Brief items for which space was lacking in earlier editions
*** EU/France: 54% of the French favour the election of a President of the European Union by direct universal suffrage, 31% are opposed and 15% have no opinion, according to a poll conducted by BVA-L'Expansion-LCI. Also, 39% of those polled would like to see Jacques Delors become President, 23% Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, 7% Helmut Kohl and 3% Romano Prodi, while 28% have no opinion.
*** EU/WEU/Russia: "I do not see why we should close the door to Russian participation in EU operations", said Javier Solana (reports AFP), in response to questions by members of the Assembly of the Western European Union, which he addressed in his capacity as WEU Secretary General. Mr Solana recalled in this context that the Russians cooperated with NATO in Bosnia and Kosovo.
*** Euro/United Kingdom/Spain: Former Chancellor of the Exchequeur and former President of the European Commission Sir Roy Jenkins has urged Tony Blair to address the question of Britain's possible membership of the euro "more decisively", noting that "too many Prime Ministers have harmed their reputations by equivocations on Europe". On a visit to Greece, Spanish Prime Minister José Maria Aznar said that Spanish and Greek businesses should take advantage of the entry of the drachma into the euro to develop investments in the two countries.
*** EU/United States: In his remarks after being presented the Charlemagne Prize at Aachen, President Clinton urged Europe to concentrate on "unfinished business" (the integration of South-East Europe and Turkey) and "one enduring challenge" (the partnership with Russia that includes full integration with global institutions).
*** EP/Turkey: Just days before the meeting of the EP/Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, Human Rights Watch has written to Members of the EP, noting that, since the EU/Turkey Association Council of last April, no official steps have been taken towards permanent improvement on issues like torture or prisoners of opinion. The organisation fears a certain complacency by both the EU and Turkish Governments.
*** EP/Greens/United States: A delegation of the European Greens whose members include Paul Lannoye, Danielle Auroi and Didier Rod will be in the United States to attend the Presidential Nominating Convention of the Association of State Green Parties, to be held in Denver, Colorado, with a view to the US presidential elections. Ralph Nader is expected to be nominated as the Green candidate.
*** EP/Socialist group: A delegation of the EP Socialist Group, led by President Enrique Baron and made up of Pasqualina Napoletano, Yannis Sakellariou and Michel Dary, was in Syria and Lebanon last week. In southern Lebanon, the MEPs visited the Headquarters of the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in Lebanon (UNFIL).
*** EP/Turkey/Kurds: Luisa Morgantini, MEP from the United Left group, began a hunger strike on 7 June out of solidarity with the Kurds doing the same before the Coliseum in Rome and in other European cities, in an effort to obtain the release of Abdullah Öcalan and "respect for the rights of the Kurds".
*** EP/Education/Employment: MEP Nino Gemelli, Italian Member of the EPP group, has asked Commission President Romano Prodi and the Commissioner charged with Culture and Education Viviane Reding to examine the possibility of introducing "a standard European examination for admission to the teaching profession, to be used by all the Member States".
*** Austria/FPÖ: AFP is reporting that Joerg Haider said on television that the Nazi fresco decorating the Diet of Carinthia, in Klagenfurt, should be removed. The fresco, which dates back to the Anschluss period, was covered with wooden panels and concealed from public view in the 60s.
*** Greece/Turkey: Greek Foreign Minister Georges Papandreou, in an interview with Eleftherotypia on Sunday (quoted by ANA), confirmed that he has submitted to Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem specific proposals on confidence-building measures for the Aegean, which will be discussed on 23 June by the two Ministers' political directors. Mr Papandreou states that he and Greek Prime Minister and Defence Minister have agreed to broaden the meaning of "confidence-building measures" as defined by the Greek and Turkish Foreign Ministers of the time, Messrs Papoulias et Yilmaz, to include not only military measures but also measures on non-tension and good-neighbourliness.
*** Bilderberg: The Bilderberg Group (named after the venue for the first meeting of this kind, in 1954, in the Netherlands) held its annual conference in early June in Belgium, with Etienne Davignon chairing the proceedings. Mr Davignon was named President of the group this year, reports the Libre Belgique.