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June 10, 2005 |
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WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF CRYSTALLIZING A JOINT ARAB STAND PRESIDENT MUBARAK AND KING ABDULLAH II REVIEW THE SITUATION IN THE REGION. CONTINUOUS ATTEMPTS BY JEWISH EXTREMIST GROUPS TO STORM AL-AQSA MOSQUE. AT THE OPENING OF AL BA'ATH CONGRESS PRESIDENT AL-ASSAD CALLS FOR TAKING CARE OF DOMESTIC ISSUES AWAY FROM FOREIGN PRESSURES. AN ISRAELI ADVICE TO START NEGOTIATIONS WITH SYRIA WHILE SHARON DECLARES THAT "JERUSALEM IS OURS FOR ETERNITY AND WILL NEVER PASS INTO FOREIGN HANDS." Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, received a telephone call from King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein of Jordan during which the Crown Prince reassured him about the good health of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz. The Crown Prince thanked the King of Jordan for his noble feelings and they also reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries. On the other hand President Hosni Mubarak and King Abdullah II of Jordan, discussed in Sharm el -Sheikh the latest developments in the Palestinian arena, the faltering of the Palestinian-Israeli contacts, security lapses, sustained bloodshed in Iraq besides situation in the Arab world and ways of boosting bilateral relations. Following the summit which, started with a tête-à-tête session between President Mubarak and his guest, talks continued extended on a lunch banquet hosted by the President, ambassador Suleiman Awwad, the Presidential spokesman said. The two leaders discussed the overall situation in the Arab world with special focus on the Palestinian territories and Iraq. The Egyptian-Jordanian talks also dwelt on the means to strengthen the bilateral cooperation in different domains, Awwad said, adding that the relations between Cairo and Amman are distinguished. The two countries have launched joint mega-projects, foremost of which is the Arab gas pipeline and the electricity grid, he told reporters. Asked about the role that President Mubarak and King Abdullah could adopt to pressure Israel to carry out Sharm el -Sheikh Understandings of the February 8 summit, Awwad expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of the implementation, which was not as we had hoped for. Although the implementation of the understandings was repeatedly postponed and the talks between the two sides faltered, the recent days have witnessed a positive move by Israel to go ahead with the implementation of the process, the spokesman told reporters. In this regard, Awwad cited Israel's releasing of about 400 Palestinian prisoners. This should have happened a long time ago, but the prisoners were released only this week. Awwad also said that the Israeli demands that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dismantle the Palestinian factions "were not realistic and not practical". "Why does (Israel) call on Abu Mazen to be swept into the confrontation with the Palestinian factions, which have shown a great degree of wisdom by adhering to the truce and cooperating with the Palestinian National Authority?" Awwad wondered. Israel handed over the West Bank cities of Tulkarem and Jericho in March, in line with the truce agreed on, on Feb 8 between the Palestinian Authority and Israel in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el -Sheikh. But the Jewish state froze the handover of Ramallah, Bethlehem and Qalqilya; it said that the Palestinian security forces had not collected weapons from militants in Jericho and Tulkarem. "There is dawdling in the handover of the rest of the five Palestinian cities to the Palestinian side," Awwad told reporters. However, we heard press reports that the Israeli government is willing to complement the handover process and transfer security authority to the Palestinians very soon or before the imminent Israeli withdrawal from Gaza Strip and northern West Bank. As for Iraq, the spokesman said that the Brussels conference, scheduled for June 22, is a key indicator on how the Group of Eight industrial nations, the European Union, the United States, the United Nations and Japan are aware of the deteriorating security situation in Iraq. Egypt, he said, sees that all the Iraqi factions should be represented in the ongoing landmark of the political process without the marginalization of any party or sect. All the Iraqis should participate in drawing up the Constitution within the political process as stipulated by UN Security Council Resolution 1546 to safeguard Iraq's Security, independence and sovereignty along with an end to foreign occupation, he added. President Hosni Mubarak also received a telephone call from Syrian President Bashar AL-Assad. The two leaders discussed conditions in the Arab world as well as the latest Syrian and Lebanese developments. On another scale dozens of the residents were wounded when they were attacked by the Israeli police storming the yard of Al Aqsa mosque. The Israeli policemen allowed extremist Jewish group to enter the yard of Al Aqsa mosque under the so -called daily visits, in spite of the a court's ruling banning their entry to Al Aqsa mosque. However 70 settlers entered al-Aqsa mosque yard, protecting by the policemen, in order to 'celebrate' the capture of east Jerusalem, clashes erupted between dozens of Palestinian youths gathered at the mosque. WAFA news agency reported that the policemen stormed in Al Aqsa mosque yard fired stun grenades and a hail of tear gas canisters at dozens of youth who hurled stones at the Jewish extremists stormed the yard. Officials of the Muslim Waqf "the Islamic Trust" and a number of the Palestinian legislative council along together with Islamic and national leaders have been present in the yard of Al Aqsa mosque Adnan al Hussini, director of al Aqsa mosque said " Israeli underground units stormed the yards of al Aqsa mosque and attacked the worshippers while they preventing the Jewish extremists to enter Al Aqsa mosque." The Israeli occupation soldiers stormed Al Douha city, west of Bethlehem. Local sources said that an Israeli contingent of 8 military jeeps broke in the city and set up ambushes and military roadblocks. The locals added that the soldiers cordoned off Al Manar residential apartment building then afterwards stormed it and forced all its inhabitants to leave it , attacked them and arrested several youths for long time. WAFA news agency reported that the youth Ramzi Al Qaissi , 28, an inhabitant of AL Manar building and arrested and taken to known destination. The Israeli military court sentenced a resident from Barazlyia village, North West Nablus. The rural council of Barzyia reported the marital court "Salem", north of Jenin city sentenced the youth Tamim Salem, 22, to 22 years, indicted with carrying out armed conducts against the Israeli occupation forces. Salem is a member of the Islamic Jihad movement, and arrested by the Israeli troop a year ago in Tulkarem refugee camp. Monday at dawn, Israeli soldiers based at military camps surrounding Naveh Dekalim settlement near Kahn Younis, fired at dozens of homes in Khan Younis refugee camp moderately wounding one child. A medical source at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis reported that Mohammad Salem Arram, 16, was shot in his left leg, and admitted to surgery. Several homes were directly hit by military fire; damage was reported especially in homes in the opposite direction of the camp. Last Sunday overnight the Israeli troops broke in Y'bed town, west of Jenin supported by aerial cover and carried out a scour and search the area, IPC Correspondent reported. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has accused Israel of being responsible for the clashes between Palestinians and Israelis at a disputed Jerusalem holy site. Abbas said that Israel should not have allowed Jews to enter the Al Aqsa Mosque compound. Jordan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson also condemned the Jewish extremists' attempt to break into the Al Aqsa Mosque and urged Israel to take actions to prevent the situation from deteriorating. Israeli Police stormed the compound and used stun grenades to disperse hundreds of Palestinian worshippers who threw stones at police and Jewish visitors. The confrontation came as Israel marked "Jerusalem Day," the anniversary of its capture of traditionally Arab East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war. Clashes erupted in East Jerusalem as Prime Minister Ariel Sharon marked the 38th anniversary of Israel's occupation of the entire holy city by pledging it would remain in Jewish hands for eternity. "Jerusalem is ours for eternity and will never pass into foreign hands," Sharon told a ceremony on Ammunition Hill. Al Quds was captured by Israeli paratroopers during the 1967 war. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas denounced what he called unwarranted violations of the sacred site. Police banned all visits to the compound. "We are used to this. The Israeli government and the international community must put an end to these serious and unjustified violations that risk reaping regrettable consequences," Abbas told reporters in Ramallah. Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei lashed out at what he called a "horde of extremist and criminal settlers" who "attacked Al-Aqsa and stormed the esplanade, so the (Palestinian) residents of Jerusalem defended themselves". The site has been the target of numerous threats from Jewish fanatics keen to spark a major incident which could derail this summer's removal of 8,000 Jewish settlers and all Israeli soldiers from Gaza. The Palestinian uprising erupted in September 2000 after Sharon himself paid a highly controversial visit to the compound. Meanwhile the Jordanian government expressed extreme worry about the Jewish extremists attempts to storm into Al Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem and discrete its sanctity, according to a cabinet statement. "The Jordanian government strongly condemns these attempts which can only provoke feelings of Arabs and Moslems and are rejected by all monotheistic religions," said the statement. "Such attempts are considered a grave escalation that impedes Arab and international endeavors to realize just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region and the Jordanian government calls upon the international community to back its D efforts to put an end to such practices which obstruct peace opportunities," the statement said. The statement warned against any attempt to infringe on Al Aqsa Mosque and Al Haram Al Sharif and asked the Israeli government to stop attempted attacks by Jewish extremists and to take necessary measure to safeguard Al Aqsa compound and preserve its sanctity. To prevent further escalation and deterioration of the situation in Jerusalem, the Jordanian government has asked its foreign minister to instruct Jordan's ambassador to Tel Aviv to follow up this issue with the Israeli officials and to inform the Israeli government of Jordan's position regarding this issue, the statement noted. The Israeli Army may temporarily seize Palestinian-ruled areas in the Gaza Strip if Palestinians launch attacks during the planned withdrawal this August, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said. Israel plans to begin evacuating in mid-August all of the 21 illegal Jewish settlements it has built on occupied land in the Gaza Strip and four of 120 in the West Bank. The pullout is expected to take about a month. Mofaz said he had discussed the issue of possible attacks by Palestinian resistance during the withdrawal with senior Palestinian officials. "I hope that during the upcoming meetings the Palestinians will present their preparations for the period of the disengagement," Mofaz was quoted as saying. Israel has urged the Palestinian Authority to coordinate the pullout, particularly by reining in on Palestinian resistance who have frequently targeted Gaza settlements during the past four years of fighting. Meanwhile Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has taken a formal step towards naming a vice president, winning approval from a top decision-making group in his Fatah faction for his proposal to create the post. The Fatah Revolutionary Council, the second-highest ruling institution in the mainstream faction that makes up the backbone of the Palestinian Authority, said after a three-day meeting it stood behind Abbas's bid to name a deputy. A vice president would be widely seen by Palestinians as a possible successor to Abbas, 70, who underwent a heart examination in Jordan last week during which doctors opened a constricted blood vessel after he complained of chest pains. "Brother Abu Mazen (Abbas) proposed before the Revolutionary Council members the creation of the position of vice president to strengthen the political system and democratic life and to delegate powers," the group said in a statement. "The Council members declared their full approval. (Abbas) is expected to send a letter to the Legislative Council asking that they amend the Basic Law to create the post of vice president and outline his powers," it said. Hamas spokesman Sheikh Hassan Yousef said Abbas told a Hamas delegation in the West Bank city of Ramallah shortly before he headed to Gaza that he will return a heatedly-debated new electoral law to the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) for approval. After the PLC okays the amended law draft, Abbas said he will set a new date for the parliamentary elections based on the consensus of all Palestinian factions, Yousef added. Ibrahim Abul Naja, head of the Follow up Committee of the National and Islamic factions, said Abbas will hold several meetings with Hamas and other factions to try to remove disputes caused by the postponement of the legislative elections. On the other hand A day after revealing that British diplomats had been in contact with Hamas-linked officials and trying to calm Israeli disquiet, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw ruled out on Wednesday, June 8, removing the Palestinian resistance movement from a "terror" blacklist. "The fact that a terror organisation stands in elections doesn't mean it ceases to be a terror organisation. Hamas will stay on that list until it has renounced terrorist violence in action as well as in words," Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted Straw as telling reporters. On the other hand a group of Israeli diplomats has advised Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to start negotiations with Syria after the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. In Damascus the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad delivered a speech to the 10th Regional Congress of the Ba'ath Arab Socialist Party: He said the Congress comes at the end of a busy period for the party, full of activity, lessons learned, challenges and hopes, and in a period occupied with events and developments. The turbulent nature of these events and developments has made its mark on the political sphere and cast a heavy shadow on social and cultural life in our country and our region. This has placed heavy responsibilities on our political forces and popular organizations -- with our party and people at the forefront -- to face these events and challenges with awareness and courage, and to learn lessons from them and draw conclusions. Our holding today of our party Congress represents an important stage in the evolution of our politics, especially because the Ba'ath Party is a political and social force which has a historic place and role in our nation's life. We will undertake an objective and realistic evaluation of the way events have developed, the way they are headed, and the way to deal with them. We will also evaluate our achievements in the last few years, as well what we could not achieve; the difficulties we faced, and the steps we took. All of this is a preliminary to defining our vision and our future direction. I have followed the preparations for this Congress and the wide-ranging conversations which preceded it. I have also followed the rich discussions during the past period, which members of our party throughout the country took part in, and which tackled all our intellectual, organizational and political issues. The driving force behind these discussions was for all the ranks in the party to arrive at a common understanding of its present role and duties, the means of fulfilling this role, the position of the party within our state and society, and the trends of current political development, as well as the place of our principles, ideas and methodologies in facing up to them. I also followed the elections at different levels of party institutions, in which you were elected as representatives of hundreds of thousands of members of our party throughout every corner of our nation, in every city and village, and in every neighbourhood and workplace. I was greatly reassured by the responsible party spirit which was foremost in these elections, the vigour and enthusiasm for competing in them, the deep-rooted organizational traditions, and the spirit of discipline and commitment shown by party members. All this shows once again that the Ba'ath party remains a vanguard force in the life of our people and our country, and that its survival is at the mercy of its commitment to the values of our great people, and its ability to represent these values in its performance, the behaviour of its members, and its ability to adapt creatively to the pace of change which today's world sees in every field. Some of the writings and proposals which preceded the congress caught my attention. They varied in their reading of the Congress's agenda and decisions, and in their evaluation of its recommendations and the hopes pinned on this Congress. They even went beyond that to examine the role, principles and objectives of the party and its present and future position in society. Whether or not we agree with some of these propositions, and whether they take an upbeat approach to the party or not, and whether they are appreciative or critical of the party, they all go to show that the Ba'ath Party is a popular force, central to Syrian life, and that its development is not just necessary for the party, but is also a paramount national necessity upon which depends the development of all aspects of politics. In order for this to bear fruit, every individual and institution needs to make a concerted effort, and everyone should take up their position and role in the process of development based on national unity and the principle that every citizen bears the right, the duty and responsibility of developing and reforming society. The period between the Ninth Congress in 2000 and this Tenth Congress has witnessed important political events which have created a political atmosphere that has put tremendous pressure on Arab citizens and forced them to an unprecedented re-examination of their convictions and ideas, but also to revisit their basic beliefs which have been shaken by the storm of dramatic developments that struck our world and our region. This has led to uncertainty of vision, conceptual confusion, to the blurring of the meaning of terminology, and a conflict in values and frames of reference. This comes amidst a huge influx of information and ideas made possible by the communications and IT revolution which has made room for theories and projects, as well as lifestyles which have overwhelmed Arabs and threatened their existence and cultural identity, and has increased the doubts and skepticism in the mind of young Arabs. The forces behind these events have created an illusory virtual reality that inspires our feelings in a way which drives us in a direction identified by others, without us being aware of the reality of what is actually happening, and through our gradual detachment from the reality in which we live, and because of our inability to discern the implications correctly. This leads in the end to the cultural, political and moral collapse of the Arab individual and his ultimate defeat even without a fight. The ultimate objective of all this is the destruction of Arab identity; for the enemies of the Arab nation are opposed to our possessing any identity or upholding any creed that could protect our existence and cohesion, guide our vision and direction, or on which we can rely in our steadfastness. They simply aim at transforming us into a negative reactive mass which absorbs everything that is thrown at it without the will or even the possibility of thinking of rejecting or accepting it. We must face this situation with greater awareness, responsibility and defiance. All the vital forces in the Arab world: every party, organization, and association, intellectual and politician, should take the initiative to analyze the situation and to come up with appropriate means to face this reality, and try to increase our sense of belonging to the Arab nation, its past and present, by supporting the values of openness, tolerance and liberty in Arab society. As members of the Ba'ath Party, we should first of all redouble our intellectual efforts and political and cultural effectiveness in order to strengthen our national existence, and protect our cultural identity, and secondly respond to the fast moving logic of development. There is actually no contradiction between the two, in contrast to those who believe that divorce from the past is the way to the future, or that living in the past is the way to salvation. The Ba'ath Party, as should be clear to every one of us, is a cause before it is a political organization, and a civilizing mission before it is a party in power. For it to defend its cause and carry out its mission, it should develop its teachings and methods, overcome shortcomings in its performance, open itself to the patriotic forces in its society and restore respect to its role as a pioneer amongst the masses. We believe that the ideas and teachings of the party are still relevant and current and respond to the interests of the people and the nation. They express the nation's yearning for unity, liberty, justice and development. Where their implementation has fallen short, it is individuals who bear responsibility, not the idea or the ideology. The validity or invalidity of an idea is tested through its relevance to reality and its responsiveness to needs and requirements. The Ba'ath did not invent the idea of pan-Arabism in society, rather the Ba'ath came about as a natural result of a society imbued with all the elements of Arab nationalism. This nationalism, accused by some of chauvinism and racism, is made up of a human civilization capable of absorbing all the cultures, ethnicities, and spiritual affiliations which have formed this society for thousands of years, and consequently it is the foundation of the development and stability of this society. As long as this national existence is part of the reality of this society, the role of the Ba'ath will remain essential, because it bases itself on a solid reality, and is the mouthpiece for its most progressive forces, as well as the concepts and ideas which express its continuing dynamism. Fellow party members, In the past few years we have achieved a great deal in our economic life and our service sector, which has improved the living conditions of our citizens, although we have fallen short of our ambitions. We have also carried out significant financial and monetary reforms, improved the investment environment and passed the necessary legislation in order to accelerate economic and social development. Nevertheless, we have faced numerous difficulties because of the weakness of the administrative structure, the lack of qualified people, and because of the chronic accumulation of these problems. On top of this, international conditions and successive events in our region have had a negative effect on investment and development opportunities where we had hoped for better. What makes us optimistic about the next stage is that a major and important part of the necessary legislation has been passed, which lays a wide base on which to build after we improve procedures and overcome internal constraints. This should be accompanied by choosing qualified, honest people who strongly believe in the national development project we are embarking on. During this Congress, we have to address all the issues and ideas put before us, and to discuss and analyze them without exception. We also have to focus on the proposals and themes which can push the reform process forward in order to meet the needs of every sector within our society. We should rearrange our priorities so that we begin with the most pressing and proceed to the less urgent. The economy, improving economic performance and improving the living conditions of our citizens is a priority for us all; which means that we should accord it the attention it deserves in our discussions. Corruption also continues to pose an economic, social and moral problem; and we need more effective and decisive mechanisms to combat it. Although it is not the job of this Congress to draw up plans for the implementation of policies for the economy, society, and public services, or to find solutions to various problems, it is the Congress's duty to define the general direction of the party and to delineate the general features of our future choices which open the doors to the relevant authorities to carry out a wide ranging development process, discarding ready made formulas and preconceived frameworks. Thus, we have ahead of us great responsibilities towards our citizens who aspire to improvements in their living conditions and in public services. This cannot happen without achieving higher growth rates. The only way to realize that is to overcome failures in our performance and address the negative practices which hamper our progress and constrain our reform project. Fellow party members, I call upon you to exercise your role in a courageous and responsible manner by pointing out both our limitations and our achievements, by addressing the shortcomings we suffer from as well as the successes we enjoy, and by being as honest as possible in your discussions and proposals about the concerns and aspirations of the public, bearing in mind that every decision you take and every recommendation you make should express only our internal needs, regardless of any considerations which aim at pushing us in directions which harm our national interests and threaten our stability. I am certain that the Party's Tenth Regional Congress, its discussions and recommendations, will be a major event and an important landmark in the march of our party. It comes in the context of developing our country and enhancing the role of the party, developing the party's intellectual principles and modernizing its social project in order to activate our political institutions, to expand popular participation in national decision making and to be more open towards patriotic forces in a manner that enhances the position of our home country, and allows every one to take part in building Syria's future. On the other hand rhe Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam asked president Bashar Al-Assad to exempt him from official duties in the state and the party. This was expressed in the first day of the Baath party 10th regional congress. In New York President of the UN Security Council, France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, announced during a Council meeting last Tuesday that: "The Security Council condemns in the strongest terms the June 2 terrorist bombing in Beirut that killed a Lebanese journalist, Samir Kassir, who was a symbol of political independence and freedom, and expresses its deepest sympathy and condolences to the family of the victim and to the people of Lebanon." "Broadening Kassir's assassination investigation to include the UN would undermine the Lebanese government's efforts to put their security apparatus back on track," said a diplomatic source at the UN, adding, "Hariri's assassination and Kassir's assassination are different in that they occurred in different political and security environments, and warrant different investigations." The Security Council did however draw a similarity between the former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's assassination and that of Samir Kassir in that both constitute "a pernicious effort to undermine security, stability, sovereignty, political independence and efforts to preserve civil accord in the country." The Council warned against allowing such "terrorist acts" to jeopardize Lebanese elections "in a transparent, free and democratic environment." In Washington the United States and Britain are working on a plan to provide full debt relief for African countries that are "on the path to reform," U.S. President George W. Bush has said. Bush's comment came after a meeting at the White House with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is pushing an ambitious African aid plan as this year's chairman of the Group of Eight economic powers. "We ... agree that highly indebted developing countries that are on the path to reform should not be burdened by mountains of debt," Bush said at a joint news conference with Blair. "Our countries are developing a proposal for the G8 that will eliminate 100 percent of that debt," Bush said. The U.S. president said the plan would call for G8 nations to provide additional funding for the World Bank and the African Development Bank to protect these institutions. For his part, Blair said: "There is a real desire to make sure that we cancel the debt, and cancel the debt in such a way that it doesn't inhibit or disadvantage the international institutions." Bush has opposed key elements of the 10-year, $25 billion British plan, which would commit donor nations to double their aid to the poorest African nations. In a compromise, Bush pledged an additional $674 million for "humanitarian emergencies" in Africa. The money will be in addition to approximately $1.4 billion the Bush administration is spending on humanitarian needs this year, a National Security Council official said. Bush said U.S. aid to Africa has tripled during his tenure, but he said his administration wants the money to go to countries with "open economies and open markets." Blair said the time was right for wealthy countries to foster decisive change in Africa. "But it is a two-way commitment," he said. "We require the African leadership also to be prepared to make the commitment on governance against corruption -- in favor of democracy, in favor of the rule of law," Blair said. He said political reforms were needed to make sure that aid reached the people who needed it the most. "No developed nation is going to want to support a government that doesn't take an interest in their people, that doesn't focus on education and health care," he said. On the other hand Former U.S. president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter called for the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to be closed, "to demonstrate clearly our nation's historic commitment to protect human rights." "Our government needs to close down Guantanamo and the two dozen secret detention facilities run by the United States as soon as possible," Carter said Tuesday in Atlanta at a conference organized by the Carter Center, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). "The U.S. continues to suffer terrible embarrassment and a blow to our reputation...because of reports concerning abuses of prisoners in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo," he said after the two-day human rights conference, reports the Associated Press (AP). Such reports have surfaced despite President George W. Bush's "bold reminder that America is determined to promote freedom and democracy around the world," Carter said. Carter said the United States needs to make sure no detainees are held incommunicado and that all are told the charges against them, the news agency reports. He also called for an end to the policy of rendition, the transferring of prisoners to countries where there have been reports of torture, and pressed for an independent commission to investigate the U.S. detention facilities. In London Britain shelved plans for its own referendum on the EU constitution, driving a further stake into the heart of the stricken treaty and exposing a deep political rift with the European bloc. The move rebuffs calls from Britain's EU partners, particularly France and Germany, for other members of the 25-nation European Union to go on ratifying the text despite its rejection by French and Dutch voters last week. "We see no point in proceeding at this moment," Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said in a statement to parliament, although he declined to rule out holding a referendum "should circumstances change" in the future. The EU's Luxembourg presidency insisted the ratification process was "not dead," while European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso sought to downplay the significance of London's announcement. Barroso said no definitive decisions had been made by any member state. "So far, on the contrary, all the indications I have from all member states including the United Kingdom is that they want to discuss this issue in the European Council," he said, referring to an upcoming June 16-17 summit of EU leaders in Brussels. European Union leaders and financial ministers have wrapped up an Economic and Financial meeting in Luxembourg. EU integration was the focus of the meeting, as the bloc fights off a crisis precipitated by the refusal of voters in France and the Netherlands to endorse the EU constitution. The recent two NO votes by France and the Netherlands dominated the meeting. EU president Jean Claude Juncker warned that the community had to resolve its problems now, rather than wait for the current crisis to deepen. Meeting for the first time since the two NO votes, EU financial ministers focused on resolving some of the bloc's thorny financial issues, such as the British rebate and Italy's excessive deficit. They said an agreement on the 2007-2013 budget at the EU summit to be held in the middle of June would send the signal that the union is still functioning after all. |
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