CoE's Mignon agrees with Merkel on EU-Russia Trade Deal for Neighbouring Countries (Ukraine,Armenia+

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- One of the Frontrunner Candidates for the Top Job of CoE's Secretary General for the next 5 Years period of 2014 - 2019, the experienced out-going President of CoE's PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly, French ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Jean-Claude Mignon, in the concluding Press Conference of his previous mandate, he ended by replying to questions on Ukraine, Armenia and even Azerbaidjan's preference to sign in the Customs Union proposed by Russia, instead of rushing only towards EU's Free Trade Area package, by basicaly agreeing with what seems to be German Chancellor Angie Merkel's stance on that Crucial Issue, which currently shakes Ukraine, i.e. that, instead of a sterile Competition/Confrontation vis a vis Russia, EU Should better search to find a Deal with Moscow, that would allow to intermediary Neighbouring Countries, from Ukraine (+later perhaps also Belarus) up to Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaidjan, etc., to eventualy have Peaceful and Fruitful Trade Relations both with the EU and Russia, playing rather a role of GeoPolitical "Bridge", instead of that of  a destroyed Graveyard, as, f.ex. Kiev currently risks to look otherwise...

Significantly, he was speaking on this notoriously Topical issue right at the Eve of a Crucial EU - Russia Summit,  which is due to start Tomorrow (Tuesday) in Brussels, with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, EU Commission and EU Council's Presidents José Barroros and Herman Van Rompuy, etc.

- "When I (recently) spoke with EU Commissionr Fuhle about he Vilnius Summit (on EU's Eastern Partnreship), I would prefer for us (PanEuropean CoE) to have been better Associated to the preparation of such documents", as EU Eastern Neighborhood policy's "Association Agreement", and "Free Trade Area", etc.. That's one of the points on which we (CoE° have to speak together with the EU, in order to be better associated", Mignon reacted regarding Questions raised by the stance of Armenia, Ukraine and Azerbaidjan, Eastern Partnership Countries. - "I also think that, perhaps, one among the Errors (committed in this regard), would be to place ourselves (EU+) in Competition with the Customs Union of the Russian Federation", (with former CIS Countries at its surroundings) :

- I.e., by claiming that "it should be : Either the Customs Union, with Russia, or the Association Agreement on Eastern Partnership", Mignon simplified.

- "I very honestly think that one could have arranged things Differently, and  in order not to put ourselves Systematically in Competition or Opposition", he stressed.

 - "I think that everybody would have won something" from that, "and, my Personal Opinion is that there is enough Space for All" involved, the experienced PanEuropean Top Politician concluded.

 - "But it's easy to say that afterwards", he smiled, obviously implying that recent developments proved even more clearly that EU should search a Deal with Russia on a kind of Common Area (f.ex. in Trade, etc) between them. --------------------------------------------

 It's interesting to note the Fact that these Statements by an experienced, Top PanEuro-Politician, as Mignon, who has also served earlier as Chairman of the Biggest Group of MEPs in CoE's 47 States stron Parliamentary Assembly, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, before being elected also as President of all the PACE, apparently seemed to be .. "Too Hot" to some others, so that, afterwards, the Edited Version of his Press Conference, as it was Published later-on at CoE's Website, astonishingly .. skiped all this crucial point, which is naturally very Topical this week, not only because of Tomorow's EU - Russia Summit in Brussels, but also because of the still on-going events in Ukraine...

"EuroFora", who followed in real time the entire Press Conference, for exceptional practical reasons through the TV transmission at the screen, had the opportunity to register the full sequence of the events, so that the above mentioned Mignon statements are a Precise Transcript of the AudioVisual Copy at our disposal, that we are obliged to publish because of the obvious Topical Interest, throughout all the European Continent and beyond, of this Debate Today, (given also the fact that CoE's Parliamentary Assembly has just decided, as it was expected, to hold an "Urgent" Debate, later this wek in Strasbourg, on the currently on-going developments in Ukraine).

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+ But, meanwhile, the experienced Head of the Russian Delegation of MEPs to the CoE, Journalist Alexey Pushkov, who has just been Elected also as New President of the Center-Right "European Democrats" Political Group (EDG), as well as vice-President for the entire CoE's PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly, apparently received quite well Mignon's message, since he asked, soon after that, to take the speech in the Plenary in order to thank him for what he had done during his 2 Years-long Chairmanship of the PACE, estimating his work as "Positive" for all Europe, and wishing him good for the Future, (even if it's also true that he wasn't the only one)... ------- ---------------------

Moreover, naturally, the most interesting point in this event is the fact that CoE's Top Politician, French ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Jean-Claude Mignon's original view, clearly seems to Fit astonishingly well to the stance that German Chancellor Angie Merkel herself, (the strongest EU Member Country's Head of State/Government, particularly after her Brillant Win at the September 2013 National Elections, where her party of ChristianDemocrats/Socials CDU/CSU almost got a quasi-Autonomy in the 2014-2018 Government, even if it prefered, later-on, to rather take the Head of a larger Coalition with the German SPD), has recently supported an almost similar EU policy vis a vis Russia in these matters :

- Indeed, speaking to Journalists in Brussels, including "EuroFora",  at a late Night's Press-point, right in the middle of the latest, December 2013 EU Summit, Chancellor Merkel, has observed, in substance, on the occasion of the Ukranian case, that EU's Free Trade Area proposals for the Eastern Partnership Countries reportedly seem to have some practical Difficulties (as EU Commissioner Fuhle had previously said also to an EU Parliament's Plenary Debate, last Autumn in Strasbourg) to eventualy Co-Exist with the Custom Union's Trade agreements proposd by Russia to former CIS , neighbouring Countries,  which appeared to have something to do with the World Trade Organization and, particularly with the Level of Import/Export Taxes, etc.
=> Therefore, Merkel had clearly expressed, then, her Intention to either visit Moscow and/or contact those EU Officials who are in charge of the forthcoming EU - Russia Summit of the End of January 2014, (f.ex. Barroso, Van Rompuy, etc), in order to help speek with Russia and find a Deal, that could allow to Eastern Neighbouring Countries to eventually participate to both Trade Areas of the EU and Russia in the foreseable Future, (i.e., ipso facto, indirectly but surely, paving the way also for a much Wider, EU - Russia PanEuropean Trade Area)...

Merkel's statements had followed recent anouncements, both by the Armenian President Sargsyan, in a landmark Speech in Strasbourg (See "EuroFora"s NewsReport : .... ), and by Ukranian President Yanukovich's reported acceptance to strike a deal with the EU, now reportedly followed also by Azerbaidjan's leaders in a recent statement at Davos (Switzerland), that they would like to be able to sign both Trade Agreements with Russia and the EU, as well as (at least for the First two among them) EU's Association agreement (mainly dealing with Institutional Reforms and Rules about State of Law, Human Rights, Democracy, Courts, etc).

But, as it's well known, an unexpected and unprecedentedly harsh Incident during routine Ski Sport activities at a World Famous International Touristic hotspot in Switzerlarnd during the last Christmas/new eve Holidays, suddenly obliged Merkel to Cancel many previously scheduled activities and undergo Medical Treatments as well as a prolonged rest for her Left leg during several weeks since the beginning of Jarnuary 2014, i.e. practically Hindering her to do what she had anounced earlier in Brussels (Comp. Supra) before the forthcoming EU - Russia Summit, contrary to her wish.

However, French CoE's Top EuroPolitician Mignon's statements today (Comp. Supra), clearly show that German Chancellor Merkel's initial Idea has, meanwhile, already started to make an important headway inside key EU Countries' politicians, who would prefer to search to find a peaceful overall Trade Deal with Russia for the PanEuropean area and its immediate surroundings...