Paris, 06/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - “Preventing global fragmentation” was the new mission assigned to the European Union by the EU High Representative for CFSP in his speech on 6 October in Paris, during the annual conference of the EU's Institute of Security Studies. Javier Solana said that “Europe is already devoting itself to this…with force and conviction” and had achieved a certain number of results. Results provide an opportunity to convince citizens of the effectiveness of common action and, in addition, lead to new expectations.
Europe is responding to these expectations, explained Javier Solana, by “considering that a solution should firstly be found for Palestinians and Israelis, and in this way eradicating the more radical discourse and its translation into terrorism. By recognising Iran's rights but also by finding more appropriate ways of reminding it of its most basic obligations. In this way, there would be a contribution to peace and security as contained in the United Nations Charter. By establishing a frank dialogue with non-aligned countries and subsequently putting a brake on the rupture between North and South. Succeeding in convincing China to commit itself to the Lebanon, for example, therefore preparing the Asian continent to better assume its responsibilities at the moment one of its representatives is getting ready to take up the torch of Kofi Annan”. Mr Solana explained that Europe acts by way of dialogue, “I am the first to believe in the force of the diplomacy of words”, adding that he also believed in action, “I am also, you know well, the first to defend the civil and military commitment of the European Union. A formidable success! Especially if we take into account the institutional imperfections of the current system” underlined the High Representative, who recognised, however, the fact that this new situation was not without problems: that of resources, which are naturally not inexhaustible. Despite the constraint of resources, Europe is present from the Great Lakes to the Balkans; from the Caucasus to South East Asia. Solana pointed out that it acts alone and with the others and is currently, together with the United Nations, in the Lebanon and Democratic Republic of Congo, with NATO in the Balkans, with the African Union in Darfur and could, tomorrow, according to Solana, be in the Middle East with the Arab League, which he described as an example of “effective multilateralism”.
At an institutional level “”it is obvious that at 25 it is more complicated to decide and to act: we cannot wait for 25 States, with their respective history and geography, to react like a single person when there is a new international crisis”, explained the High Representative, adding, “In this case should a few be able to take action? Yes, absolutely, I am convinced of it. To achieve this, do we need to free ourselves from the common framework provided by the European Union? No, I don't think so. In the future, when there is a need or it is useful for a few states to take action in a part of the world, it will be necessary to assume that: those which are able to act, can act and leaving it to the others, when they so wish, the possibility of pooling their own efforts. Does the absence of a European Constitution mean that its goal is a failure? I do not think so, simply because the Union already has the means to take action. Does integration need pushing further? Yes of course! Exactly because it needs to be made more efficient. Exactly for enabling States, in the common European framework, to act more effectively. When they can and where they need to in the world”.
The High Representative concluded his speech by evoking the ties between Union foreign policy and European identity, on the one hand underlining the importance of European values, culture and history in their construction but also by highlighting the contribution of “Europe a responsible power” to the European identity. Javier Solana affirmed that, “Foreign policy is a way to express your identity. But acting together on the world stage is also a way to progressively shape and enhance a common identity…the more we act together the more we have shared successes and the occasional failure; the more our reflexes will converge; the more this idea of a European identity will firm up and become less elusive”. He then asserted that Europeans did not just want Europe to be present on the international scene to defend its economic interests but also to “defend a certain idea of Europe in a more fragmented world”. (oj)