DIARY-Political and General News Events from Feb. 17

19 ** HELSINKI - Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas is to visit Helsinki to meet her Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin and President of Finland Sauli Niinisto. ** BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel holds news conference following a virtual summit with G7 leaders - 1500 GMT ** LONDON - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson set to make statement after hosting virtual meeting of G7 leaders. 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.

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---------------------------------------------------------------- This diary is filed daily. ** Indicates new events ---------------------------------------------------------------- WEDNESDAY, FEB. 17 ** NUR-SULTAN/DUSHANBE/ASHGABAT - Uzbekistan Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov's visit to Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan (to Feb. 18). ** CHIȘINAU - The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde will visit Moldova. ** LONDON - Saudi Arabia's energy minister, India's Petroleum Minister OPEC Secretary General and Occidental Petroleum CEO speak at an energy forum organised by the IEA and OPEC.

** BRUSSELS - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides and Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton give a news conference on the EU's biodefence preparedness program meant to increase the bloc's capabilities to identify variants of the new coronavirus. - 1130 GMT CAIRO - Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi visits Egypt (final day).

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 ** HELSINKI - Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas is to visit Helsinki to meet her Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin and President of Finland Sauli Niinisto.

** BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel holds news conference following a virtual summit with G7 leaders - 1500 GMT ** LONDON - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson set to make statement after hosting virtual meeting of G7 leaders.

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

** GENEVA - Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), to give press conference on the latest developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. 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.

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