French deputy Defence Minister Arif +EUROCORPS Chief Bavinchove to EuroFora: Political Will for ESDP

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- 20 Years after the creation of the European Corps of Army, HeadQuartered at EU's Franco-German core's Heartland : Strasbourg, EUROCORPS has already the required capacities in order to become a key "Motor" part of a fully-fledged EU Security and Defence policy, currently prepared for the End of 2013, able to act in several Hotspots, particularly closer to the EU, (where it's badly lacking, such as Syria, Mali, etc., after having served at Kosovo and Afghanistan), replied in substance French deputy MInister of Defense and former MEP, Kader Arif, as well as EUROCORPS' Commander, General Olivier de Bavinchov, to "EuroFora"s Questions, during a MultiNational Ceremony, together with Belgian Defence Minister Pieter De Crem, Germany's 4 Star General Wieker, and several other Officials from many EU Countries.

-------------------

 - "EuroFora"s Question pointed, in substance, to double but convergent recent developments : Shortly after the latest EU Summit in Brussels, on December 2012, officially decided to launch the preparation of Strategic Decisions on EU's Security and Defence Policy, due to be finalized until December 2013, the Declaration adopted at the Franco-German Summit of January 2013 in Berlin, during the celebration of 50 Years since the Historic De Gaulle - Adenauer's signature of the "Elysee Treaty" (1963-2013), anounced, inter alia, the intention to become able to "deploy on the spot" Civic Protection and Military Forces, in cooperation also with other willing EU Member States, by using tools such as, in particular, "EuroCorps", which was explicitly mentioned.

In this context, do you think that EUROCORPS already has, or could soon have the adequate Technbical Capacities to fullfil, if and when it might be necessary and Politically Desirable, some Peace-Keeping Operations in Countries located closer to the EU, as around the Mediterranean Sea, (that New French Deputy Minister of Defence, Kader Arif, knows particularly well, also as former EU Parliament's Rapporteur for the Mediterranean : Comp. MEP Arif's replies to "EuroFora" co-Founder's Questions f.ex. on the development of Oil/Gas Explortation and Sea Transport by Ships etc. in the area, published as early as since 2007 to "TCWeekly"), f.ex., eventually, in Syria, in case of a  Break-down of the State, in order to prevent violent Extremists to provoke chaos, if such a European move was authorized by UNO's Security Council, (i.e. including with Russia and China's agreements, therefore, inevitably, out of any NATO framework) ?", we asked.

After carefully asking "EuroFora" to clarify this question, new French Deputy Defence Minister, experienced former MEP, Kader Arif, even if he preferred not to mention any Country in particular, be it Syria or another, strongly stressed that - "My feeling, from the French Defence Ministry, is that, as You know, our Political Will is to have as a No 1 Priority, to meet the current Needs in making Progress towards building a European Security and Defence policy".

 - "This question was discussed at the December 2012 EU Summit, (Comp. "EuroFora"s relevant NewsReport from Brussels, then). France anounced a number of Initiatives, and Germany even more, in the area of Defence", (including jointly at the Franco-German Summit a few Days ago in Berlin),

=> We are expecting from the (EU) Summit which will take place at the end of 2013, to Advance forward on certain areas which have been cleared out, including "Operational issues, and the Forces that EU Countries could engage in order to have a real common European Defence policy". I.e., mainly on 3 practical directions : Operational,  Capacity-building, and on Industrial basis.

- About EUROCORPS, General de Bavinchove may have something more specific to say, but it has already been succesfully engaged once Kosovo and twice in Afghanistan, And things are Evolving,, f.ex. New Countries are preparing to join it, in one way or another,

- There are also (wider) Developments going well beyond the Franco-German Brigade, at a 1st stage : I know that there is also a Vision (about a European Force), concerning Capacities and at the Operational level, which is under Discussion,

 - So, I believe that things evolve towards a Good Direction", and, even without being a specialist in that matter, I think that EUROCORPS has a Structure (and an Experience) which can become a key element of EU Security/Defence policy's <<Motor>>", Minister Arif concluded in reply to "EuroFora"s Question.

+ "EU Parliament might, indeed, be helpful in this direction", agreed afterwards the French Minister with "EuroFora", remembering with a smile our previous cooperation in EU News reporting from Strasbourg, particularly when former MEP Kader Arif was EU Rapporteur on the development of a Mediterranean Free Trade Zone. ------------------------------------
- "EUROCORPS is a more than a simply Necessary tool, particularly when we (EU) currently aim to advance towards more European Cooperation for a credible EU Security and Defence policy, observed also the Belgian Defence Minister, Pieter De Crem, (who is reportedly expected to be one among the leading Candidates for the post of NATO's new Secretary General after 2014), speaking just a few Months before Belgium takes over the rotating command of the Strasbourg-Headquartered Multinational force.

------------------------------
- Already, "in the modern History of EU Countries, EUROCORPS is the Largest  Deployment of conventional Military Forces, Ready to take action whenever required", added later proudly General de Bavinchove, while observing also that, in addition to Poland expected to join soon the currently 5 full-Member Nations : France, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg, accompagnied by "Associated" Countries Greece and Italy, even non-EU member Turkey, where Romania was due to be added, in parallel with an always possible USA entry, as he reminded.          
----------------------

+ EUROCORPS is logically Headquartered in Strasbourg, Historical symbol also of EU Parliament and of the Franco-German Reconciliation, (initiated 50 years ago by De Gaulle and Adenauer), which is the stronger Basis of the European Ideal, our Future, stressed later-on the French Minister Arif. But, if France and Germany decided to join forces in order to create, already 20 Years ago, with Mitterand and Kohl, since 1993, a "Momentum" towards a European Security/Defence policy, as they stressed, it was not at all a question of any "Monopol", since Other willing EU Member Countries can Join, and Discussions are today "open" in order to stimulate an EU progress towards relaunching a real European Security and Defence policy, as he pointed out.  Thus, our commitment, while being "Pragmatic", is also the 1st support to a "Visionary" project for the Future, through which a European Dream can advance further, Minister Arif concluded in his speech to EUROCORPS' public ceremony.

+ Replying afterwards to Strasbourg Mayor, Senator Ries' observation, that it was natural to start building at the City of ECHR, CoE and EU Parliament, symbolizing a Modern alliance of the Franco-German Reconciliation with Values of Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, a Force able to Defend Peace based on such Values, the former MEP, French Minister Kader Arif, pointed to the need but also to the possibility to "find here a tolerant and appeased Collective European Memory", allowing us to become proud to be at the same time French, German or Italian, etc., while also being Europeans, as he stressed, shortly before a mixed EUROCORPS' Music Band plays, under the TorchLights at a starry Strasbourg Evening open spectacle,  Bethoven's European Anthem, lively applauded by the city's People.

Meanwhile, a popular Reception at the Historic City Hall, there where a 1949 Summit has created the 1st European Organization : the CoE, allowed also to witness various simple but concrete examples of European Integration, spreading f.ex., from a German Army's Officer with a distinctively "Polish" origin Family Name,

to a Spanish Officer astonishingly named ... "Montenegro", (precisely as the well-known Western Balkans' Country, next Candidate to EU Accession),

as well as a ...Greek Officer representing an EU/NATO Rapid Reaction force headquartered in Valencia (Spain), etc.,

(EuroCorps' Greek Officers, with Consul Rosenstiehl, President of Napoleon's Memory Association in Strasbourg's region Alsace)

---

all mixed up even with a respectable, old Christian Anglican Priest from ... Canada, who revealed to "EuroFora" that he was, in fact, an Armenian-origin Refugees' son, his grand-father having been obliged to flee the 1896-1915 Armenian Genocide of the Ottoman-Turc era, when there wasn't yet any European Force, as "EUROCORPS" or other, able and willing to save innocent People from brutal Massacers, whose's manifold traces, including f.ex. a mass-Cemetery with many Armenian Civilians killed then, which, suddenly .. <<"Disappeared" during the 1980ies>>, when Local Turkish Authorities apparently took away the remains of all Armenians killed there, leaving only those of various other ethnic origins, in an obvious attempt to "Erase" History's Memory, as he told us...
------------
However, earlier today, Both Defence Ministers Arif and De Crem avoided saying anything about eventual future developments specifically "on Syria", even if it had been taken as a possible Example, among others, by "EuroFora"s question (Comp. Supra).

Nevertheless, the French Minister observed, earlier, as a matter of General Principle,  that Afghanistan was a rather Remote reality, far away from French People's immediate concerns, while, on the contrary, "Mali" was "closer", not only Geographically, but also from an Historic, Economic and Cultural point of view : Something which could play a role whenever European People's might become aware and conscious of serious issues with consequencies of vital importance for them, taking place at their closer neighborhood, as, f.ex. accross the Mediterranean Sea, at the same time that EU's Security and Defence capabilities emerge further.

- Meanwhile, reacting to "EuroFora"s Question (comp. Supra), experienced EUROCORPS' Commander, General Olivier de Bavinchove, told us that hypothesis as that concerning Syria, in fact, "depend on the Political Will" of Governments and European/International Organizations, (as EU, UNO, etc), but, at any case, "Yes, from a purely Technical point of view, EUROCORPS already had the Capacity" to eventually play such a role in the foreseeable Future.

- At any case, we must be always  Ready to act, because we never know if, when and where EUROCORPS might be called to act in the Future, General Bavinchove added later on, as a matter of principle.

Significantly, EUROCORPS' Commander spoke after having just Returned from a very Challenging 1 Year-long Mission at Afghanistan, where he has succesfully assumed the role of Head of the Joint Staff for a more than 140.000 armed men strong Multi-National Force :  ISAF, "coordinating, planifying and supporting all its operations", in a particularly dangerous context of various violent terrorist attacks, while also helping to build and train New, National Security Forces composed of Afgans, for the Authorities of that embattled and Mountainous Country.

Obviously, an eventual EUROCORPS' leading contribution to a possible European Peace-keeping operation, under UNO's auspices, if the Syrian State breaks down while notorious Extremist Groups threaten to continue provoking even further Chaos, could also avoid Risks of Territorial Military Expansionism by Neighbouring Countries (f.ex. Turkey, etc), which would otherwise be suspected to serve selfish interests, dangerously undermining any much needed prospect for a Stable Peace in that sensitive Middle East area.

- "In the face of the Collapse of a State and society, it is the Extremist groups that risk gaining ground, if we do not act as we should," an International gathering on Syria, a few days earlier in Paris, was reportedly told by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. - "Chaos is not tomorrow, it is today, and we need to end it. We need to end it in a Peaceful way". Otherwise, "there is a Risk, and we all know it exists, that Massacres and antagonisms amplify, and that Extremism and Terrorism prevail" in Syria, he warned, while mainstream Media reported, side by side, a Deadly Destruction of a City Building by Bombings during Fights, but also a Targetted Murder of the Family of a pro-regime MP, shooting dead also his Wife and two Daughters (AP), added to thousands of People already killed largely in unclear circonstances since the  initial Popular strive for Democratic Freedoms mutated into something looking like a bloody "Civil War", where Western Media have recently denounced the active presence also of some "Al Quaida" Terrorist Groups.

-----------------------------------------              
It's obvious that an eventual implication of EUROCORPS in a UN-sponsored Peace Keeping operation at a Mediterranean country as Syria, (where the necessary Agreement of Russia and China would practically mean a NATO-less force), could also give a clear reply to serious Critical Questions, as that raised today f.ex. by our experienced collegue from Reuters Press Agency, asking to know whether, the Fact that, 20 years after its creation, EUROCORPS hasn't been really used until now, but only under the orders of NATO, (in Kosovo and Afghanistan), and is also absent from Mali today,  would mean that the initial aim to boost an Autonomous EU Defence might have failed, or been forgotten ?

Belgian Defence Minister De Crem simply observed, concerning Mali, that France is acting in the framework of a UNO SC Resolution, and that, in parallel, "there is an EU Process" going on, including  by another Ministerial meeting just a Day ago in Brussels, in the context of which, several EU Member Countries have already started to offer or consider various ways of practical support to France's move, in an open-ended and still evolving EU decision-making procedure..., (obviously, however, too slow, while even Rusia already started to act Faster in support of UN/African Union/France's moves towards Mali and its Strategic region)..  

- At any case, Military methods of Action are Similar in NATO and in the EU, while, in principle, "EUROCORPS" may act in the service not only of NATO, but also of the EU, or of the UNO, even of the African Union and/or the Arab Ligue, etc., if the participating Framework Countries (currently 5 : France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, due to be soon joined also by Poland, etc) really Want to do so : - "It's a matter of States' Political Will, whether to act there where  they feel that their Interests are at Stake", went on to soberly add later on General Bavinchov.

-------------------- 

(Fast Translation from the Original, mostly in French)

 ***

 (NDLR : "DraftNews", as already send earlier to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors. A more accurate, full Final Version might be published asap).

 ***