Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-04-21-Speech-3-275"
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"en.20040421.11.3-275"2
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".
Mr President, I welcome the vote by the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy at its meeting of 14 April, to recommend approval of the third-generation cooperation agreement with Pakistan. I am fully aware that this was passed by a pretty slim majority and that for many committee members this was not a decision that was taken lightly. I very much respect the principled stand taken by the rapporteur during the deliberations that have taken place in the European Parliament. I have come to value my honourable friend as a friend of democracy and a friend of human rights in Asia and he has done outstanding work as the European Union's Chief Election Observer in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
To sum up, then, I recognise the strength of views of some colleagues who would like to keep this agreement on ice. I think myself that, on balance, we should move ahead with the agreement, and I hope that in doing so we will be able to continue to take an active interest in the development of human rights and democracy in a country which is important to all of us.
Although I sympathise with many of the rapporteur’s views, I was not able to support him in his recommendation to keep the agreement pending. This is because
I feel we should regard this agreement as an opportunity to engage positively with Pakistan as an important partner in a sensitive region. I therefore hope that plenary, when it votes, will be able to endorse the Foreign Affairs Committee's recommendation that the agreement be concluded.
Perhaps I could recapitulate why the European Commission continues to support the entry into force of this third-generation cooperation agreement. First and foremost, by means of Article 1, it offers an opportunity to engage more substantially with Pakistan on critical issues of human rights and democracy. Secondly, the agreement gives us a better basis for addressing challenges in several key areas, including basic education, trade and institutional links. Last but not least, the agreement opens up the possibility of engaging Pakistan in new areas not previously covered, such as regional cooperation, money laundering and energy.
We regard recent developments as strengthening our position in favour of entering into this agreement, in particular the encouraging efforts for reconciliation with India, as well as domestic political developments in Pakistan. As a result of these initiatives there has been a noticeable thaw in Pakistan's international relations. For example, there are now indications that Pakistan may be readmitted as a full member of the Commonwealth in due course.
I am also pleased to see that the seamen of the
including the master, have now been released and have returned to Greece and the Philippines. I know that many Members of the House have taken a strong personal interest in this matter. I myself raised it repeatedly with Minister Kasuri when last I met him in Berlin on 31 March; but I have raised the issue on a number of other occasions as well. The release of the men is indeed a very welcome development. We can finally draw a line under this most unfortunate incident and leave remaining issues to be sorted out by the claimants and insurers.
However, I would be the last to say that democracy in Pakistan is in perfect condition. The discussions on this agreement have very usefully highlighted the many areas of concern in our relations – concerns that are well reflected in the motion for a resolution currently before Parliament on the situation concerning human rights and democracy in Pakistan. In this regard, the Commission would welcome any further guidance Parliament may want to offer, in particular in the crucial areas of democratisation and human rights.
I am obviously aware of reports that General Musharraf may still be in two minds as to whether to shed his army uniform by the end of the year. In this connection, it is helpful that the Minister of Information has confirmed on the President's behalf that he would stand by his prior commitment. Any other outcome would hardly bolster confidence in the constitutional process in Pakistan. Pakistan needs to overcome the perception that real power lies with the President rather than the elected parliament and the civilian government. I have, however, during my personal visits to Pakistan, always been encouraged by the resilience of civil society in that country, and I remain convinced that this is a strength which the country will be able to build on in the future. I would like to associate myself with what the Minister Roche said about the recent conviction of Javed Hashmi, President of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy. I can assure Parliament that we will continue to monitor his case very closely and pursue it strongly in our dialogue with the Pakistani Government.
With regard to the overall human rights situation in Pakistan, there have been some positive developments, such as the adoption of a juvenile justice system order, but several serious concerns remain, including the blasphemy law, violence against women, the application of the death penalty and the incidence of child labour. Pakistan is a focus country under the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights, and the Commission is actively trying to address some of these issues.
This summary shows that the problems and challenges in Pakistan are manifold, but there are also advances and positive developments. It is the assessment of this balance that allows me to continue to believe that closer dialogue and cooperation within the structured format offered by the third-generation agreement will best enhance the European Union's capacity to help Pakistan deal with sensitive issues, including human rights, non-proliferation and counter-terrorism."@en1
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