newsitems

*Paris/Elysee Palace + Quai de Bercy/Angelo Marcopolo/- Exceptionaly intensive preparations for both forthcoming crucial Economic Summits on Europe (October 23 in Brussels : €uroZone) and the World (November 3-4 in Cannes : G 20) are unfolding in Paris,  where Ministers of Economy/Finance and Central Banks  Governors from 25 Countries (20 Members and 5 "Guests"), as well as 10 Regional/International Organizations, (EU, African Union, NEPAD,  IMF, World Bank, OECD, UNDEP, etc.), are gathering today in the framework of the 2011 French EU Presidency for the G20 Summit of Heads of State/Government next month, aiming to stimulate decisive progress on efficient and comprehensive €uroZone reforms on time, while also Drafting tonight (Friday) and adopting tomorrow afternoon (Saturday) a key declaration for the Cannes G20 Summit's Agenda, where China's role is among the major questions (See infra).

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Significantly, the 2011 G20 Chairman, French President Sarkozy, (who appeared so smiling and active-looking today that he surprised even experienced Photographers), had an unscheduled working meeting with German Finance Minister Schauble, and kept his planned contact with EU Commission's President Barroso, later this afternoon, much more longer than initialy expected :

    - Barroso, indeed, exceptionally stayed with Sarkozy at Elysee Palace for more than 1 hour and 15 minutes, arriving on 5 p.m. but not leaving before 6.15 p.m., while he was initially due, on the contrary, to take part into the G20 Ministerial gathering at Quai de Bercy, where participants were officially welcomed from 5.45 to 6 p.m., starting immediately afterwards with a Reception from 6 p.m., extended to a Working Diner up until 9 p.m. : I.e. he had to miss at least 45 minites to 1 hour of G20 contacts, (where, however, participated also other EU officials, such as EU Commissioner on Economy and Finances, Oli Rehn, EU Council's President Herman Van Rompuy, etc)...

    And this, despite the Intensity of the work done today in Paris, which had already started to be prepared by Deputies Experts (Ambassadors and other Officials) since Yesterday, Thursday, October 13, from 3 to 9 p.m., and was followed, later tonight (Friday, October 14), also by an open-ended "Drafting Session", due to begin from 8 p.m.+...
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- "The most important thing is (to make) a good preparation of the Cannes' Summit" of the G20 Heads of State/Government, stressed an experienced Sarkozy's Counselor to "EuroFora", while also warning that there would rather be not much public infos on EU Commission's Head, Barroso's visit to Sarkozy later this afternoon.

Despite several Media representatives gathered at the Elysee Presidential Palace waiting for that meeting, (f.ex. USA's Associated Press, France's AFP, Reuters, Spain's EFE and Radio, "EuroFora", numerous TV broadcasters and Photographers, etc), nevertheless, a smiling but tightlipped Barroso simply saluted us, without saying anything, and jumped at his car, already late for the scheduled G20 Ministerial and Central Banks' Governors gathering at the other side of Paris, in Quai de Bercy, (and he kept his cards secret even at a short, scheduled press contact with a French TV overnight)..

+ "EuroFora" saluted  Barroso's Head of Cabinet, the experienced Johannes Laitenberger, former long-time Press Director for EU Commission, who smiled in reply while carrying heavy documents and notes in Elysee Palace, as well as serious looking while hastily leaving the longer than usual meeting, at the head of a team of various staff EU Officials.

However, parallel French sources clearly indicated that, precisely, in order to be able to focus at the beginning of November in Cannes on the present and future developments concerning specifically the G20, we should have cleared out earlier whatever might be still pending from the €uroZone issue, (as French President Sarkozy has already set as a target).

But Chinese a.o. experts reportedly downplayed the €uroZone problems, considering that they could be solved, at least partly asap, contrary to USA's own  issues, which might be even worse, deeper and socialy dangerous, as they said.

While the Yen's price looks as an issue for certain other G20 partners, on the contrary, China reportedly stands together with many EU and other (f.ex. India, Brazil, South Africa, etc) "emerging" countries concerning the wish to strengthen IMF's role in refinancing the Global Economy, particulary when recent Estimations revealed a steady but slower Growth for 2011 and 2012 than initially expected worldwide.

This problem has, notoriously, to be tackled by most Developed Countries almost at the same time with that of Sovereign Debt, while, meanwhile, fresh Data clearly show, nevertheless, Huge, erratic Capital Flows moving fast from Countries to Countries, and Money "Reserves" to steadily grow, more and more, particularly since 2001 and 2009, accumulating a Huge, mounting Buildup of Foreign Exchange Reserves, going from initialy 4% up to more than 14% in terms of Global GDP, (i.e. une augmentation of more than X 350 % )!!!...

Added to the recently extreme "Volatiliy" of Raw Materials (Energy, Food, etc) prices Worldwide, (See IMF's Head, Christine Lagarde's reply to "EuroFora"'s question at the Press Conference of the Initial 2011 G20 Finance Miisters conference last February in Paris), al this obviously boils down to a blatant need for at least some key Rules to be set up asap at Global level, (See also forthcoming NewsReports).

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Another big issue in 2011 G20 Summit is China's participation and role : 2011 G8-G20 Chairman, French President Sarkozy, had already welcomed Beijing's expected involvement and stressed earlier that "we are working very hard, in particular with a view to the G20 in Cannes", on the "questions which have emerged....for economic powers such as China" :

- "This is a Major Issue that concerns me", had stressed Sarkozy in reply to a question raised already at Deaville's G8 Summit (See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from the spot, 5/2011) by a Chinese Media representative : - "The curreht "difficulty with trade negotiations and environment negotiations...is a result of the fact that we are trying to resolve the problems of the 21st century with an organisation from the last century", he pointed out then. 

- Because "in the past century, the 20th century, there were 2 major Categories of Countries -- the countries of the North and the countries of the South, the Rich countries and the Poor countries -- and all International Negotiations were organised on the basis of this reality"

- "But things have since changed. ....in between, there is a 3rd category of countries which are the Emerging countries and that have become Major Powers; China, for example, has even surpassed Japan to become the 2bd largest Economy in the World. But we cannot say that the world's 2nd largest economy is a Poor country, in the same way that certain African countries are. But it is true that, in these countries that have become major powers, there are also large pockets of Poverty with considerable Development issues", he acknowledged, (apparently accepting a large part of what Chinese President Hu Jintao had reportedly stressed at UNO's Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change, back on 12/2009 : Comp. "EuroFora"s NewsReports from Copenhagen).

 => -"Therefore, for each of these 3 Categories of Countries, we have to find the Right words and the Right position for resolving problems. Take f.ex. the Environment : we cannot impose the same rules on India and China as we impose on ourselves. But would it be acceptable to not impose on them any rules at all? In the World Trade Organization, it is perfectly normal for us, the Industrialized countries -- as we have mentioned -- to remove all our barriers to an African country with a very high level of poverty. But should we do the same thing for economic powers such as Brazil or China, however much Friendship we may have for them? This is the Question that has emerged and on which we are working very hard, in particular with a view to the G20 in Cannes, although I have confidence in the capacity of our Chinese friends to understand this situation, and I was very pleased to be able to open a Monetary Seminar in Nankin", noted Sarkozy, who has since made 2 visits to China, as well as welcomed Chinese President Hu Jintao in France, precisely there where the 2011 G20 Summit is scheduled : at the superbe, world famous (mainly by the prestigious International Cinema Awards) city of Cannes.

    + So, during Sarkozy's latest visit to China (25/8/2011), after 2,5 Hours of exchange of views with President Hu Jintao, he "observed a large Community of views with the chinese side concerning our evaluation of the Global Economy's situation and the Need to Coordinate the Economic Policies of G20's Members, in order to undertake Initiatives to strengthen Growth in the World, in the way which is Appropriate to each one of the Economies involved".

    - "It goes without saying that, in the framework of such Initiatives, China has a 1st grade Role to play, as second Economy of the World, as the most Populated Country in the World, and as Monetary Power since Yuan's emergence", Sarkozy then underlined.

While even Economy-experienced French Presidential palace Elysee's new Secretary General, Xavier Musca, speaking earlier to "EuroFora", clearly confirmed that possible findings of Oil-Gas a.o. Natural Resources in EU areas, (as f.ex. in EU Member Cyprus' territorial waters), can help to boost much needed EU's Growth,

Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid risks to face troubled waters in deep sea, judging by the stubborn and threatening reactions of Turkish Minister Bagis afer the unanimous EU, CoE, USA and Russia's calls to respect EU Member Country Cyprus' sovereign Right to peacefully explore and develop its Natural Resources inside its Exclusive Economic Zone on the base of several Bilateral Agreements with all other Neighbouring Countries as Egypt, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, etc. and according to the International Law of the Sea.

Particularly when the moves come just a few weeks before EU Parliament's full weekly Plenary Session in Strasbourg debates and votes on the 26th of October EU's Annual Budget for 2012, where several MEPs might be enclined to launch a call for Financial Sanctions against Ankara's more than 800 Millions € EU grants each year, a fortiori if Turkish threats are materialized...

Meanwhile, 2 exceptionally important EU and €uroZone Summits for Heads of State/Government has just been agreed for Sunday, 23th of October, in Brussels, i.e. at the eve of EU Parliament's forthcoming weekly Plenary Session in Strasbourg, (24-27/10/2011), which are due to discuss, among other Topical issues, also "External" aspects of the European Economy, including Energy and Minerals' supplies, as key elements for desired Growth :

I.e. precisely what seems to be at stake in Cyprus' a.o. exploration at its territorial deep waters, where specialized Texas US Company "Noble Energy" has just started drilling, reportedly with even better foundings on Gas which appear to go well beyond initial expectations,  shortly before a 2nd round of Licences' attribution is due to be opened during the following Weeks, as Cyprus' Commerce and Industry Minister, Mrs Praxula Antoniadou anounced today to German MPs, given that various, Norwegian, French, German, Russian, Israeli, Chinese, a.o. compagnies are reportedly interested.

     - "Turkey will always continue to react, as long as Greek Cypriots operate in the Eastern Mediterranean" Sea, reportedly threatened Bagis, inter alia, claiming that, in this sense, "the situation in the Mediterranean is at the hands of Greek Cypriots" (sic !), as he called the Internationally recognized Government of EU, CoE and UNO Member Cyprus.  

     + This was added also to other provocative statements by the Turkish Minister, who also claimed, f.ex. that "not even one Journalist isn't jailed in Turkey for its work", (sic !), slamed the EU Commission for even a benign Criticism on "Minorities"' Rights violations, and repeated Ankara's threats to not even "sit at the same table" with EU Member Cyprus, when it will take over the rotating Chairmanship of EU Council, in less than a years' time, (from the beginning of July 2012), etc.
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    - Bagis was reacting to EU Commission's Annual Reports on Turkey, published today in Brussels, which stress that "the (European) Union urges the Avoidance of Any kind of Threat, source of friction or action which could damage good neighbourly relations and the peaceful settlement of disputes", observing also the fact that "the Republic of Cyprus reported Violations of its Territorial Waters and Airspace by Turkey".

    - EU Commissioner on Enlargement and Neighborhood relations, Stefan Fuhle, reportedly reiterated that each EU Member State has a Sovereign Right to conclude Bilateral Agreements with any other Country, (f.ex. on Exclusive Economic Zones at the surrounding Mediterranean Sea), according to EU and International Law, while any threat to use Military Force, provoke Tension and/or behave in a way contrary to Peaceful Resolution of all dirputes is unacceptable by the EU, which reiterated again its call  for Turkey to normalize its relations vis a vis Cyprus.

    + Moreover, "Senior representatives of the Turkish government have stated that relations with the EU Presidency will be Frozen for six months as of 1 July 2012, in the absence of a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue, when Cyprus takes over the Council presidency", EU Commission's 2011 Report critically notes.

     - EU Commission also denounced the fact that, inter alia, "despite repeated Calls by the (EU) Council (of Heads of State/Government)  and the Commission, Turkey still has Not complied with its Obligations outlined in the declaration by the European Community and its Member States of 21 September 2005, (comp. "EuroFora"s Co-Founder's FrontPage NewsReport from UNO Headquarters at New York one week before that), and in (EU) Council conclusions, including the December 2006 and December 2010 conclusions" :

    - Thus, from 2005 up to 2011, Turkey "has not (yet) met its Obligation to ensure full, non-discriminatory application of ..the (EU) Association Agreement and has Not removed all Obstacles to the Free Movement of goods, including Restrictions on direct Transport links with Cyprus", while, at the same time, "there was No progress on normalising bilateral relations with the Republic of Cyprus", and "Turkey has Not lifted its Veto of Cyprus' Membership of several international organisations, including the OECD and the Wassenaar Arrangement on export controls for conventional arms and dual-use goods", EU Commission's 2011 Report critically observes.

    + In addition, "the Threat of casus Belli in response to the possible extension of Greek territorial Waters made in the 1995 resolution of the Turkish Grand National Assembly still stands" today, in 2011, while "a substantial number of formal complaints about Violations of its territorial waters and airspace by Turkey, including flights over Greek islands", was denounced in 2011 by Greece, who is hindered, thus, even to pay its Debts with its own Energy Resources at the Aegean Sea, i.e. inside EU territory, according to the International Law of the Sea.

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+ CoE's PanEuropean Assembly : Declaration of + 60 MEPs
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    - Meanwhile, a large Group of MEPs from the Biggest Political Parties and several European a.o. Countries, published, at the conclusion of CoE's PanEuropean  Assembly, earlier these days in the CoE, a Topical written "Declaration", which has just started to be distributed in Strasbourg, on "Turkey's threats against the Sovereign Right of the Republic of Cyprus to Explore its Oil and Natural Gas Resources within its Exclusive Economic Zone"  :
    - MEPs' Declaration "Welcomes Statements by, inter alia, the USA, the Russian Federation, EU Member States, and the EU Commissioner for Enlargement (and Neighborhood), concerning the Inalienable, Sovereign Right of Cyprus to explore eventual Oil and Natural Gas deposits within its EEZ",

    and "strongly Condemn(s) Turkey's ""Bellicose" Threats against a Member State of the CoE and the EU", while also "Calling on the Turkish Prime Minister (Erdogan) to immediately Cease all Threats and actions provoking a Climate of Tension in the Region".

    +The PanEuropean Assembly MEPs' Declaration also "call" on Erdogan to "cease .. his Blackmail for Collapse of the on-going (UN-sponsored) Talks on the Cyprus' (political) problem, should the Republic of Cyprus proceed with its (EEZ's Natural Resources) Exploration".

     - "Faced with strong and Growing Threats by Turkey, against exercicing its Sovereign Right to Prospect for Oil and Natural gas within its Exclusive Economic ZOne (EEZ)", the "Republic of Cyprus", has, nevertheless, "this Right (which) stems from, and is in strict Compliance with International Law, and in particular the Convention on the Law of the Sea, which Turkey has Not signed to date", CoE's PanEuropean Assembly's MEPs explain.

    The New Text is signed by some 60 mainstream MEPs from the 3 Biggest Political Parties (ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Socialists and Liberals) but also from the Left, representing many important European Countries, such as Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain,  but also a Wider GeoPolitical spectrum extending even to the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Greece, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Lithuania,  Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Armenia (which wil chair the CoE from November 2012), Cyprus, Monaco, Andorra (which will chair the CoE from May 2012), etc.
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    Contrary to Turkey's threats, among the main other Countries, directly neighbouring with the expected findings in Cyprus' exclusive economic zone, the Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamil Amr, reportedly confirmed that "Egypt will respect any commitment and agreement that it concluded", replying positively in a Journalist's question on the earlier agreement between Egypt and Cyprus on the demarcation of the two neighbouring and friendly countries' economic zones in the South Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

    + Moreover, Israel reportedly confirmed its clear stance to support peaceful Oil Gas Explorations in Cyprus as in its own territorial waters, while various other sources observed, that, after Turkey's threats and moves to sent Ship^s, including Military, throughout all the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, American and French Army Ships were reported heading towards Cyprus, where also German Army Ships are hosted since the 2006 Lebanon crisis for UNO Peacekeeping operations, as well as Israeli Helicopters, etc.

    According to some unverified yet informations, it's not excluded that Cyprus' President Christofias might visit, later this week, the drilling Platform of "Noble Energy" at the area known as square "12".
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    Risks to more or less "Freeze" EU's annual grants to Turkey, more than 800 Millions €, (obviously more and more Difficult to explain to Critical EU Citizens in a Period of Austerity and Budget Cuts, nor to other Neighbouring Countries, from Ukraine to Moroco, who complain for receiving Less EU funds), might come at a Dangerous point for Ankara's Economy, now that it started to face "Significant and Rising External Imbalances that pose a Threat to Macroeconomic Stability" :

Indeed,  "Trade and Current Account Deficits have been Rising", as long as "Credit growth, ..along with High commodity Prices, continues", while "Turkey's Price and Cost Export Competitiveness has slightly Worsened", and "Inflation has started to Rise, in large part due to Pressures stemming from Energy and Food Inputs, ...and Hikes in administrative Prices", making "Structural Reforms" necessary in an attempt to "Help Turkey to gain Credibility in the Markets", despite the fact that "Market Exit remains Difficult, and Bankruptcy proceedings are still relatively Cumbersome", as EU Commission today criticized :

I.e. in "Turkey .. there are increasing signs of OverHeating", provoking an obvious Threat to retun back to the 1998-2001 Past era of "Boost and Bust" successive Turkish Crisis...

Something particularly serious, when, in Turkey, also  "Corruption remains prevalent in many areas", "large-scale Undeclared Work and ...female employment rates are still matters of Concern", "the scope of the Labour Law remains Limited", and "enforcement of Health and Safety at work legislation Needs to be stepped up", while "the Risk of Poverty remains very High, especially for the Rural population and for Children", as EU Commissioner Fulher warned today.

Meanwhile, it's certainly bad for Turkish Banks to be "Black-listed" by "the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)" since "June 2011", particularly in the middle of the current Global Financial Crisis, because FATF "considers that Turkey has strategic Deficiencies in the area of anti-Money Laundering", in addition to the fact that "there has been No progress in payment systems and the level of overall alignment with the acquis remains Incomplete", while even Politically Motivated "Incidents of Prevention of Transactions (with) Banks established in Turkey have been reported", (f.ex. for Banks established in EU Member Cyprus, etc).

The recent "Black-listing" of Turkish Banks by FATF is due to be reviewed before the end of October 2011 in an Anti-Money Laundering Experts' meeting at the CoE in Strasbourg.

* 7.10 Saverne +8.10 Niederhaslach/Angelo Marcopolo/-  Speaking to Journalists including "EuroFora" at the conclusion of 2011's Annual Congress of regional Natural Parcs, Super-Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transports and Housing, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, an experienced politician despite her Young age, to whom French President Sarkozy has entrusted also the Task to prepare (together with former EU and current succesful Agriculture Minister Bruno Le Maire) a strategic Vision for the Future, on the occasion of Next Year's 2012 Elections, appeared rather positively disposed towards eventually testing similar moves of careful but pioneer rapprochement between the ChristianDemocrat/EPP political family and at least some "Green" politicians and/or Citizens sincerely motivated by a genuin Ecologic movement, as recently in Germany, where even Pope Benedict's landmark speech at the Bundestag, pointing at possible convergences on the need to protect both Physical and Human Nature from dangerous Manipulations in these modern times, (Comp. "EuroFora"s recent NewsReports from nearby Freiburg/Germany, and other relevant "EuroFora"'s Publications, f.ex. on the 2010 CDU/CSU and "Greens"' Party's Congresses) :

    + She was echoed just a Day afterwards by the President of Strasbourg's Lower Rhein Department, the popular, Citizen-friendly Guy Dominique Kennel, (See infra).

- "We are in favor of Ecologic Values, without Ideologic barriers", stressed in particular Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, after a launching a call to boost "Innovation" also inside "Natural regional Parcs", (already more than 46 throughout France, and still growing fast in number and areas covered), in her concluding speech to NRP's 2011 Congress, topically placed this year under the suggestive Heading : "Naturally a Culture : Landscapes' Future Dynamism"...

    + Replying to Press questions, the key French Minister evoked, for example, among others, also the "Similar, if not Identical, concerns and Principles for "Safety" that "we have in France, as in neighbouring Germany and/or Switzerland, etc, (even if we don't always share everywhere the same views on everything else, as she said) : F.ex.  in Energy projects, from checking anew if existing Nuclear Plants are really safe, up to prohibiting the obtention of Gas from schist in Rocky, Mountainous geologic formations, through a controversial method which injects Water in order to break up Rock layers, suspected to provoke even Earthquakes, particularly if it's used near Seismic Faults underground, (as f.ex. recently in the USA, earlier at nearby Mulhouse, and previously, probably at the 1999 Deadly Turkish huge Earthquake, etc).

    She was logically accompagnied by Minister for Territorial Entities and Decentralisation, Philippe Richert, who was recently elected President of Strasbourg's Region Alsace : A Former Professor in Natural Sciences, and a long-time Ecology-motivated activist.

    + Kosciusko-Morizet's call to boost "Innovation" in Natural landscapes, concerns currently various concrete examples, as, f.ex. an EU-supported project to network in Fiber Optics' super-Fast Broadband an area of Villages at Bietsche, in order to "go against the Digital Divide" and allow also the for creative People to become able to live in Healthy Nature, according to an Electoral Promisse made by Sarkozy, as the 1st vice-President of nearby Moselle Department, Daniel Zintz, Mayor of Siersthal, told "EuroFora", pointing at a pioneer project which had been presented initially at an International Conference in New York..

    Nathalie  Kosciusko-Morizet was due to speak also at the CoE, next Monday, in an interesting Annual Conference for Landscapes' protection, (See earlier "EuroFora"s NewsReports on CoE's Convention on Natural and Cultural Landscapes), on the topical issue of "Nature in the City", which is currently threatening a shaky "Socialist-Greens" controversial coalition in Strasbourg, in view of imminent plans to stubornly destroy unique Natural areas in the City, even in socially sensitive neighbourhoods, wasting f.ex. too much of Taxpayer's Money in order to Cut down many Trees aged 30 Years, demolish rare Sight-seing Hills and Historic Monuments older than 40 Years, restrict Freedom of Access to pre-existing Green areas by imposing walls of concrete and/or Metal fences, demolishing quiet and Safe Bicycle/Pedestrian pathways, etc, even contrary to well-known Petitions signed by Hundreds among the immediately affected Inhabitants..

    + Meanwhile, her main move was shortly followed, just a Day later, by even more specific Statements to "EuroFora" by the Citizens-friendly and popular President of Strasbourg's Lower Rhine department, Guy-Dominique Kennel, brillantly re-elected recently with a 67% large Majority in his own area, who was symbolically inaugurating a new .. Bicycle path between superb Forests and Mountains near Strasbourg (benefiting from a Direct Train link with the Airport and the main Railroad station), linking Niederhaslach and Urmatt, (i.e. the village where French President Sarkozy had launched, since 2009, a landmark call to boost EU's Forests, Nature and Agriculture with Modern Innovations for a Development without Unfair Competition nor Social or Environmental Dumping : See "EuroFora"s NewsReport from Urmatt, then) :

   

    - Already, f.ex. we are accelerating the extension of Bicycle pathways in a more than 730 Kms long expanding Network due to link all Countryside, and, today, the amounts of Money that we Invest in Bicycle paths has become Equal to that which is spend on Car Motorways (50-50%). Meanwhile even the abundant Rivers of the area are recently being revitalized and cleaned up, producing healthy water to the point that we have also started to raise f.ex. many thousands of FreshWater Crayfish !", Kennel cited among various concrete examples. So, "we are ready and willing to develop Ecological approaches, activities, projects and cooperations in real practice, together with all sincerely Motivated People, but without Ideological Dogmatism", President Kennel replied to "EuroFora" positivelly.

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    Decisively, today's grassroots' moves towards creating concrete but pioneer links between  ChristianDemocrats and "Greens" among sincere, Values-motivated People (Comp. the above mentioned "EuroFora"s previous NewsReports from Freiburg 2011 and 2010, Karlsruhe 2010, on Berlin 2011, etc), appear faster and more spontaneous than we thought !

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- OECD's Secretary General, the experienced Angel Guria, who has just started his 2nd mandate after his recent re-election until 2016, speaking to "EuroFora" after the Annual Debate in CoE's Assembly on Global Economy, pointed at the right "Combination" of Growth Stimulation and  Debt's reduction, in order to boost mainly Employment, while looking at the Agenda of the forthcoming G20 Heads of State/Governments' Summit at Cannes, under French Presidency, scheduled for early November 2011, at a crucial moment for EU's and World's ways out of the Global Crisis.

-"Of course, there is always a Hope :  If we tried to do it with what (Time) is left, No ?", joked Guria with a sharp but justified smile, proposing to "EuroFora" a fast-track Press encounter, in the few Minutes available after a full CoE Assembly Plenary Debate on OECD and many intensive International meetings with 7 Delegations from all over the World (See infra), just before catching an Airplane...

- "They (G20 Summit at Cannes) have a very Large and Good Agenda", OECD's Head warned from the outset.

- "But the most important thing, obviously will be how to face the present situation in the Markets".

+ "And", in particular, "this very difficult Combination between the (Economic Growth) Recovery and the (Sovereign Debts') Fiscal Consolidation.. It's all going so thin", he added carefuly. Meaning apparently that delicate "Balancing" between two apparently opposed policies, that he had earlier evoked in the Oral version of his Speech in CoE's Parliamentary Assembly, we observed.

- "That Balance is now becoming not only Desirable, I think it's becoming (even) Indispensable", OECD's Secretary General stressed, in reply to"EuroFora"s observation.

- "Because, this is a New Discipline that the Markets are providing : Now the Markets are saying that : now you have to do Both", and "at the same time : that's the Difficulty !"

- F.ex., "let's say, they say : "Go for Growth", and then, they kill you, because , they say, "you need Adjustment", etc. "And then, you only go for Fiscal Consolidation", and "they tell you : - "You know, we are going to Downgrade you, because you don't have enough Growth in the" economy...

- In these conditions, "the best example" might be that of the latest "Obama's proposal : the 3% of GDP, 450 Billions $, in a very Tight Budget", he speculated.  Questioned by "EuroFora" if he was sure that this could be also good for many other Countries around the World, and not only for the specific situation of the US, Angel Guria replied that, at least; it seems to be "a Good Way to make a Credible Medium/Long term Scenario", as he carefully said... - "And then, you can have a Short term, Job ..horizontal Package"..he added among others, (interrupted by practical needs to catch fast an Airplane).

EU has repeatedly made it clear that the current originality of its own, European Strategy in the way out of the Global Crisis, is to focus on Investment to Research and Innovation, while also putting Budgets on a steady Fiscal Consolidation course, (including by officially adopting the "Gloden Rule", with Time Deadlined cmmitments on Debt reduction, while, at the same time, resolutely advancing forward in "Inregration", (See "EuroFora"s relevant publications, including from the recent EU Parliament's Plenary session in Strasbourg : 9/2011, and from the Franco-German Summits in Freiburg/Gemany on 12/2010 and Paris, 8/2011)      

 - Concerning the forthcoming G20, November 2011 Summit at Cannes, (chaired by France), "the most important thing is that the Agenda will be about Volatility of Raw Materials' Prices, f.ex. in Food, Oil, etc., OECD's Head observed, confirming the Innovation introduced at the First G20 Financial 2011 Summit in Paris, as former French Minister and new IMF's Director Christine Lagarde had stressed in reply to an "EuroFora"s Question, (See previous NewsReports from the Paris event).

    + But Cannes' G20 Summit Agenda is due to include also "about the Currency situation and Capital Flows, and then it's going to be, by necessity, about Fossil Fuel", as well as "a question on Employment", which is "very important" : "It's going to be like the <<Elephant under the Table>>", Guria guessed...  

    In parallel, the G8 will continue to be "focusing on Strategic issues, Middle East and Northern Africa", etc, as during  the latest, landmark G8 Summit of Heads of State and Government, on May 2011 in Deauville, under the chairmanship of French President Sarkozy, (See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from the spot).

    -  Meanwhile,"We are going to have another G20 Finance Ministers' meeting in Paris, on the 14th and 15th of October, after the end of which, "we go to Cannes' (G 20 Heads of State/Government Summit), in 2 Weeks' time", he pointed out.

    - "Keep an eye on that meeting", because "it's going to be very important", since "it's gonna set the Agenda for Cannes"" G20 Heads of State/Government Summit, OECD's Head advised "EuroFora", confirming also that he is due to participate in both personally.
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+ 7 Delegations from Australia to Japan, Canada and Mexico +..
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    During his Day-long stay in Strasbourg, Angel Guria almost transformed the PanEuropean CoE into a ...Global Forum, with the exceptional participation of "7 Delegations" from various OECD Member States spreading from all over the World, including f.ex. Australia, Canada, Chile (new OECD Member), Israel,  Japan, Korea and Mexico  :

    After actively participating to COE Assembly's Debates on OECD's 2011 Annual Report, these 7 Delegations from International Guests held very Intensive discussions with the Head of the OECD in Strasbourg, one after the other, up to late afternoon, when a busy Guria rapidly snatched his abudant documents, gathered around him his sympathetic team, and run fast towards a special car to catch a TGV or an Airplane, ... while still speaking to "EuroFora" up to the last minute, with an astonishingly Fast, Crystal-clear and Energetic way...
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    + At the aftermath of Cannes,  the next G 20 is due to be held much Sooner than usual, i.e.  shortly after the next G8 in the USA, scheduled around May 2012, due to be closely followed by the G20 in Mexico (f.ex. on June), "because they (Mexicans) have Elections on July, and want to hold the Summit before" that, Guria explained, according to a Timetable which obviously fits also USA's October 2012 Election..  
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    OECD was initially mentioned, as a potential contributor for the implementation of Global Heads of State/Government Summits during the 2007 G7 Summit in Heiligendam, under German chairmanship, (comp. French President Satkozy's reply to "EuroFora" co-founder's question on the spot). Since then, the Paris-based International Economic Cooperation Organization has progressively augmented its practical contribution to the implementation mainly of G20 goals, while also pursuing, in parallel, a long-awaited Enlargment process opening its doors f.ex. to Russia and other Countries, even if in a somewhat slower than normal pace, goven certain older Member Countries' hasitations to Enlarge fasrter, (or even brutal "Vetos", as f.ex. Turkey's refysal of any cooperation between OECD and Cyprus, even in EU-paid programs, for which Ankara is routinely criticized by the EU).

    Thus, Angel Guria's 2 succesive mandates as OECD's Secretary General (2006-2016) practically coincide with the International Economic Organization's growing contribution to the G8 and G20 Summits' implementation, for which he has appointed as diplomatic "Sherpa" his own personal Office Director, Gabriela Ramos.  

 
    The 5Oth Anniversary Summit of the OECD, earlier last May 2011 in Paris, (See "EuroFora"s NewsReport from the event, at the eve of G8 Summit in Deauville), shortly after inaugurating its functional New Buildings, artfully combined with its Historic "Chateau" inside the same beautiful garden, was largely attended by many Ministers and even Prime Ministers (f.ex. of Japan, Greece, etc) from all over the World, and gave an opportunity to reflect and speculate also on OECD's on-going efforts to complete its Enlargement to Russia and other Countries, in order to better tackle the Historic Challenge of progressively becoming a central Institutional Tool for Global G8 and mainly G20 Heads of State/Government's Summits' decisions monitoring, (comp. Supra).     

PanEuropean CoE in Strasbourg (already enlarged to Russia and other Countries since 1996+) traditionally plays the role of OECD's Parliamentary Forum, during Annual sessions exceptionally enlarged to all OECD Member States, (See, f.ex. supra).

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(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already sent earlier to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors. A complete and more accurate, Final Version is due asap).

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