Strasbourg, 07/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 6 September, the European Parliament called for more coherence and interinstitutional dialogue in EU statements regarding human rights outside the EU. Adopting a report by Spanish PES MEP Elena Valenciano, the MEPs called for human rights promotion in the EU's foreign policy to be systematically included in the agenda of political EU dialogue and meetings with countries from outside the EU. The MEPs want the Council to systematically apply the human rights and democracy clause in all agreements between the EU and other countries and to establish a transparent mechanism for assessing the human rights situation. MEPs want to be kept more closely informed about progress in political discussions on human rights issues and to be associated with the meetings. The EP also wants the Council to make six-monthly progress reports on each dialogue and consultation process and submit these reports to the European Parliament. Likewise, they want the Commission to provide Parliament with ad hoc assessments on the state of political dialogue and consultation over human rights issues with 'third countries'. The MEPs say that dialogue between the EU and China has to be beefed up and improved on human rights issues, which it describes as a source of great concern, and express concern about the interruption of dialogue over human rights issues with Iran since 2004. The MEPs say they support the Council's desire to turn consultations between the EU and Russia into a true and frank dialogue on human rights concerns. (bc)