Brussels, 01/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - Presenting the perspectives of the Foreign and Security Policy of the EU for 2006 on Wednesday, the High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana, acknowledged: it is "complicated" to be discussing the subject "on 1 February 2006", after everything which happened in the month of January. He added that on the night of 1 January, we were supposed to help to resolve the gas conflict between Russia and Ukraine (if it had not been resolved, this would have had extremely serious repercussions, he warned); on the third night of the new year, Iran announced that it was to resume its uranium enrichment activities and, one week later, broke off relations with the IAEA; a few days later, Ariel Sharon was in hospital (Mr Solana sent his family his very best wishes, noting: "despite any misunderstandings and difficulties in the past, we must give credit to those who have fought and worked hard with the others"); then, Hamas won the elections in Palestine; a few days later, Rugova passed away in Kosovo; in the last few days of the month, we held a fundamental meeting on Darfur with the African Union, with which we enjoy a "relationship which is filled with affection and cooperation"; a few days ago, Kofi Annan asked us if we could get involved with the elections in the Congo, "on security matters". This heralds a "hectic" year, during which we will have much and still better work to do, because the EU is, and must remain, "a fundamental player" on the international scene, Mr Solana insisted, observing: furthermore, every Eurobarometer survey tells us that this is what the Europeans want.
Today, your committee on foreign affairs has played host to political decision-makers from Ukraine, Mr Solana told the MEPs (see other article), adding: the situation remains difficult in this country, which is a "good friend", and it would be extremely sad if the "orange revolution" of one year ago turned into a revolution "of another kind", or if Ukraine began to backpedal. On Iran, Mr Solana acknowledged: "it is hard to be optimistic, but we must make an 11th-hour effort of great intensity". This evening, a draft resolution calling on Iran to "return to the negotiating table" will be presented in Vienna, to be adopted at the extraordinary meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which starts on Thursday (and which, he said, "would certainly last more than one day"). As for Palestine, Mr Solana (who is not expecting a government to be formed for "two or three months"), said: what I would like to say, quite simply and with all possible friendship towards our Palestinian friends, is that violence is not compatible with democracy, that we hope to see two States living in peace alongside each other (and that "each party must, therefore, recognise the other"), and that it would be a very good thing for the new Palestinian government to recognise all the agreements signed by the Palestinians over recent years, and which were the product of an enormous amount of work. "These are not absurd conditions!", said Mr Solana. He went on to voice his hopes that, in these transition months, the EU would be able to continue to help the Palestinians, whilst maintaining its requirements. In Kosovo, I attended the funeral of Ibrahim Rugova and the family asked me to speak there on behalf of the EU, said Mr Solana. And, whilst acknowledging that "a difficult situation" was opening in Kosovo, he welcomed the fact that Rugova's successor was already there, prepared to co-operate with Martti Ahtisaari. Lastly, on Africa, Mr Solana above all stressed the need to relaunch the Abuja process, and pointed out that the mission sent to Kinshasa in the context of the elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo was due to report back on 7 February.
EUROPE will return on the debate and on the vote on the Brok report on the annual report of the Council concerning the fundamental CFSP choices (including the budgetary implications).