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Future European Union members endorse joint position on Iraq
Tue Feb 18,10:43 AM ET
By CONSTANT BRAND, Associated Press Writer
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Future European Union (news - web sites) members endorsed a hard-won EU declaration Tuesday warning Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) he has one last chance to disarm, grasping for unity despite signs of a new continental rift.
The endorsement ignored the damaging impact of French President Jacques Chirac's biting attack on eastern European nations that have backed Washington's hard-line drive to disarm Iraq.
"Let's forget the past, and look to the future," Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis said, downplaying the impact of Chirac's remarks as he announced the endorsement.
"The agreement shows a feeling of unity that is much greater than the differences," Simitis said.
The 13 future members endorsed the hard-fought statement by European leaders warning Saddam Hussein he faces a "last chance" to disarm. The declaration gave no deadline and said U.N. weapons inspectors must have more time to finish their work.
The document was meant to end a bitter dispute within the European Union on Iraq.
However, Chirac's withering attack Monday night on eastern European nations who signed letters last month backing the U.S. position on Iraq created a new European faultline between a pro-American and staunchly European camps.
"It is not really responsible behavior," Chirac told reporters Monday just after the EU issued its declaration on Iraq. "It is not well brought up behavior. They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet."
He warned the candidates their position could be "dangerous" because the parliaments of the 15 EU nations still have to ratify last December's decision for 10 new members to join the bloc on May 1, 2004. He singled out Romania and Bulgaria, which are still negotiating to enter the bloc in 2007.
Britain, the United States' staunchest ally, and Germany, which with France has tried to slow the drive toward war in Iraq, criticized the attempt to silence eastern European nations.
"They have as much right to speak up as Great Britain or France or any other member of the European Union today," Blair told reporters in London. "They know the value of Europe and America sticking together."
In an unusual move, Blair also sent a letter to the candidate countries reporting his views on the summit declaration — a role usually reserved for the EU presidency. Blair's office in London confirmed the letter but said it had no plans to release it publicly.
Eastern European leaders reacted defiantly to the tirade, reminiscent to some of the former Soviet Union's overbearing manner toward its satellites.
"Jacques Chirac should regret such expressions, which are not in the spirit of friendship and democratic relationships," Romanian President Ion Iliescu said.
"The French position shows certain anxiety," Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Lyubomir Ivanov told state radio.
"It is not the first time that pressure is being exerted upon us in one or another form but in my opinion this is not the productive way to reach unity and consensus in the Security Council."
At the same time, a joint document issued by the future members and the EU, however, stated a determination to "avoid new dividing lines" by focusing on the common ground achieved during the emergency summit.
The Bulgarian prime minister welcomed the endorsement as a "positive show of unity for the union."
"The document the 13 agreed upon is proof that this meeting here ... has had a positive effect," said Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Saxcoburggotski, the country's former king.
The French prime minister was angered when leaders of EU candidates Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic joined Britain, Spain and Italy in signing a letter last month supporting Washington's hard stance on Iraq.
Later, 10 former communist countries, seven of them EU candidates, reiterated their support for the Bush administration's position.
The two statements revealed a deep divide within Europe over Iraq, one of the factors prompting Greece, to call Monday's emergency summit to mend the rift.
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy defended the letter — underlining the importance of respecting independent views.
"I think the letter was the right thing to do, and was not done in error," he said. "To be frank, we consider that current European foreign policy is lacking."
Despite Chirac's veiled threat, the candidates said they did not believe their entry into the EU was at risk.
"I believe Chirac said what he did in a moment of irritation," Romanian Foreign Ministry State Secretary Cristian Coltianu said. "We consider the process of enlargement to be irreversible."
The EU declaration was endorsed by representatives of the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Malta.
Tue Feb 18,10:43 AM ET
By CONSTANT BRAND, Associated Press Writer
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Future European Union (news - web sites) members endorsed a hard-won EU declaration Tuesday warning Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) he has one last chance to disarm, grasping for unity despite signs of a new continental rift.
The endorsement ignored the damaging impact of French President Jacques Chirac's biting attack on eastern European nations that have backed Washington's hard-line drive to disarm Iraq.
"Let's forget the past, and look to the future," Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis said, downplaying the impact of Chirac's remarks as he announced the endorsement.
"The agreement shows a feeling of unity that is much greater than the differences," Simitis said.
The 13 future members endorsed the hard-fought statement by European leaders warning Saddam Hussein he faces a "last chance" to disarm. The declaration gave no deadline and said U.N. weapons inspectors must have more time to finish their work.
The document was meant to end a bitter dispute within the European Union on Iraq.
However, Chirac's withering attack Monday night on eastern European nations who signed letters last month backing the U.S. position on Iraq created a new European faultline between a pro-American and staunchly European camps.
"It is not really responsible behavior," Chirac told reporters Monday just after the EU issued its declaration on Iraq. "It is not well brought up behavior. They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet."
He warned the candidates their position could be "dangerous" because the parliaments of the 15 EU nations still have to ratify last December's decision for 10 new members to join the bloc on May 1, 2004. He singled out Romania and Bulgaria, which are still negotiating to enter the bloc in 2007.
Britain, the United States' staunchest ally, and Germany, which with France has tried to slow the drive toward war in Iraq, criticized the attempt to silence eastern European nations.
"They have as much right to speak up as Great Britain or France or any other member of the European Union today," Blair told reporters in London. "They know the value of Europe and America sticking together."
In an unusual move, Blair also sent a letter to the candidate countries reporting his views on the summit declaration — a role usually reserved for the EU presidency. Blair's office in London confirmed the letter but said it had no plans to release it publicly.
Eastern European leaders reacted defiantly to the tirade, reminiscent to some of the former Soviet Union's overbearing manner toward its satellites.
"Jacques Chirac should regret such expressions, which are not in the spirit of friendship and democratic relationships," Romanian President Ion Iliescu said.
"The French position shows certain anxiety," Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Lyubomir Ivanov told state radio.
"It is not the first time that pressure is being exerted upon us in one or another form but in my opinion this is not the productive way to reach unity and consensus in the Security Council."
At the same time, a joint document issued by the future members and the EU, however, stated a determination to "avoid new dividing lines" by focusing on the common ground achieved during the emergency summit.
The Bulgarian prime minister welcomed the endorsement as a "positive show of unity for the union."
"The document the 13 agreed upon is proof that this meeting here ... has had a positive effect," said Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Saxcoburggotski, the country's former king.
The French prime minister was angered when leaders of EU candidates Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic joined Britain, Spain and Italy in signing a letter last month supporting Washington's hard stance on Iraq.
Later, 10 former communist countries, seven of them EU candidates, reiterated their support for the Bush administration's position.
The two statements revealed a deep divide within Europe over Iraq, one of the factors prompting Greece, to call Monday's emergency summit to mend the rift.
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy defended the letter — underlining the importance of respecting independent views.
"I think the letter was the right thing to do, and was not done in error," he said. "To be frank, we consider that current European foreign policy is lacking."
Despite Chirac's veiled threat, the candidates said they did not believe their entry into the EU was at risk.
"I believe Chirac said what he did in a moment of irritation," Romanian Foreign Ministry State Secretary Cristian Coltianu said. "We consider the process of enlargement to be irreversible."
The EU declaration was endorsed by representatives of the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Malta.
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