” “About the situation in Tibet, the president of the EU Assembly, Hans-Gert Poettering, condemns the fact "journalists and correspondents have been expelled from Tibet". In addition, he states that in his opinion "every responsible politician should wonder whether they should attend the opening ceremony" for the Olympic Games "if the Chinese leaders fail to try to negotiate and reach an agreement" with the Tibetan people. Janez Lenarcic, secretary of State for the European Affairs from Slovenia, the current president of the EU, invites "both parties to try to establish some constructive dialogue", wishes China will let the independent media enter Tibet and recalls that, in a recent meeting of the EU Sports Ministers, "they voted against boycotting the Olympic Games", thinking the Olympic Games "can help the promotion of human rights" in China. On her part, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU commissioner for external relations, claims the Olympic Games "are not a political event" and asks that they may take place "in accordance with the Olympic spirit, which includes freedom of speech and freedom of the media".
