European Union in Hong Kong and Macao

12/06/2026

伊朗衝突或許推高咗油價，但並唔能夠因此而拯救俄羅斯經濟。貨幣升值以及對石油公司同提煉廠嘅補貼已經抵消咗大部分嘅意外之財。

2026年頭四個月，俄羅斯嘅預算赤字達到 5.9 兆盧布（約 6,390 億港幣），遠超全年預算目標嘅3.8兆盧布（約 4,200 億港幣）。自 1 月以嚟 ，俄羅斯已經有超過20萬家企業倒閉。利率居高不下。自從俄羅斯全面入侵烏克蘭以嚟，企業債務幾乎上升一倍。勞動力持續短缺，稅務負擔不斷增加，國內經濟需求持續下降。

歐盟嘅制裁措施目前已經有 20 輪，喺科技、金融、物流同能源市場限制俄羅斯嘅參與，令俄羅斯需要付出長期嘅結構代價。油價上漲為俄羅斯提供咗短期嘅喘息空間，但係並唔能夠修復結構上嘅損害。壓力會繼續存在。

***
Oil prices may have risen because of the Iran conflict, but they will not save Russia's economy. Windfall gains were significantly offset by a stronger currency and subsidy payments to oil companies and refiners.

In the first four months of 2026, Russia's budget deficit reached 5.9 trillion roubles (HK$639 billion), already far above the 3.8 trillion (HK$420 billion) planned for the whole year. More than 200,000 businesses have closed since January. Interest rates remain high. Corporate debt has nearly doubled since the full-scale invasion. Labour shortages are persistent, taxes are rising, and domestic demand is falling.

EU sanctions, now 20 packages in force, continue to restrict Russia's access to technology, finance, logistics and energy markets, imposing long-term structural costs. Higher oil prices give Russia short-term breathing space. They do not fix the structural damage. The pressure continues.

12/06/2026

"It was a pleasure to welcome the EEAS Managing Director for Asia-Pacific Erik Kurzweil to Hong Kong 🇭🇰 for a highly productive visit. The itinerary featured several high-level engagements, including meetings with the Chief Executive, the Commissioner of the MFA of the PRC, the Head of the HK Stock Exchange, and the Commerce Secretary. The visit also provided an excellent opportunity to hold insightful discussions with EU Member States, civil society, the Ukrainian Association, European businesses, and other members of the diplomatic community.

During the visit, there were valuable opportunities to exchange candid perspectives, while also delivering clear strategic messages. What stood out clearly is how vital Hong Kong remains as an international hub. Throughout all meetings, it was evident that openness, international vibrancy, and embracing HK’s unique character are essential to its continued success."

- Ambassador Harvey Rouse, Head of the EU Office to Hong Kong and Macao

11/06/2026

09/06/2026

European Lineup Revealed!

On June 19 and 20, Make Music, Hong Kong! will be back for a 2-day celebration in honour of Fête de la Musique (World Music Day), bringing together local talents and incredible European bands as part of the French May Arts Festival. Calling all music lovers and weekend hangout squads, save the date and get ready to experience the pure joy of live music!

歐洲樂隊陣容正式公布！

6月19日至20日，歐洲同埋香港本地樂隊將於為期兩日嘅「覓音樂！」音樂節演出！作為法國五月藝術節嘅重點活動，一齊慶祝 Fête de la Musique（世界音樂日），享受現場音樂嘅快樂呀！
無論你是音樂迷，定係想同朋友喺長週末輕鬆聚聚，都嚟感受下最真實嘅音樂氣氛啦！

🎵演出陣容 Line-up：
Rémi Panossian Trio (France)
Levin Goes Lightly (Germany)
Carlo Valente (Italy)
Asiartic Camerata (Spain)
BALTHAZARD (Switzerland)

♬Free Event, Online registration 免費活動 網上登記 → makemusichk.eventbrite.com
♬Full lineup & Program完整陣容及節目表 → makemusichk.com

Make Music Hong Kong is co-organised by Alliance Française de Hong Kong and | Co-funded by | With the participation and support of

05/06/2026

俄羅斯一直熱衷於將自己的軍隊描繪成「不敗之師」。然而，自2014年以來，烏克蘭已證明俄羅斯猶如紙老虎，並且在近月成功遏制了俄羅斯在戰場上的推進。

揭開俄羅斯「不敗之師」形象背後的三個長久迷思：
❌ 迷思一：俄羅斯是一支所向披靡的軍事力量
❌ 迷思二：俄羅斯的火力強大且令人膽寒，與之作戰毫無意義
❌ 迷思三：烏克蘭及其盟友已經輸掉了這場戰爭

***
Russia loves to portray its military as “invincible.” Since 2014, Ukraine has exposed Russia to be more of a paper bear, and in recent months managed to stall its battlefield progress.

Discover three long running myths behind Russia’s “invincible” image:
❌ Myth 1: Russia is an unstoppable military force
❌ Myth 2: Russian firepower is so powerful and terrifying that fighting it is pointless
❌ Myth 3: Ukraine and its allies have already lost the war

05/06/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 – 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Our flagship event is back in its fifth edition!

Co-organised by the European Union in Hong Kong and Macao and European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, The 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 will take place on Tuesday, 23 June 2026.
• Time: 9:20 AM – 4:30 PM
• Registration: From 8:30 AM
• Venue: The Grand Ballroom, Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong

Kindly click the following link to see the full programme and to register: https://www.lyyti.in/The_Greenway_2026_8426

The European Union and Hong Kong have both set ambitious goals towards achieving climate neutrality and fostering innovation-driven economies. We invite you to join distinguished government officials and industry leaders for engaging discussions on advancing our shared green and innovation agendas.

We are honoured that The Honourable John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, will open the event together with Ambassador Harvey Rouse, Head of the European Union Office to Hong Kong and Macao.

We are also privileged to welcome the participation of:
• The Hon Michael Wong Wai-lun, GBS, JP - Acting Financial Secretary of the Government of the HKSAR government
• Mr Chin-wan Tse, BBS, JP - Secretary for Environment and Ecology of the HKSAR government
• Mr Christopher Hui, GBS, JP - Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of the HKSAR government
• Mr Kevin Choi, JP - Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR government

The Greenway 2026 is supported by Business Environment Council 商界環保協會 , Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce 香港總商會 and 投資推廣署 Invest Hong Kong.

With sponsors: Consulate General of Sweden in Hong Kong, Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong, BMW, Societe Generale and Siemens.

Note: Please note that confirmations will be issued based on seat availability. We thank you for your understanding.

We look forward to welcoming you to The Greenway 2026!

03/06/2026

Less than a month to go until the 9th edition of Make Music Hong Kong! 🎶

We are very proud to present the ninth edition of Make Music, Hong Kong! From 19-20 June 2026, the festival is back in the hot summer time to celebrate the passion for music with all of you! Across 2 days, we are bringing you 4 incredible European bands, 12 local bands, plus a special international guest band from Korea!

Catch the vibes at our official festival venues: The Fringe Club, The Wanch and Terrible Baby. Best of all, the entire festival remains free and open to the public!

👉 Want to be the first to see the full line-up? Subscribe to the Make Music Hong Kong newsletter now to get all the exclusive schedule and band drops sent straight to your inbox! Link in bio! 📩

We are so grateful for the incredible support our partners have shown us throughout this journey! Together, we are bringing an array of world music from all over the globe to Hong Kong. Make Music Hong Kong is co-organised by Alliance Française de Hong Kong and | Co-funded by | Event partner | Venue Partner | Venue Sponsor & Hotel Partner | Venue Sponsor | With the participation and support of

Follow Make Music Hong Kong's official page for full band line-ups and schedule updates!

仲有唔夠一個月就係第九屆的「覓音樂！」音樂節！🎶

我哋好榮幸同大家呈獻第九屆「覓音樂！」音樂節。今年音樂節將於2026年6月19至20日強勢回歸，喺呢個熱辣辣的夏日同公眾免費慶祝對音樂的狂熱！ 橫跨2日，我哋將會帶來4隊歐洲樂隊、12隊本地樂隊，以及來自韓國的特別嘉賓樂隊！

今年「覓音樂！」將於藝穗會、The Wanch以及Terrible Baby舉行。所有節目一如既往，免費開放予公眾參與！

👉 想第一時間收到完整演出名單？ 立即訂閱「覓音樂！」的電子報，會收到最齊全的節目時間表同樂隊資訊！點擊 Bio 連結訂閱📩

第九屆「覓音樂！」音樂節由香港法國文化協會暨法國駐香港及澳門總領事館呈獻，由歐盟駐港澳辦事處資助。⁠並獲瑞士駐香港領事館、德國駐香港領事館及西班牙駐香港領事館鼎力支持。感謝合作夥伴法國五月藝術節、場地贊助及酒店夥伴 、場地贊助 以及場地伙伴 的大力支持。表演單位及節目詳情將於社交媒體上公佈，立即關注 啦！

📢 Event details // 活動詳情
Date // 日期: 19-20 June 2026 (Fri-Sat)
Time // 時間: 下午5點至深夜 (5:00 PM till late)
Venues // 地點: The Fringe Club 藝穗會, The Wanch, Terrible Baby

01/06/2026

“Strengthening 𝗘𝗨-𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗡 𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 and unlocking new economic pathways were the core focus of our EU-ASEAN interesting joint meeting in Macao.

We were honoured to welcome Wong Sio Chak, Macao’s Secretary for Administration and Justice, as our keynote speaker. He delivered a detailed speech highlighting Macao’s economic diversification vision, and the collaborative potential within the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.

The EU-ASEAN luncheon meeting featured insightful perspectives from the heads of both the EU and ASEAN Chambers of Commerce. Macao is positioning itself as a vital gateway for global business. Very important that it embraces its uniqueness and fosters an open society underpinned by the rule of law. Thank you to all the speakers and participants who made this impactful exchange possible. The synergy between European and Southeast Asian markets has never been stronger.”

- Ambassador Harvey Rouse, Head of the EU Office to HK and Macao

🇪🇺 🇲🇴

30/05/2026

Celebrating in Macao 🙂

"Every year on 9 May, we celebrate the historic achievement that is the European Union 🇪🇺 and the values underpinning our union: peace, cooperation, the rule of law, human rights and democracy. Today, my Office celebrated the Europe Day in Macao 🇲🇴 with a diplomatic reception in the presence of Secretary for Administration and Justice Wong Sio Chak at the beautiful and historical venue Clube Militar!

In my opening remarks, I emphasised that Europe Day highlights the EU’s vitality and countless strengths. We are the world’s second-largest economy, largest single market and largest trading bloc. Very importantly, in an increasingly volatile world, the EU stands as a reliable and predictable partner. Indeed we are proud to be the primary trading partner for over 80 countries worldwide. These qualities also define our close, deep and broad ties with Macao: Last year the EU was Macao’s second-largest trading partner in goods, accounting for 26.0% of Macao’s total trade, just behind mainland China which accounted for 29%. And EU companies are active everywhere - in hospitality, food & beverage, retail, banking, financial services, and the legal sector.

As EU and Macao share ambitious targets for climate change mitigation and EU companies are global leaders in green finance, clean energy, sustainable infrastructure and mobility, and effective waste management – the EU is committed to supporting Macao’s transition to decarbonised economy. We are also seeking to foster our people-to-people exchanges and to support an open and vibrant society!

I also stressed: The EU remains a staunch supporter of the rules-based international order which has underpinned peace, stability & prosperity for decades, including in Asia. Russia’s brutal, unprovoked and illegal full-scale invasion is a flagrant violation of the UN Charter. The EU is the largest supporter of Ukraine and leads sanctions to weaken Russia’s war machine. Our support is unwavering. However, sanctions circumvention remains a significant concern.

My colleagues and I were delighted to welcome over 200 distinguished guests from politics, diplomacy, business & civil society to this memorable evening. A warm thank you to the EU Member States Consulates-General, our generous sponsors, and Clube Militar for making the reception 2026 in Macao such a resounding success! "

- Ambassador Harvey Rouse, Head of the EU Office to HK and Macao

29/05/2026

俄羅斯要為制裁付出幾多代價？石油同天然氣收入急劇下降 — 伊朗戰局只可以提供暫時幫助，唔係結構上嘅復甦 — 借貸成本變得高昂，以及失去關鍵嘅市場。

克里姆林宮愈嚟愈難係財政上支持對烏克蘭嘅戰爭。持之以恆，制裁見效。

***
What is the true cost of sanctions for Russia? Plummeting oil and gas revenues (with Iran war windfalls offering temporary relief, not structural recovery), punishingly expensive borrowing, and the loss of key markets.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for the Kremlin to finance the war against Ukraine. Staying the course delivers results. Sanctions work.