Brussels, 13/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - As well as Turkey and Pakistan (see other articles), the foreign affairs ministers of the EU also discussed the strategic partners of the EU at their “Gymnich” meeting (10-11 September). The debate will be continued this Thursday at the European Council (EUROPE10212). As anticipated, China was central to this debate, during which the embargo on arms sales to China was also discussed. The suggestion that the lifting of this embargo be linked to positive gestures from Beijing on human rights issues - such as the ratification of the convention on civil and political rights and an amnesty for those still held over the Tiananmen Square uprising - did not receive the required unanimous support.
European diplomatic service. Catherine Ashton confirmed on Saturday that she was to announce “this week” the names of the new heads of the EU delegations to some thirty third countries (EUROPE 10201). The Polish minister Radoslaw Sikorski has voiced concerns over the geographical imbalance in the delegations and described it as “unacceptable” that the new members of the EU currently have “just one or two” heads of delegation posts. The Finnish minister Alexander Stubb called on the new members to have a bit of patience, pointing out that Finland had also been under-represented in the institutions after its accession in 1995. He also said that it was understandable that the larger member states would have a certain influence in the European diplomatic service. “There will be no European foreign policy without France, Germany and the United Kingdom. If they feel that they are not able, even to a small extent, to lead the system, or if they do not feel that they have the right people in the right place, then you can forget about the EU foreign policy”, said Stubb. (H.B./transl.fl)