Abuja, 23/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - Presenting the results of the 30th session of the joint APC/EU Assembly, the two co-Presidents congratulated each other on the adoption of the report by Mrs. Kinnock that favourably welcomes the new partnership agreement to be signed at the beginning of June in Souva in Fiji (see following article). The APC co-President, Serge Clair (Maurice Island, MP) especially welcomed the adoption of a resolution on the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia bringing the Assembly's support to the peace process started by the OAU. He insisted on the fact that all the amendments have been withdrawn, including those from the two countries concerned and that the Ethiopian and Eritrean representatives have accepted to shake hands during a meeting of the APC group.
The European co-President, John Corrie (British Conservative) announced "We had some hesitations about coming to Nigeria" but "this session in Abuja is one of the best and most organised of all those that I have known since becoming a member of the Assembly, that is since 1995." He was notably referring to the reticence expressed by MEPs (only forty odd of the 71 MEPs that form the EP delegation made the journey and a quarter of the present replacements are members: Ed). "The development largely depends on the investments and Nigeria must now consolidate its democratic stability to attract foreign investments," said Mr. Corrie, before asserting that "the holding of this meeting must make the whole world understand that they can come and invest in Nigeria."
Questioned on the apparent domination exercised by MEPs on the work done by the joint Assembly, which they master, much better, the procedures and debates, Mr. Corrie recognised that the APC MPs do not speak often enough and only propose a few resolutions. Mr. Clair explained the weak participation as being due to the insufficient preparation by APC members who "do not always agree with their European counterparts." He feels that in the future the organisation of regional meetings of the Assembly should lead to the improvement of their preparation.
For the first time in its history, the joint Assembly adopted a resolution on the situation in Austria following the FPO's entry into government. It condemns the extremist, xenophobic and anti-European views held by Mr. Haider and underlined Mr. Schussel's responsibility. Among the 26 other resolutions, the Assembly gave its support for the request for accession made by Cuba to the new APC-EU Convention (EUROPE will return to this issue). Following a secret vote by separate colleges, it, on the other hand, rejected two compromise resolutions by the European groups on the situation in Sudan and Zimbabwe. These two texts gained a majority within the European College, but where rejected by the APC. The APC group felt that the progress carried out by the regime in Khartoum (also welcomed by the European members of the Assembly) justified the encouragement of the Sudanese government, rather than further condemning it. The resolution (EPP/DE, ESP) on Zimbabwe criticises the involvement of this country in the conflict in Congo, the seizing of British diplomatic luggage and the confiscation of agricultural farms belonging to the white minority. It calls for the suspension of aid to Zimbabwe until this country has shown its respect for democracy and minority rights.
The next session will take place in Brussels, between the 9 and 12 October 2000.