT. - - - - - - - - - FRIDAY, FEB. 26

BRUSSELS - EU leaders hold video conference on on security and defence and on the EU's Southern Neighborhood. - 0800 GMT. ROME - G20 Meetings of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, videoconference (to Feb. 27). - - - - - - - - -

SUNDAY, FEB. 28 EL SALVADOR - Salvadorian Legislative Assembly election.

- - - - - - - - - MONDAY, MAR. 1

BUENOS AIRES - Argentina's President Alberto Fernández addresses the Parliament at the opening of the annual sessions. - - - - - - - - -

TUESDAY, MAR. 02 LISBON - Informal meeting of defence ministers (to Mar. 3)

MICRONESIA, FEDERATED STATES OF - Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia election. - - - - - - - - -

WEDNESDAY, MAR. 03 BANGKOK - Thailand Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith speaks at a business seminar - 0530 GMT.

- - - - - - - - - THURSDAY, MAR. 4

LISBON - Informal meeting of foreign affairs ministers – Gymnich (to Mar. 5). VIENNA - The 14th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting via videoconference. - - - - - - - - - SUNDAY, MAR. 7

BOLIVIA - Local elections in Bolivia - - - - - - - - - TUESDAY, MAR. 09

BRUSSELS - High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security, Josep Borrell, speaks on EU's humanitarian aid in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. BRUSSELS - European Commission vice-president Margrethe Vestager gives a press conference on "Europe’s Digital Decade: 2030 Digital Targets." - - - - - - - - -

THURSDAY, MAR. 11 BRUSSELS - EU Justice and Home Affairs Council (to Mar. 12) - - - - - - - - -

SUNDAY, MAR. 14 STUTTGART, Germany - Baden Wuerttemberg state elections. MAINZ, Germany - The German state of Rhineland Palatinate (Rheinland Pfalz) holds state elections.

- - - - - - - - - MONDAY, MAR. 15 BRUSSELS - Euro zone finance ministers meet - 1400 GMT.

BRUSSELS – Eurogroup meeting. - - - - - - - - - TUESDAY, MAR. 16

BRUSSELS – EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting. - - - - - - - - - WEDNESDAY, MAR. 17

BRUSSELS - European Commission Pice-president Maros Sefcovic speaks to press regarding better regulation in the EU – 1100 GMT. BRUSSELS - European Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager gives a press conference on "Updating the new industrial strategy for Europe". NETHERLANDS - Dutch Second Chamber election. - - - - - - - - - THURSDAY, MAR. 18

BRUSSELS – EU Environment Council - - - - - - - - -

MONDAY, MAR. 22 BRUSSELS – EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting. - - - - - - - - -

TUESDAY, MAR. 23 BRUSSELS – EU General Affairs Council meeting. ISRAEL - Israeli Knesset election. - - - - - - - - -

THURSDAY, MAR. 25 BRUSSELS - European Council meeting (to Mar. 26). - - - - - - - - -

FRIDAY, MAR. 26 DHAKA – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Bangladesh. - - - - - - - - -

WEDNESDAY, MAR. 31 BRUSSELS - European Commission Pice-president Frans Timmermans gives a news conference on the EU's action plan for the development of organic production: on the way to 2030. CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE) – President election.

- - - - - - - - - SUNDAY, APR. 4

** SOFIA - Bulgarians vote in a parliamentary election - - - - - - - - - FRIDAY, APR. 9 SAMOA - Samoan Legislative Assembly election.

- - - - - - - - - SUNDAY, APR. 11

CHAD - Chad holds presidential elections. ECUADOR - Ecuador holds second round of presidential elections for 2021-2025 term. PERU - Peru holds presidential elections. BENIN - Benin holds presidential elections. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTE: The inclusion of diary items does not necessarily mean that Reuters will file a story based on the event.

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