Strasbourg, 15/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament political groups condemned the “defamatory and infamous remarks on the State of Israel and the painful history of its people” on Tuesday evening (remarks suggesting that the Holocaust was all a “myth”). President Borrell and the presidents of the political groups call on the European Council to take a stance on the matter (see EUROPE 9089 on the remarks by Council President Douglas Alexander). The Conference of Presidents states: “It is the third time in less than two months that the Iranian president makes such unacceptable statements. The expressions of indignation and the unanimous rejection by the European Union and the entire international community as well as the resolution adopted by the European Parliament on 17 November 2005 unfortunately have had no effect”.
MEPs Gilles Savary and Paulo Casaca, members of the European Union parliamentary delegation for relations with Iran express indignation in a press release about the fact that the delegation had taken a stance on 14 December, with 9 votes to 5, in favour of henceforth assuming the name of “parliamentary delegation of the European Union for relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran” at the “express request” of the Iranian regime.