Across the borders

Europe’s presence on the international scene is a hesitating one. Despite its primary role in the field of cooperation and humanitarian aid, the EU pays off the lack of a unitary foreign policy. There are however signs of a change: the Lisbon Treaty aims at strengthening cohesion in this field, while political and diplomatic activity of the three institutions (Council, Parliament and Commission) grants the 27 a constructive role in the hot areas of the world: from the Balkans to the Middle East, up to the African Continent. Darfur and Chad: aid to refugees. Humanitarian aid in Africa is directed especially to the Darfur region. In the month of December, the Euro-Parliament focused its attention upon this region of Sudan, tormented by civil war and by an inter-ethnic and religious hatred which caused some hundred thousand victims, casualties and refugees. The Assembly assigned the Sacharov Price to Sudanese lawyer Salih Mahmoud Osman, committed in vouching for the needs of Southern Sudan’s populations. In the past days it was the turn of the Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Louis Michel , to raise the problem after his visit to South-East Chad, where 15thousand people from Darfur fled to. Politics and the role of the UN. Michel visited the area of Djabal to “witness in person the humanitarian crisis which is tearing the region”. The field of Djabal stands some 80 km from the Sudanese border. People escaped because villages were torn down by Kartoum’s militia. “I have spoken to many refugees – the Belgian Commissioner explained upon his return – and with many inhabitants of this area of Chad, who are compelled to move elsewhere. They all wish to return to their homes, but it’s “impossible” until there is violence and war. The European Operational Force (EUROFOR) here “will be crucial for security-maintenance, however we must continue sending aid”, food and medicine. For this purpose the Commission allocated 30 million euro administered by Echo, the relevant EU body. Michel insisted on the need for “a more determined political action” by the UN “to solve a tragic situation which has been lasting too long”. Pakistan, Musharraf in Brussels. The President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf , visited EU institutions on January 21. Among formal meetings and greetings, marked also by uptight exchange of views with MEPs of the Foreign Affairs Commission, President Musharraf expressed his views on his Country’s present situation, on the forthcoming national elections – postponed from January 8 to January 18, after the assassination of Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto -. President Musharraf affirmed that the economic, democratic and institutional state of affairs in Pakistan along with “women’s condition and media freedom”, “underwent major developments compared to the beginning of the 1990s. He equally claimed “illiteracy decrease and better living conditions”, pointing to the fact that Pakistan “contributed to the establishment of peace in the region” after 9/11 Twin Towers terror attack. In addressing the death of Ms. Bhutto, the President rejected conspiracy theories and his alleged involvement as “rubbish”, claiming that “the reasons for the attack should be sought in the will to destabilize the Country”. In the meeting was announced “the departure of an MEP delegation, chaired by Michael Gahler . ” It will leave for Islamabad on a mission of electoral supervision”, on the condition that “appropriate security measures be provided”. Iran, an “evasive” negotiator. On January 23 Saeed Jalili , Secretary General of Iran’s Social Security Council, and chief Nuclear Affairs negotiator, was also at the EU seat in Brussels where he had an intense dialogue with the Foreign Affairs Commission and with the High EU representative for Foreign Affairs Javier Solana, called to refer to the Euro-parliament sitting in plenary session on January 30. To the pressing questions of MEPs, Jalili replied that “Iran respected and still respects all obligations imposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency. In his view, “Iran has a right to uranium enrichment” since “this is linked to the energy requirements of the Country. We will be needing 20 thousand megawatt in the next 20 years”. Mr. Jalili went on to explain that “Iran is against nuclear weapons: they are not envisaged in our defense programme”. At the end of the colloquium, the Commission’s President, Polish MEP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski , remarked that “many questions on nuclear weapons and human rights have remained unanswered”.