This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30875705

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
EU urges broad alliance on terrorism, at Brussels talks Charlie Hebdo attack spurs EU anti-terror 'projects'
(about 6 hours later)
The EU's foreign policy chief has called for a broad alliance to tackle terror, including with Muslim nations, at a summit of EU foreign ministers. European states have agreed to launch anti-terror "projects" with Muslim-majority nations and improve Arabic skills in response to the Charlie Hebdo attacks in France.
Federica Mogherini said there had to be more co-operation both with Muslim countries and internally within the EU. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini made the announcement after talks in Brussels, but gave no details.
The Brussels summit follows gun attacks in Paris that killed 17 people and anti-terrorism raids in Belgium. Security officials would be appointed at some EU foreign missions and Arabic-language capacity would be boosted.
Two of the Paris gunmen said they were "avenging" French cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Islamist gunmen killed 17 people in twin attacks in Paris this month.
The first issue of Charlie Hebdo published after staff at the French magazine were massacred carried a new cartoon of the Prophet on its cover, sparking angry protests in parts of the Muslim world. Two of the Paris gunmen had links to groups based in the Middle East, and said they were "avenging" cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in Charlie Hebdo magazine.
In Brussels, the foreign ministers were meeting ahead of a special leaders' summit on terrorism on 12 February. They stormed the magazine's office and opened fire using automatic weapons, killing 12 people died.
Talks were expected to include discussions on the return of radicalised Europeans who have spent time fighting in Iraq and Syria. A third gunman killed four Jewish people at a kosher supermarket. A policewoman was also shot dead.
Ms Mogherini said: "The threat is not only the one we faced in Paris, but is also spreading in many other parts of the world, starting from Muslim countries. 'Speak, write, listen'
"We need to strengthen our way of co-operating together first of all with Arab countries and then internally. We need to share information more, we need to co-operate more." The EU's 28 foreign ministers met in Brussels ahead of a summit of leaders on 12 February.
Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi, who attended the talks alongside the 28 EU foreign ministers, said: "Every country in the world is suffering from terrorism". After the meeting, Ms Mogherini said there projects would be established in collaboration with Turkey, Egypt, Yemen, Algeria and Gulf states.
The EU would step up intelligence-sharing both internally and with countries affected by terrorism, she said, and increase its work to prevent funding for terrorist networks.
The European Parliament, she added, would be asked to work on legislation covering the sharing of airline passenger data.
Ms Mogherini said new attaches at some EU foreign missions would be tasked with developing "security and anti-terror co-operation".
On the language initiative, she said: "I want immediately to improve our communication with the Arab-speaking populations both within the EU and in the world.
"We need to improve our capacity to speak Arabic, to write in Arabic and to listen to the messages that are coming from the Arab world."
Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi, who also attended the talks, said every country in the world was suffering from terrorism.
"It is not just a military or security issue, it covers the intellectual, cultural, media and religious spheres," he added."It is not just a military or security issue, it covers the intellectual, cultural, media and religious spheres," he added.
Speaking before the talks began, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Muslim countries had "suffered the greatest burden of terrorism".
Among specific measures to be discussed, he said, was passenger name records within Europe.
In other developments as the ministers were meeting:In other developments as the ministers were meeting:
Other measures believed to be on the table are tighter border controls within the Schengen area and the fight against illegal arms-trafficking. EU interior ministers will discuss their response to the terrorist threat when they gather in Riga on 29 January.
EU interior ministers will discuss their response when they gather in Riga on 29 January.
On Thursday, members of the US-led coalition against Islamic State will meet in London. US Secretary of State John Kerry will attend.On Thursday, members of the US-led coalition against Islamic State will meet in London. US Secretary of State John Kerry will attend.
Extradition request International outrage
The Brussels talks come after anti-terror raids in Belgium, France and Germany led to more than 20 arrests. The Paris attacks drew international outrage and a huge anti-terrorism rally in Paris was attended by many world leaders.
Belgian police killed two suspected jihadists in the town of Verviers last Thursday and five people arrested were with "participating in the activities of a terrorist group". Since the attacks, police in Belgium have uncovered what they say was a terror plot, killing two suspected jihadists in the town of Verviers.
Several people were also arrested in the Greek capital, Athens, on Saturday. Belgium is asking Greece to extradite one of the suspects over a possible link with the alleged Belgian plot. Other anti-terrorist arrests have been made in Greece and Germany.
Belgian police are still searching for Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the alleged leader of the cell suspected of planning to kill Belgian police officers. Elsewhere, the EU said on Monday it would appeal against a European court ruling last month that it must remove Hamas from its list of terrorist organisations.
No link has been established between the Belgian case and last week's attacks in France.
Gunmen in Paris killed 12 people at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, a policewoman and four hostages at a kosher supermarket. The three gunmen involved were shot dead by police.
The attacks drew international outrage and a huge anti-terrorism rally in Paris attended by many world leaders.
The EU said on Monday it would appeal against a European court ruling last month that it must remove Hamas from its list of terrorist organisations.
As a result of the appeal, Hamas will remain on the list and its assets will stay frozen pending a judgment by the Court of Justice, the highest legal authority.As a result of the appeal, Hamas will remain on the list and its assets will stay frozen pending a judgment by the Court of Justice, the highest legal authority.