Merkel at EU Summit : High Representative Mogherini got Mandate for International action on Libya
*Angelo Marcopolo/- Probably, one of the most Important and far-reaching, concrete Results of Today's exceptional EU Heads of State/Government's Summit in Brussels, is that a "Mandate" was given to EU's High Representative, Federica Mogherini, for International Action on Libya, as German Chancelor, Angie Merkel, pointed out, in replay to Press Questions, which seem to imply a UN SC involvement, and, therefore, necessary deals with USA, Russia and China, etc :
In order to efficiently Fight against Mass -Smugglong of irregular Immigrants and/or Asylum Seekers accross the Mediterranean, the German Chancelor was asked if she found necessary to "think about Destroying Smuggling Boats" preventively, probably "with Military means".
- Merkel did not exclude that : - "I have thought about Destruction of Boats", she started to reply, but, adding that she had "also" throught "about Seizure of Assets, Detection of Networks, and other such" means to Fight against Smugglers.
>>> However, as a matter of General Principle, "for Any kind of Military Action" in Libya, "a Basis on International Law is needed at first", Chancelor Merkel stressed.
=> In this regard, "the existing Possibilities are, basically, Two : Either via a UN Security Council Resolution, or we through a Unified Government in Libya", with which EU could deal, as with all other Transit Countries.
- But, "at Present, Both are Not yet there", she regretted. "That's why the EU High Representative" for External Action, i.e. EU Commission's vice-President, Federica Mogherini, former Foreign Minister of Italy, "has, of course, to take Action, now", Merkel pointed out.
=> For that purpose, "We (EU Summit) have given her a Mandate to explore the field", the German Chancelor concluded.
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>>> Indeed, at the Official collective "Statement" of this Exceptional Brussels' EU Summit, the Heads of State/Government from 28 EU Member States stressed from the outset that, among their "Decisions" in order "to Strengthen our (EU's) Presence at Sea", and "Fight the Traffickers", as well as "Prevent illegal Migration Flows", is, precisely, to "Actively Support all UN-led efforts towards establishing Government Authority in Libya".
+ Moreover, "we (EU) shall also Step Up efforts to Adresss Conflict and Instability, as key Push Factors of Migration", in general, not only there, but also, "including in Syria", the Official EU Statement added.
=> Naturally, both such Moves need mainly Coordination between EU and USA, as well as Russia, China, and other players among UN SC's 5 Permanent Members, as well as ordinary members, which might allow to forge an adequate Majority for relevant decisions, and that's probably one of the reasons for which Mogherini is due to Start, Next Week, from visiting, after an International event at Ukraine, also the USA, Canada, etc.
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+ Meanwhile, it's also EU President, former Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, who added, in his Press Statements, that, indeed, EU "Leaders have asked the High Representative", Federica Mogherini, "to propose Actions in order to Capture and Destroy the Smugglers' Vessels, Before they can be used"
- "Naturally, this will be in line with International Law and respect for Human Rights", and, in parallel "We (EU) will step up co-operation against smuggling Networks by working through "EuroPol", and by deploying immigration Officers to Third CXountries", as he said.
+ But, at the same time, in addition to EU's agreement to "Triple the addition to EU's agreement to "Triple the Resources available to "Triton", our Border mission in the Central Mediterranean, and to Enhance its operational Capability", EU, in parallel, "Needs to Limit irregular migration Flows and to discourage people from putting their lives at risk. This means better Co-operation with the Countries of origin and Transit, Especially the countries around Libya", as Tusk underlined.
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In fact, at the "fight against illegal immigration, we all agreed that we need to avoid the Cynical business model of Smuggling", and "this is obviously not an easy process", because "it involves additional efforts to Pursue the Perpetrators and bring them to Justice, to Destroy the Networks and also to Confiscate the Assets".
Therefore, "we have asked the High Representative to consider Timely how can be arranged a framework of international law for Effective Action against Smuggling" : "Federica Mogherini will tell us how to do so", Chancelor Merkel explained meanwhile.
+ In addition, through "Cooperation with Countries of Origin and Transit", "We want ... to combat the Causes of Immigration. .....This will ...require additional efforts in Development", and, for that purpose, "we (EU). .. must Speak with the African Union". That's why ... we seek an additional Extraordinary EU-Africa Summit", which might be Hosted by "Malta", she anounced.
In this regard, "of course, the issue of Libya ... plays a role" : . We support all efforts by the UNO in order to get a Libyan Government Unity, because that would of course make the Cooperation between EU and Libya in the first place once again reasonably Possible", as in the period before 2014-2015, while, "currently,". "We ....have indeed a very Difficult situation", Merkel had warned in her Introductory remarks, from the outset.
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However, Questioned anew about whether "Triton's Area of operation" could be "also Expanded", given, inter alia, also of the Fact that "many such Ships Crash directy off the Libyan Coast", the German Chancelor appeared very Careful, but didn't, once again, Exclude anything, a priori :
- "We (EU Heads of State/Government) have Not Expanded Today" the operational area of "Triton", but, "we must Certainly Talk anew on this Question", Merkel anounced.
"Moreover, we, (EU Leaders), in the European Council, cannot take Legal Decisions to extend a Mission's area", since "this must be made by the competent EU Council". So, "we didn't yet Discuss that" here, even if "this Issue exists", the German Chancelor concluded, indirectly but surely leaving that matter Open for adequately prepared Talks and, eventually, Decisions, in the foreseable Future.
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Until now, the various factions active in Libya have been reportedly Negotiating for a Compromise between them, also through frequent Meetings at Morocco, under the auspices of an EU Diplomat experienced in Euro-Mediterranean policy since the Barcelona process.
Back on 2006, during the Lebanon Crisis, former French President Jacques Chirac had achieved at UN level, in cooperation with German Chancelor Merkel on EU level, followed, mutatis-mutandis, on 2011, also by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who had managed to get a UN Mandate too, this time for Libya, while both had cultivated, then, Good Relations, not only with the USA, but also with Russia, etc, (given, inter alia, also Sarkozy's famous 2008 move, while France was Chairing the EU, to act rapidly in order to Prevent a Russian - Georgian Conflict, on August 2008.
Now, new French President Francois Hollande and German Chancelor Angie Merkel, have recently Started to Succesfully move to Settle the equivalent issue of Ukraine's Conflict, particularly after the February 2015 Minsk Agreements, at Normandy - 4 format, (France - Germany - Ukraine - Russia), but haven't yet reached, for the moment, a Stage of sustainable Political Solution, particularly while USA-led Sanctions against Russia still persist.
But, given the Mutual Interests for Peace and Stability throughout Libya's Mediterranean Coasts, where the Dangerous Extremist Islamist Terrorists of ISIL's atrocious BeHeaders have already started to emerge with their Horrible Murders even of Poor Immigrant People, (f.ex. from Egypt, Kenya, etc), an EU - Russia relevant Deal should, normaly, be possible, (Comp. f.ex. Russian Duma's President's Naryshkin's reply to a relevant "EuroFora"s Question recently, at : ......)
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Sarkozy and Merkel want deals with Obama on European Security at Strasbourg's NATO 2009 Summit
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In parallel but concording moves, EU Chair, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angie Merkel both invited this week US-President elect, Barack Obama, to discuss important deals breaking new ground on European Security during the NATO's 60 Years Anniversary Summit of Heads of State in Strasbourg, where Obama is expected to make his 1st visit to Europe as a President on April 2009.
Merkel focused mainly on smoother NATO - EU Defence and Security policy cooperation, while Sarkozy spoke about PanEuropean Security, associating both Russia and the USA, proposing to freeze missile and shields' deployement until an agreement is reached.
But both tackled some hard nuts to crack : Turkey's VETO against the participation of EU Member Cyprus to EU-NATO cooperation, and Russia's anouncement on deployment of missiles up to Kaliningrad, at EU's belly, in reply to USA's wish to set up missile shields in EU States such as Poland or Czech Republic, etc.
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- "Certainly...one of the points that we'll dicuss with the New US President", Barak OBAMA, "who will come f'or the 1st time in Europe as president, at the NATO Summit", co-hosted by France and Germany in Strasbourg, ""concerns, above all, the European Security and Defence Policy" (ESDP), and "the relations between NATO and its partners", with whom it should "work together", anounced earlier this week Merkel.
We must find "a reasonable and adequate concept to articulate NATO and European Security and Defense policy", because of a "series of practical issues, sometimes difficult to understand", but that "we must discuss".
- "An example" of that is "the issue of Cyprus and Turkey", said Merkel, where Ankara raises problems "from Kosovo up to Afghanistan", as also CoE's chair, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt recently observed in Strasbourg replying to EuroFora's questions.
- "We must do something to smoothen this problem for good, and not only on a case-by-case basis, laboriously negotiated each time". Here, we must find "a reasonable and adequate concept to articulate NATO and European Security and Defense policy", Merkel stressed.
- "With good will from all sides, it could and should be posible. Germany wants also to help on that". Otherwise, "the coming generations will not understand why it took Decades to do so". But, if we "don't even achieve that for Decades, this would be an Historic Failure !", the German Chancellor warned
- "I think that our American partners are increasingly realizing that", Merkel said, pleading for "a stronger European Security and Defence policy, with which, I believe, the Atlantic Security Partnership can also strengthen and solidify".
Meanwhile, USA is also due to take in 2009 a special status inside EU-led EUROCORPS, the European Army HeadQuarters, based in Strasbourg.
Merkel said that after meeting in Berlin with NATO's Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, earlier this week, precisely in order to "prepare NATO's Summit", scheduled for the beginning of April 2009 in Strasbourg.
Scheffe, knows well Strasbourg, since he chaired the CoE, as Holland's Foreign Minister, when he brokered a controversial deal precisely on Turkey and Cyprus about the implementation of ECHR judgements on Greek Cypriot displaced persons' houses and properties in 2003. He returned later at least once, for a WEO meeting at the CoE, where he precisely had highlighted such EU - NATO issues.
EU Commission's 2008 Report on Turkey has just observed that, on European Defense - Security policy, "Turkey continues to object to EU-NATO Cooperation which would involve all EU Member States". "This created Problems for EU-NATO co-operation in the context of Civilian ESDP missions, in particular in Kosovo and Afghanistan".
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French EU Chair, President Sarkozy and Merkel are visiting Washington on Friday and Saturday for a Global G-20 Summit with current US President George Bush, on the sidelines of which are expected preparatory contacts with US President-elect Obama's entourage, even if himself might stay in Chicago until he takes over on January 21.
Before going to Washington, Sarkozy concluded today an UE - Russia Summit with Dmitry Medvedev, where they "spoke in length on PanEuropean Security" :
- As EU President, I proposed that we meet on mid-2009 in a framework such as OSCE's in order to set the foundations of a Future Pan-European Security, which would associate Russia and USA, and that, meanwhile, nobody speaks about deploying missiles or shields, which complicate the situation".
- NATO's Summit in Strasbourg-Kehl, on April 2009 is a perfect occasion to discuss with our American friends and to prepare a possible OSCE Summit for these issues f.ex. for June or July", Sarkozy concluded.
- We must all abstain from Unilateral measures" dangerous for Europe's security. "Russia only reacted to decisions taken by some other countries. But if they are ready to cooperate, we are ready to discuss. EU could be an intermediary", added Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, before going himself too at the Washington G-20 Economic Summit.
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