Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-12-18-Speech-3-037"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20021218.3.3-037"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Madam President, Prime Minister Rasmussen, Commissioner Verheugen, after the Copenhagen Summit there is every reason to congratulate and thank Denmark, and above all her Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, Mr Møller, and former Member, Mr Holter, on and for the smooth and steady advance of the Danish presidential term from start to finish, but mainly on account of their success in the enlargement negotiations that required such precision.
Prime Minister Rasmussen told the applicant countries what was what, if you will forgive the expression, but in a way they could accept. I do not, however, want to forget either the enormous contribution made by Commissioner Verheugen in the negotiations that led to the success of enlargement. Many sceptics along the way must have aroused justified anger in you. Perseverance, however, was rewarded with success, and I think Parliament should acknowledge that across the parties.
Enlargement emphasises just how important our neighbours are. Russia has not become a new neighbour with enlargement, but an incomparably more important one none the less. The border will lengthen by hundreds of kilometres in 2004. When Romania and Bulgaria join in 2007 three countries still in a state of turmoil will be surrounded by the Union and Russia. These are Belarus, Ukraine and Moldavia. I am not proposing increased assistance for Russia, even though we spend only a fraction on cooperation with this our most important neighbour compared with what we spend on cooperation with the Mediterranean region. Nevertheless, the Union’s political focus should be firmly on Russia, and Russia should be helped, and even pressured, to introduce reforms. After that we can initiate private business interaction on a new level with the Russians and start investing in Russia.
The Chairman of our group, Mr Hans-Gert Poettering, has already mentioned the worst problem: the war in Chechnya. I am in full agreement with him on this matter. An example of the injustice and corruption that still reign supreme is the necessity to terminate the TIR cargo system agreement with Russia, as it simply does not work there: drivers of freight have had to be prepared for the most diverse range of charges, to grease palms, rather than engines.
As the Commission will be getting 10 new Commissioners in 2004, I think one of them should be appointed to be responsible for relations with our neighbours to the east, Russia in particular, with regard to day-to-day problems. Let us leave high level foreign policy to the High Representative, wherever he or she has her home in the future. Another Commissioner could focus, for the sake of balance, on developing real content for cooperation in the Mediterranean region.
If one of Russia’s neighbouring countries, including my own, had a Commissioner specially qualified to offer support when problems arise and when positive developments start to take place, the EU could be involved as a background power in talks in quite a different way than is the case now.
There is, furthermore, good news coming out of Russia: the economy is growing. This is good for both Russia and the EU."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples