Brussels, 02/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - Two essential “lessons” that the EU must draw from the current Russo-Georgian crisis - the importance of improving the security of energy supplies by diversifying its sources and suppliers, and the need to strengthen the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) through an “Eastern dimension” - will be among the priorities of the forthcoming Czech Presidency of the EU in the first half of 2009, Alexandr Vondra, Czech Deputy Prime Minister with responsibility for European Affairs, said at a press conference in Brussels. The two issues will be on the agenda for the Spring European Council of March 2009. The Czech Presidency will try to keep intact the “extraordinary unity” that was shown by the EU with regard to Russia at the extraordinary Council on 1 September. However, the EU had to adopt a more proactive policy towards Moscow, Vondra felt. “Over the last five or six years, the EU policy towards Russia has mainly been reactive. It is Russia which set the agenda. I think it is time for the European Union to take up a more active policy, as was the case in the 90s. This week's Summit has shown signs of hope,” he said.
For the rest, the Czech Presidency would certainly be “special”, for several reasons, Vondra felt: the need to find a solution to the problem of the Lisbon Treaty, preparation of the European elections of June 2009, the approach of the end of the Commission term of office at the end of October), the election of a new US President with whom the EU hopes to forge close relations from the very start to give fresh impetus to the transatlantic partnership, etc. The Czech Presidency also intends to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain in Europe, and the 5th anniversary of the 2004 EU enlargement, which, he said, had “been a great success”. Swedish Foreign Minister Cecilia Malmström said that the adoption of an energy-climate package would be the top priority of the Swedish Presidency in the second half of 2009. In presenting the joint programme of the current presidential “trio” to the press, Malmström and Vondra were accompanied by French Secretary of State for European Affairs Jean-Pierre Jouyet. The programme is available at http: //http://www.eu2008.fr/webdav/site/PFUE/shared/ProgrammePFUE/Trio_FR.pdf (H.B./transl.rt)