Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-10-23-Speech-4-186"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2003-10-23"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Turkmenistan and Central Asia2
dcterms:Language	"nl"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20031023.8.4-186"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2003-10-23-Speech-4-1872
lpv:speaker	lp:Joost Lagendijk2
lpv:spokenAs	unknown; GroenLinks (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 chair; Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 member; G/EFA (2002-01-08--2004-07-19)3 member; Conference of Delegation Chairs (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 substitute; ECON (2002-02-26--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation for relations with the countries of south-east Europe (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, the clarity of the resolution on which we are now voting leaves nothing to be desired. As has already been quoted by other fellow Members, Turkmenistan is ‘one of the worst totalitarian systems in the world’. The situation in other Central Asian countries is perhaps a little better, but there, too, the human rights situation is abominable. Does that mean that Europe should ignore Central Asia? My answer is ‘no’, and for two reasons. The first is the strategic goals. Ignoring that region will not do. It is not in Europe’s interests to let those countries, which export corruption and instability as well as oil and gas, remain ‘rogue states’. There is a second reason, too, which is the necessity – already mentioned by some fellow Members – of doing business regarding the large quantities of oil and gas in that region. To some politicians, however, and sadly also some fellow MEPs, that means that we have to do business first and foremost, and that we should just mention human rights, but on no account focus attention on them too much. Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past, when, on account of our need for oil from the Middle East, we kept quiet about the human rights violations in Saudi Arabia. It is true that Europe needs oil and gas, including from that region, but that also means that those countries need us, and this provides us with the opportunity of giving priority to the human rights situation – to improving it, in particular – in our dealings with those countries, and only then speaking about oil. Referring to EU policy in Kosovo I would say: ‘standards before oil’."@en1

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