Brussels, 29/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - On behalf of the EU, the Spanish Presidency made the following declaration on 28 January:
"Given the heightened regional tension that exists at the present time, the EU considers that the ballistic missile test that India has carried out today risks to give a negative signal to the region and to the international community at a time in which restraint is of utmost importance. The European Union has previously expressed its concern about the existing tension and its confidence that India and Pakistan will be able to find a peaceful solution to the situation. The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union, the associated counties Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, and Liechtenstein and Norway, EFTA countries, members of the European Economic area, align themselves with this declaration".