Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-11-13-Speech-2-305"
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"en.20071113.32.2-305"2
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".
Thank you very much for your question, which gives me an opportunity to highlight the situation in the Maldives.
As President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom stressed at the recent United Nations Summit, the Maldives, which are no more than 1.5 metres above sea level, are threatened by the continuous rise in the level of the oceans as a result of climate warming. This has forced more than 300 000 refugees to leave the islands. Therefore, as the honourable Member has quite rightly pointed out, inviting the President of the Maldives gives us an opportunity to highlight the danger that now threatens the people of those islands.
Moreover, the Maldives have always played an active role in international conferences on less-developed countries and small island developing countries. This diligence was confirmed when the Maldives attended the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, which was hosted by the European Parliament in 2001, and again when the Maldives took on the important role of chairing the group of experts at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
As far as the political situation in the Maldives is concerned, and in line with the statement by the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Commission welcomes the recent political developments in the Maldives and is pleased with the reforms that have been introduced to date. The publication of the roadmap for the reform programme in 2006 was indeed good news. The elections due to be held next year, in 2008, will be an important step towards greater democracy. The Commission is ready to lend its support to the reform process, including the provision of special assistance for the 2008 elections.
Of course we remain vigilant when it comes to the issue of human rights. The Commission has been satisfied with the recent improvements, including the release last year of two important activists: Jennifer Latheef and Mohammed Nasheed."@en1
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