Laurent Fabius, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, is taking part in the meeting of the Small Group of the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh today in Rome. This is the third meeting of the group following those in London and Paris in January and June 2015.

While Daesh's process of territorial expansion in Syria and Iraq appears to have halted, the goal of this meeting is to undertake an uncompromising review of the work of the coalition and to consider ways to increase its intensity and effectiveness.

This meeting will also provide an opportunity to underscore the urgent need to reach lasting political solutions in Syria, Iraq and Libya.

European Union – Informal meeting of the ministers of trade (Amsterdam - February 2, 2016)

Matthias Fekl, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, the Promotion of Tourism and French Nationals Abroad, is taking part today in the informal meeting of the ministers of trade organized by the Dutch presidency of the Council of the European Union.

This meeting will provide an opportunity to take stock of the 10th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization in December 2015 in Nairobi and to discuss the future of the Doha Round.

The ministers will also prepare for the 12th negotiating session of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership currently being negotiated with the United States, which is due to take place in Brussels at the end of February 2016. They will also focus on trade relations between Europe and Asia and on the relationship between trade and development policies.

Afghanistan – Attack against the police headquarters in Kabul (February 1, 2016)

France condemns the attack carried out on February 1 in Kabul against the headquarters of the Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP), which killed a large number of people and injured several dozen others.

We extend our condolences to the victims' families. We assure Afghanistan of our solidarity in the fight against terrorism.

ANCOP is an elite Afghan police unit and a key component of the Afghan security structure. France has supported it since its inception.