France and Germany launch EU "Autonomy" Strategy in Dual (Defense+Civil) High-Tech.
*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- Just before Strasbourg-HeadQuartered EUROCORPS, a Franco-German inspiration for EU-Core Military Heads of Staff (Etat Major, together with Spain, Poland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Liaison Officers from Italy, Spain, and other EU Member States), celebrates at EU Parliament its 25th Anniversary on September 2017, France and Germany decided to launch an European "Autonomy" Strategy in a growing series of "Dual" High-Tech for Security/Defense, as well as Civic New Tools' purposes.
The Move was made at the Highest and most comprehensive possible Level, during Today's Franco-German Inter-Governemental Summit in Paris, where Both new French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angie Merkel, speaking at a subsequent Press Conference, HighLighted the main points of a Three-fold Plan, for the Next Few Years, to Strengthen European Defence Policy, Military Capabilities, and effective Cooperation.
This July 2017 Franco-German initiative includes a concrete Design for a "Reinforced Cooperation" in Defense between Willing EU Member States, according to the Institutional Mechanism foreseen by the Lisbon Treaty, which entered into force on 2010, but Decided to be Used in this domain only at the Latest EU Summit last June 2017 in Brussels, which also Created a European Defense Fund, (See "Eurofora"s NewsReports from the spot, f.ex. at :....), and was "Shared" Today with several other EU Member States' Ministers, as well as EU's High Representative on Foreign and Security policies, Frederica Mogherini, as Macron noted.
- "It's an Important Moment for our Convergence in this area, underlined the New French President, while the German Chancellor stressed that "it's (also) something that Can really Make Europe Advance Forward", while also helping "Protect" and "Ensure our Security", as they respectively resumed.
- Endorsing a German Collegue's (from Nearby Frankfurt)remark that, at least some Specific Projects, as f.ex. that of the Creation of a "New Joint Fighter" Airplane, "have almost a Parfume of Revolution", Macron "Confirmed" that, indeed, "this is a Profound Revolution", "Long-term and Peaceful"; Able to bring "a European Unity on Projects", while Merkel agreed, and stressed, Moreover, that, in fact, "there is a Multitude of such Joint Projects" to create New Tools :
- I.e., in Addition to that "New Generation" of Joint Fighter Airplanes (Comp. Supra - for which a "RoadMap is expected until the Middle of 2018", in order to have "a Timetable"), there are also Projects for "Euro-Drones", "Satellite Coverage" extended on Military issues, as well as "Cyber-Security" implying "Digital Cooperation", (etc), as Merkel noted. Macron had already evoked, earlier, also "Future Systems of Tanks and Canons ("New generation Indirect Shots", according to an Official Document), ...Helicopters", etc.
Relevant Franco-German Documents add also New "Systems of Maritime Patrols", Earth Observation by "Satellite Images", Scientific "Research" and "Technology" Development, particularly on "Dual Digital Tech.", "including Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Quantum Informatics", etc.
>>> Apparently Emerging through such moves, perhaps the Most Important is a Common Franco-German Political Will to Boost Europe's "Strategic Autonomy" on Defense policy, in the foreseable Future.
This is, indeed, Explicitly noted in the Written Conclusions of the specific Franco-German Council on Defense, (Distributed Today inside the Summit's wider "Press File"), which mentions the Aim of "European Strategic Autonomy" Twice : - Concerning the EU Funding of relevant "Industrial" projects in general, and, in particular, the Space High-Tech. "Military Applications" of "GALILEO" Satellite Navigation System, (equivalent to USA's "GPS", Russia's "GLONASS", China's "Beidou", etc).
Such "Dual" High-Tech. may Enlarge the Participation, in one way or another, of several EU Member States, to those Franco-German Initiatives, as, f.ex., it's indicated, among others, also by the case of Cyprus, which, even if it's one of the few EU Countries which do Not participate at the NATO, (as well as Ireland, Malta, Austria, Finland, Sweden, etc), nevertheless, has Already Started, recently, to cooperate, through a Branch of German Company "PLATH GMbH" (already Present also in France and Switzerland), which was created at Limassol on 2016 ("PLATH Ltd"), for the preparation of Telecommunications' aspects in "Electronic Warfare" and/or "Intelligence" Research and Technology Development due to serve at Modern Smart Tanks used by the German Army.
- "Innovation" was also Stressed by Macron concerning the above-mentioned New generation "Joing Fighter Airplane" project (which seems due to Overcome, in the Future, the current Division of the EU between the French "Rafale" and the Germano-Brittish "Euro-Fighter", etc), "Because these are very Heavy Projects, for our Governments and Armed Forces, which are, afterwards, to be Exported". But, since "Today we have Many Projects and Standards at EU Level, added to Intra-European Competition for International Exports", ("compared" to the USA = "1 to 5", as he pointed out), "We (EU) Need to Simplify things, in order to be More Efficient".
- F.ex., that "New Generation Aircraft's aim is, First of all, to Launch Together a Joint Reearch/Development Policy, and, then, to Use that Both, in our Armed Forces". And, (taking also into account "our Working relations' Policies, which are Different"), thus, "we Can Coordinate (also) our Exports", he added.
+ Merkel stressed, in Addition, that "Germany and France Want to Promote very Actively the European Drone" project, "taking also into account he Modern Forms of Military Operations", where "it's of the outmost Importance, as, f.ex., in Satelite Coverage and in the area of the Army, where there are Convergences".
++ "But there are Also Convergences in Digital Cooperation, which affects the Ministry of Interior and Cyber-Security. We have, here, examined the Whole Area, and Identified Joint Projects", she concluded.
The First Concrete Steps in these Ambitious Directions, are reportedly expected Soon after the forthcoming German Parliamentary Elections of September 24, i.e. from October 2017 and particularly in the Middle of 2018, (i.e., Timely, about 1 Year Before the European Elections of May 2019).
---------------------------------
+ At the Same Moment, the Franco-German duo expressed also its view on the Importance that they Both Recognize to the Euro-American relations, on the Occasion of the New US President Don Trump's visit to Paris, ToNight and Tomorrow Morning, where he has been Invited as Guest of Honor at the Traditional "14th of July" National French Military Parade at the Champs Elysées Avenue, (which, this year, coincides also with the 1st Anniversary of the Horrible Massacre by an ISIS-related Islamist Terrorist which Cowardly Targetted and Killed Many Innocent Civilian People at Nice City, Back on 2016 : See ...).
- Merkel stressed that We (EU) have in Common, with the USA, f.ex. the Fight against Terrorism and several Other Issues, despite some Differences on Climate, etc, where it's important to Talk Together. We (EU) are in Close Cooperation with the USA on Security, and, in this World of the 21st Century, we are all Dependent on Each Other, while Europe's safety, f.ex., canNot Win Alone the Fight against Terrorism, and it's not for nothing that we are NATO Members, as she said.
- But we understood, recently, that it's also inside the USA that People are raising Questions about Globalisation, and, therefore, we (EU) have also to become Able to Count on Ourselves, she Highlighted.
+ Macron Agreed, in substance, and Added that we must Never Forget History, but ReNew Ties. We (EU and USA) have Common Struggles and Common Values in this World, even if with Differences and Similarities that we should not forget, but Talk between us. USA is a Strategic Partner for France and Europe in the Fight against Terrorism, for our Collectibe Security, and/or in certain Common Areas in which our Armed Forces work Together, in parallel to various Diplomatic Efforts that we do Together, he observed.
This is in addition to "Multi-Secular Relations" that France has with the USA, he also reminded, evoking something like a Parfume of Lafayette from the 18th Century of the Enlightnment...
In parallel, both France and all the EU don't underestimate the Importance of their Defense relations with the UK, even after "BREXIT", as an Experienced, Top French MEP, politically close to Macron's Government, recently told "Eurofora". (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/topmepdanjeanonsecuritydefenseandbrexit.html).
---------------------------------
Merkel and Macron spoke Shortly After the Recent "G-20" Summit in Hamburg (Comp. "Eurofora"s NewsReports from the spot, f.ex. : ..., etc), where they Also Stressed the Importance of Strategic Cooperation with Russia, particularly in the common Fight against Deadly Islamist Terrorism targetting Innocent Civilian People throughout the EU, Russia (and even USA), as well as on several Other Issues, such as Syria, Ukraine, etc., (on which Presidents Trump and Putin also exchanged views in Hamburg, at their 1st ever Meeting, which was UneExpectedly Long, and Highlighted the Contemporary Reality of a MultiPolar World, marked also by the Presence of Chinese President Xi Jiping, and other Key Partners of the EU all accross the Globe : Comp. ibid).
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(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already send to "Eurofora" Subscribers/Donors. A more accurate, full Final Version, might be published asap).
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Former "Green-Red" German government's Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer's job at the controversial Turkish pipeline "Nabucco" was denounced as "not proper", "very bad", and "incompatible with Democracy", by the new President of EU Parliament's EuroLeft Group, German Lothar Bisky, replying to an "EuroFora" question.
For once, criticism of Joschka Fischer's doings with Turkey affecting Europe, didn't come only from the Center-Right of the political spectrum, but even from his Left side : The experienced Bisky, who has been chairing all over 1993-2009 the PDS - Die Linke party :
- "Former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer got involved in dealings with oil-gaz business in a foreign country, Turkey, and its controversial Nabucco pipeline. This raises questions about Democracy, also because of the well known problems of Human Rights violations in that country. Do you thing that this might be abused in order to cover up and close EU's eyes on Human Rights violations ?", "EuroFora" asked Bisky.
- "Nabucco pipeline is (only) at the planning stage". And "there are some difficulties", he observed from the start. But "'I don't want to get into the details of Nabucco pipeline, because I don't think that there is any point for it at the moment".
At any case, "we (EU Parliament's EuroLeft Group) strongly believe that Politicians should not get involved in the Energy Business, and all these commercial transactions", President Bisky declared on the Joschka Fiischer's affair.
- "We feel that it's something that shouldn't be done. It's not proper !"
- "We don't think that it's compatible with Democracy either, and it gets politics into a very Bad track", Bisky went on to denounce.
- "EuroLeft and "Die Linke" always spoke against that, saying that politicians should not get directly into the arms of private enterprises"
- "It is pretty bad if a former Minister takes a job f.ex. in a major Energy producer. So, it's an issue if a Minister who may have seen excellent opportunities, subsequently gets personally grasp of them, in very serious parts of the economy, once he has given up his (Government) job."
- "It doesn't really make politics in general look any better'", Bisky concluded.
Earlier, this week in Strasbourg, other Journalists had also raised critical questions on former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer's involvement in the conroversial Turkish Nabucco pipeline to the President of his own EuroParty : Kohn-Bendit of the "Greens", who, contrary to Bisky, tried to find excuses for Fischer, while criticizing his long-time partner, Schroeder for having done a similar move :
- "Shroeder was chancellor", and he "negociated" with "Russians", who gave him a job only "3 Months" after he resigned from the Government. While "Joschka Fischer", on the contrary, got a job with the controversial Turkish Nabucco pipeline only "4 Years after" he left the Government. "He didn't negociate Nabucco", so I have "no objection", Kohn Bendit claimed.
But, many Facts indicate the contrary :
Joschka Fischer was Foreign Minister in Germany from 1999 up to 2005 : I.e. from the year that EU took the controversial decision to give Turkey a "Candidate" status, until he year it started controversial "accession negotiations, (later declared "open-ended" after Sarkozy-Merkel's arrival from 2005-2007).
During that period was prepared the controversial so-called "Annan" Plan (in fact, drafted by others and attributed afterwards to the former UN SG) on Cyprus, which failed after a Popular Referendum said "No" on 2004 with a large Majoriy of 3/4 : 75%. Mainly because it was criticized for making too much concessions to the Turkish side : Particularly by restricting Greek Cypriot Refugees' Human Right to return to their ancestral Land and/or get restitution of their Familiy Homes and private properties, usurpated by Ankara's Army since the 1974 militay invasion and continuing occupation of the northern part of Cyprus. And by weakening the Central Government, leaving to 2 "constituent States" so much powers and separate interests that more conflicts appeared inevitable, provoking the danger of a break-down in the foreseable future, with more crisis, troubles, perhaps bloodshed, etc., instead of creating an harmoniously integrated, really one federal State.
The controversial Plan was finalized on March-April 2004 at Burgenstock (Switzerland), curiously in the presence of an Envoy by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany, then governed by Joschka Fischer, but in the absence of a French and not even an European Union's Envoy, contrary to what was usually practiced on similar occasions in Switzerland (fex. in 1997 at Montreux, in 2000 at Geneva, etc).
Turkey notoriously exploited the failure of the "Annan" Plan in order to convince the EU to decide to start accession Negotiations on December 2004. This provoked an unprecedented series of Institutional Crisis inside the EU, shortly afterwards, when French and Dutch People rejected, 2 popular EuroReferenda by a majority "'No" vote to the EU Constitutional Treaty on 2005, aggraveted in 2004 a Majority Abstention to EU Elections, etc., followed by the recent Irish "No", etc.
"Nabucco" Gas pipeline was notoriously planned since ..2002. It follows an even earlier idea, for an Oil pipeline Baku-Ceyhun, which started to be prepared on 1999-2001 and was meanwhile recently completed.
So, facts indicate that what is now at stake is based on decisions made during Joschka Fischer's term as former Foreign Minister, closely interested in Turkey's controversial EU-bid.
To the point that he now practically ...switched jobs with a poliician from Turkey, (the State which pays today openly Joschka Fischer), Mr. Ozdemir, who came earlier in Germany, got fast the nationality, and became EiuroMP in a few years, continuing now as head of the "Greens" in Germany, i.e. in Joschka's former job !...
Such astonishing facts risk, unfotunately, to give to German politician Lothar Bisky's criticism of representative Democracy a topical meaning :
- "We (EuroLeft Group) think that what is really at stake is Democracy. It's not only about Gas Pipelines or Energy sources", President Lothar Bisky went on to add in his reply to "EuroFora"'s question on Joscka Fischer's personal interests in the controversial Turkish "Nabuco" pipeline.
Such facts, "make People get more distance from Politics. ...People had had enough, and they are fed up !".
- "That's why we (EuroParliament's "EuroLeft" Group) want to strengthen Direct Democracy in Europe. Citizens should be involved in the (EU) Decision-making. In the end of the day, it's not going to help anyone if Politicians are always taking decisions, without involving Citizens. We want to give a voice to the People of Europe. They've got to have their say in the decisions that are taken. That's one of our absolutely fixed and steadfast views. We want more Direct Democracy in Europe. That's how it can become more effective and stronger", he concluded.
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