Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-03-10-Speech-4-227"
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"en.20050310.26.4-227"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the visit to Riyadh and Jeddah by the Delegation for relations with the Gulf States was extremely useful, both in terms of increased collaboration between the European Parliament and countries such as Saudi Arabia, which are vital for Middle East stability, and in terms of improved understanding between different cultures and religions.
We met many representatives of the political and economic world, of the media and of what is termed “civil society”, although that does not currently exist as such in Saudi Arabia, due to the ban on associations and the establishment of political parties. We were in the Saudi capital during the week of the first elections, which were only held on a municipal level but which represented a first small step towards the necessary political and social reforms.
However, the exclusion of women from the vote cast a dark shadow over the credibility of the entire process. We reminded all our contacts that it was unacceptable to deny women the right to vote. We repeated the same message to the Prince Regent, Abdullah, himself, who appeared to concur but replied that it would take time. In the meantime, a few days ago, the statement by the Saudi Foreign Minister was released, announcing that women would take part in the next elections. We therefore remain confident that words will be followed up by action.
Women today represent a vital driving force in the development of the much-hoped-for democratic institutions. Many of them are cultured and well-educated and have responsible roles in various sectors of society. Persons we met who are active in promoting women’s interests are trying energetically and tenaciously to make women more aware of their rights. It is obvious that much still has to be done in terms of respect for the rights of women and for civil and, above all, human rights in general, including those of the numerous foreign workers operating in the country. Today, the country is faced with conflicting demands from those seeking greater openness for Saudi society and those who prefer to maintain the
. However, the impression is that it will be difficult to turn the clock back.
Everyone we met emphasised the Saudi commitment to the fight against terrorism and religious fundamentalism, which, as we know, has found a disturbingly fertile breeding-ground in the country. We should stress that a constant theme, and one which, I believe, deserves our support, was the request for closer relations between Europe and Saudi Arabia, with the aim of achieving the shared goals of peace, stability, political reform and economic cooperation. In particular, we need to give joint support for efforts to eliminate the causes of terrorism and put an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Additionally, Saudi Arabia is insistently asking the European institutions to increase their presence in the country and to strengthen economic and commercial ties. I believe it is vital to intensify contacts on all fronts, particularly in this sensitive transitional phase.
One final point to bear in mind is that even the most reformist of the Saudis are asking us in the West not to impose our model of society and democracy and to give them the necessary time to take action, even if this does not always match our expectations."@en1
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