Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-10-25-Speech-3-289"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20061025.25.3-289"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Madam President, the purpose of the De Keyser report is dialogue and the future normalisation of our relations with Syria.
We see the Association Agreement as a part of this political process. I stress the word ‘political’ because, from an economic point of view, the Agreement is much more beneficial for Europe than for Syria. The suspension of relations with Damascus was a political mistake. Europe should not have blacklists and should not blindly follow North American ideas on the axis of evil. Regardless of its regime, Syria is a country that is vital to peace in the region. Europe must learn to respect the complexity of Syrian society and the many shades of opinion there. The regime is politically authoritarian, yet has a liberal attitude to the economy, religion and customs. Pluralism is stifled and constrained, yet it exists in society and in the institutions. The less the western powers intervene in the region, the more pluralism will be allowed to flourish.
It is a pity that the final version of the report suffers from shades of the colonial era on a number of issues. For example, it is not up to us to say who is and who is not trustworthy, because we ourselves, rightly, do not accept such opinions from third parties. It would also be better if it did not cast far-fetched aspersions over non-existent relations between Damascus and Al Qaeda and Sunni fundamentalism. This ignorance does us no favours. We owe it to ourselves to be consistent, as well. Diplomatic relations cannot hinge on the outcome of a criminal investigation. Evidence pertaining to the crime of the horrific assassination of Rafiq Hariri must be heard in court. Otherwise, our policies run the risk of violating the principle of the presumption of innocence.
In any event, the report is clear on the important issue; it seeks normal relations and that is a good thing. It is good that the issue of human rights should be at the heart of this normalisation process, but Europe needs to apply the same policy to all other countries, including Israel. Lastly, it supports the restitution of the Golan Heights to Damascus, an area Syria has never resorted to violent means to recover; this is a proposal supported in UN resolutions."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples