"I expressed my will to attend the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games, and I defend my decision". Speaking to the European Parliament gathered in Strasbourg to present the programme of the French Presidency of the EU, president Nicolas Sarkozy explained the reasons behind his choice, which aroused perplexities in the EU’s milieus. "I think we all agree that human rights must be respected all over the world explained Sarkozy -. But I also think that everyone can have one’s opinion about how to achieve such goal". The president stated that so far he has not been challenged by any other member state, while 13 governments share his opinion. "We cannot afford to humiliate all Chinese, that is, one quarter of humanity. Instead we must keep alive a honest, open dialogue" to reassert those rights and those fundamental freedoms "that we defend as Europeans". Sarkozy stated: "We need China to take action in Darfur, to fight Iranian nuclear weapons, to regulate worldwide market competition. If we turn our back on Peking, what will we achieve?".
