newsitems Great East Region President Rottner to EF: Boost EU Transport Links "Brussels-Strasbourg-Geneva+"
Great East Region President Rottner to EF: Boost EU Transport Links "Brussels-Strasbourg-Geneva+"
*Strasbourg/Press Club/Angelo Marcopolo/- Replying to an "Eurofora"s Question, the New President of Strasbourg's "Great East" Region, Jean Rottner, stressed the Importance of "European Corridors" in the Development and Valorisation of Transport LInks, particularly between the Cities which the most Host European, PanEuropean and/or International Organisations.
- "Eurofora" has Questioned Rottner, during a Press-Lunch on Transports' Strategic Policy Choices (discussed nowadays also with the Civil Society), organised Today Noon by Strasbourg's Press Club, about his View on the Fact that this New, (and much Bigger than in the Past), "Great East" Region, facilitates Strasbourg's location Between Brussels and Luxembourg, at its West Side, and Geneva, at its Eastern Side :
>>> i.e., Potentialy Linking Together the Headquarters of EU Commission, EU Council, NATO, EU Court of Justice, EU Parliament, Paneuropean CoE, ECHR, EuroCorps, Shenghen, and several UNO's Bodies (particularly in Human Rights but also Economy, Telecoms, etc) as well as the WTO, ILO, a.o., throughout a kind of "Europe in the World" Pathway, Unique in the entire Globe. (With the Only Exception of the Washington D.C. - New York close links in the USA, in a lesser extend : f.ex. between IMF, World Bank's and UNO's Headquarters there).
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- President Rottner replied to "Eurofora"s Question Positively, in substance, mainly by Stressing, First of all, the great Importance that he gives for Strasbourg's "Great East" Region role in Transports, to what he named as "European Corridors" in general, as a matter of Principle.
- Naturally, this goes, particularly, for the EU Corridor Linking to Brussels, which is of Major Importance, underlined the French Politician, (who was, for a Long Time, Mayor of Mulhouse City, facing Basel at nearby Switzerland, and, therefore, is an Ideal person also for the Brussels - Strasbourg - Geneva link evoked by "Eurofora" . Comp. Supra).
Traditionally, Brussels can already be Linked by quite Good Railway transports to Strasbourg and Geneva, either through Paris (France) or through Frankfurt (Germany). But, in both cases, Luxembourg is Ommitted, and a Longer Zig-Zag becomes necessary, Westwards or Eastwards, (respectively). While, on the Contrary, a Real Brussels - Luxembourg - Strasbourg - Geneva Railway Link would be, in principle, Direct, and, thus, comparatively, much more short and Straight.
+ Moreover, the European Transport Corridors which are Interesting for us, (i.e. Strasbourg's new and much bigger, "Great East" Region) are "Multi-Modal" : I.e. they include, well beyond Airplanes and Railways, also Car Highways, Bus, River Ship Transports, etc., Rottner went on to add.
++ Last, but not least, for us it's Not a Problem at all if such Corridors might, eventually, be developped, Partly, at the One Side of Rhine River (i.e. in France), or at the Other Side, (i.e. Germany), as long as they are Inter Connected and Interoperable, facilitating "Complementarity", as he pointed out.
+++ President Rottner had already pointed, earlier, at "the Centrality of Strasbourg", as he called the Fact that this City is located at the CrossRoads of various European/Paneuropean routes, being a Key part of EU's Core area, as well as, at the Wider Potential that the City gets from its New - and much Bigger - French Region in which it is included :
- "The Great East (new, Wider Region) is Strasbourg's Chance !", he characteristically stressed, mainly pointing at the Fact that, by InterLinking 5 European Countries, at EU's Core, (France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg), the "Great East" Region makes possible Manifold Transports' InterConnexions.
Thus, f.ex., anOther European "Corridor" for Strategic Railway and other Transport links crossing Strasbourg, notoriously is the Paris - Budapest "Magistrale" Plan, (already endorsed, in principle, by the EU, several Years Earlier), which Connects also Munich, Wien and possibly Bratislava, etc. From a Geo-Political point of view, very probably, its actual Realisation may depend from Possible Developments concerning possibly a closer European Integration towards the adjacent Western Balkan Countries, (since this Leads very Near to Zagreb, Ljubljana, but also Belgrad, etc), in the foreseable Future.
This is Added, obviously, also to a Madrid - Paris - Strasbourg- (Berlin)-Prague - Warsaw - Minsk - Moscow Axis, throughout almost all the European Continent, which can, naturally also go via Madrid - Paris - Strasbourg - Berlin - Saint Petersburg/Moscow, serving, additionaly, as the Strategic Central Backbone of Various InterConnections heading towards Several different Directions Around it.
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+ Another kind, River Ship Transports' PanEuropean "Centrality" of Strasbourg's area, can bring together Rhone - Rhine - Danube Rivers, interLinking the Mediterranean to the Northern and Black Sea, (with Strasbourg:Kehl's Ports etc. : See seveal relevant "Eurofora"s NewsReports on that Specific Issue, of Strategic potential Importance also for EU's direct Energy Supplies).
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Significantly, Rottner was Together with Strasbourg's Euro-Metropole President Robert Herrmann, (confirming once again that they cultivate a Good Working Cooperation, despite the Center-Right and the Center-Left Political origin affiliations of each one of them, which had already started with Senator Kennel, former President of Lower Rhine's Department), who has already Expressed, previously, in Reply to anOther "Eurofora"s Question, during another Press Conference in the Recent Past, precisely, his Readiness to Consider Useful Comparisons and Develop New Relations between European/PanEuropean/International Non-Capital Cities, such as Strasbourg and Geneva, but also New York, Saint Petersburg, Sanghai, etc, (See, f.ex., at : ..., etc).
Herrmann, Today, Replying to anOther Topical "Eurofora"s Question on Key Transports' Choices, (See: ..., etc), also said, in Substance, that he personaly was in favor of Both Developing More and Better Transport Links, (from Airplane, Rail or Bus until Bicycle, including Electronic, but also, whenever Necessary, Car Highways, etc), while also Acknowledging that, sometimes, certain valuable Natural, Cultural and/or Historic Landscapes/Monuments, particularly of this Core European Area, between France, Germany and Switzerland, etc, should be Protected, as much as Possible, (including, f.ex. by the use of "PlexiGlass" Technologies, as it has been done in Luxembourg City, etc), on the condition that all sides accept to Negociate, as he said. (Something which, obviously, leaves open some still on-going Debates on Highway Projects, whose Plan's lines might have been irrevocably Drawn by a Private Company -sometimes Non-European- which has signed a Contract with the National State, even if it's also a Fact that it systematically includes some Crystal-clear Clauses about Nature, Culture, and Balanced concrete Choices, especially through adequate and sufficient Protective/Corrective Measures to imagine in each case. Comp., f.ex.: ... ).
(../..)
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(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already send, Earlier, to "Eurofora" Subscribers/Donors. A more accurate, full Final Version, might be published asap)
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Hu Jia's prize brings SAKHAROV's wife to "EuroFora" on murders of Journalists Politkofskaya, Gongadze and Adali :
- Elena Bonner : "All Journalists' murders must be fully investigated", without Double Standards.
During a special Mega-Event to celebrate 20 Years of SAKHAROV Prize for "Freedom of Thought", attributed in 2008 by EU Parliament to jailed Chinese Cyber-Dissident Hu JIA, the move was reinforced by strongly criticizing the persisting impunity in three cases of Journalists' Murders, such as POLITKOVSKAYA in Russia, GONGADZE in Ukraine, and ADALI in Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus.
Any bureaucratic doubt about whether Cyber-dissidents like Hu JIA might have, or not, a right to be protected as all Journalists must be, particularly when they take risks to search, find and publish original and critical News on issues of general interest to the society, could not resist to the emotion provoked by the message of his Wife, Zeng JINYAN spectacularly transmitted at a big screen in EU Parliament's hemicycle :
- "The most important and most interesting thing he did was to ... say the Truth :.. to write about the phenomena he observed... He never stopped Publishing.. on websites, so that the Public could learn about the reality .. and understand it. In my view, this has been his greatest contribution", stressed the young wife of the jailed man, eager to cite also the cases of other critical journalists who faced various kinds of "harassment".
- "Welcoming all those who have suffered for defending Human Rights", EU Parliament's President, German MEP Hans Gert POETTERING, who had invited to Strasbourg all former Sakharov prize-winners from various Countries throughout the World, said that "China needs Europe, and Europe needs China : A great nation" with which "we want to have a good relationship", "association and ..friendship". "But we are never going to stop our fight for Human Rights, and No Government can expect this from us".
- "It's impossible to achieve goals of Peace, if Human Rights are left out. In fact, Peace and Human Rights are intrinsequaly linked", added POETTERING.
It's in this spirit that MEPs adopted, on Thursday, a Resolution denouncing that "the criminal
investigation and trial following the murder of (a) Journalist ...raises serious concerns with regard to transparency and respect for the rule of law", when a "brutal killing has not yet been fully investigated and solved in a satisfactory way".
The text refered to dissident Journalist "Anna POLITOVSKAYA", a critic of Tchechen conflict, killed some years ago in Moscow, where Russian Authorities have found, arrested and are currently judging two executants, while also searching to arrest also a 3rd one, allegedly escaped in Belgium. But they have not yet found the instigators.
Similar texts were adopted recently also on dissident Ukranian Journalist Georgiy GONGADZE's murder, for which Ukranian Authorities have at least found, arrested and condemned 2 executants to 12 and 13 Years of jail, but not yet the instigators. For that purpose, they recently accepted an International Experts team to participate to the investigations.
But, it's only for the Murder of dissident Turkish Cypriot Journalist ADALI, in the occupied territories of Cyprus, that Turkey has NOT yet found ANYONE responsible, and even claimed recently inside CoE that it would be "impossible" to do so !
These astonishing differences exist despite the fact that ECHR condemned alike Ukraine and Turkey with 2 Judgements on the same year : 2005, for the murders of Journalists GONGADZE and ADALI, strong critics of Corruption in Ukraine, and of Ankara's policies on mass-influx of Turkish Settlers in the Occupied Territories of Cyprus, respectively.
Regarless of that, CoE's Committee of Ministers, who is entrusted with the duty to supervise execution of ECHR's judgements, has just asked Ukraine's Government to reply to further questions on Gongadze's murder before March 2009, while Turkey, curiously, got a longer postponement for answering questions on Adali's murder, until June...
A comparison of these cases, raises serious questions about Double Standards :
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On TRANSPARENCY :
--------------------------
On Gongadze's murder, CoE's body speaks even about the participation of
"an INTERNATIONAL group of Experts" in the Investigation, (f.ex. of "Tape Recordings"), accepted by Ukraine.
On the contrary, on Adali's murder, CoE is obliged to repeatedly ask (for a 2nd
time) Turkey whether, at least, it informed the victims' Family, or not...
------------------------------
- On EFFICIENCY :
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On Gongadze's murder, CoE formally "recalls that the Committee (of Ministers) ..URGED the Ukranian authorities.. to TAKE ALL NECESSARY INVESTIGATIVE STEPS TO ACHIEVE CONCRETE and VISIBLE RESULTS in the INVESTIGATION, aimed at the Identification of the INSTIGATORS and Organisers of the Murder", and "STRONGLY INVITED the Ukranian Authorities to provide information on the PROGRESS IN THE INVESTIGATION", before MARCH 2009.
But, on Adali's murder, on the contrary, CoE's body merely .. "took note" of the "arguments presented by" Cyprus, which denounce the absence of any proof of new "investigation" by Turkey. Following Turkey's own suggestion (!), it simply "noted" that there is "no limitation period" for "any new element" to "lead potentialy (sic !) to a Re-Opening of the Investigation". Without saying who might find any such "new" fact, since Turkey stoped searching... It also POSTPONED the issue until .. JUNE !
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- On the PUNISHMENT OF THOSE RESPONSIBLE :
----------------------
- On Gongadze's murder case, Ukranian Authorities already arrested and condemned, at least 2 suspects, to 12 and 13 Years of jail. And on Politkovskaya's murder at least 2 suspects are judged, and a 3rd one "wanted".
On the contrary, on Adali's murder case, the Turkish authorities simply claim that "it had not been possible to obtain new .. information .. on the basis of which criminal charges could be brought against ANY person" !...
Moreover, a LETTER sent by Turkey ...2 Years after CoE's 2006 call to re-investigate anew Adali's murder case, is totally EMPTY of Facts ! As Cypus' Delegation denounced earlier, Turkey's Letter ONLY CLAIMS that a "New Investigation" was made without any result, but does NOT even cite ANY FACT to prove it :
F.ex.,on the crucial issue of the "MOTIVATIONS" behind Adali's murder, noted by ECHR, Turkey MERELY CLAIMS that "all allegations were investigated; without result", but OMITS ANY FACT TO PROVE IT !..(It doesn't even remind which were these "allegations").. .
+ On ECHR's astonishment that the Turkish Occupation regime didn't produce any "BALLISTIC REPORT" on the Shots which murdered Adali, Turkey again repeats, 12 years later, that, still, even until now, "it was not possible to obtain the BalisticReport"...
- As for the astonishing absence of key-WITNESSES' Testimonies, denounced by ECHR, Turkey agains repeats various pretexts avoiding to reveal anything, (Fex. that a person "left" the Occupied Territories "on 2002", or that another witness was heard, but without revealing nothing of what he said, etc).
Turkey obviously "FAILS TO MEET THE CRITICISM made BY THE COURT" for lack of any efficient Investigation in Adali's case, concluded Cyprus' Government.
---------------------------------------------
Replying to our Question which COMPARED these 3 outstanding cases of "JOURNALISTS MURDERS", Adali, Gongadze and Politkovskaya, in order to avoid "Double Standards" by asking from Ukraine and Russia more than what is asked EU candidate Turkey, many European personalities were critical /
They criticised Ankara's recent claim at the CoE to stop investigating, because it would be "impossible to find anyone" responsible for the 5 bullet shots which killed Kutlu ADALI in front of his Family Home, contrary to the other two Journalists' murders, where Ukraine and Russia at least arrested the executants, searching now for the instigators :
----------------------------------
- "Where was that ? In Turkish Occupied Cyprus ? WITHOUT ANY DOUBT : Any murder of Journalist should be investigated in full ! All these Murders must be investigated !", replied the famous SAKHAROV's wife, Elena BONNER to our question on Adali's case, compared to Gongadze and Politofskaya.
Elena Bonner spoke us EXCLUSIVELY shortly after being honored by the President
of EU Parliament on the occasion of 20 Years of her husband's SAKHAROV Prize.
A strong personality, Sakharov's wife even had to struggle against an anonymous EU staffer who, astonishingly, tried to stop her speaking when h heard our question on "Turkey" (!) : - "Please, let me translate, she continues
speaking, don't stop us !", had to cry Sakharov's daughter, (a Journalist
herself), who was translating her mothers' reply, (obliged to speak louder to
make her voice heard despite the harassment).. (= + Audio Proof !)
Earlier, Elena Bonner also fustigated "Double Standards" at another case, on
Western countries' attitude vis a vis Kosovo and the Kurds : -F.ex. "You have
recognized a few 400.000 Kosovars as an "independent" country, but you still
deny that to 30 millions of Kurds in Turkey !", she denounced.
-----------------------------
- "This (ADALI's murder) is an issue which should be pursued by the Committee
for Human Rights. That's why we have one, and it's its duty to examine cases of
Journalists' murders as the one you referred to. You should bring the case in
front of that Committee", suggested in reply to our question on Adali, EU
Parliament's President, German MEP Hans Gert POETTERING.
- "It's impossible to achieve goals of PEACE, if HUMAN RIGHTS are left out :
in fact, Peace and Human Rights are intrinsequaly linked", added POETTERING.
--------------------------------------
+ "For us (European/International Federation of Journalists) it's clear :
Whenever a Journalist is Murdered, the Investigation should continue until
those Responsible are found !", replied earlier to another question on ADALI
EFJ/IFJ's Secretary General, Aidan WHITE.
Speaking as a matter of General Principle, White asked us for "concrete data"
on the execution of ECHR's judgement on Adali case, in order to "look at it in
depth" and "make a formal statement", in comparison with the other Murdered
Journalist case, also pending at CoE's Ministers for completing its execution,
on Ukranian Gongadze.
----------------------------------------------------
From EU Rapporteur on Human Rights, vice-President of EU Parliament Liberties' Committee, MEP Giusto CATANIA, we were told that, since there is an ECHR judgement in both Adali and Gongadge's cases, "Turkey must naturally execute the judgement and make a full and efficient investigation, until those responsible for the Journalist's murder are found and punished".
Even if "we (Catania's "EuroLeft" Group) support Turkey's EU perspectives, this does not mean that Ankara should not behave properly. On the contrary, it means that they have to meet tough conditions, particularly on Human Rights", was added on the occasion of Adali's murder case.
Moreover, "since you raise the issue of Mr. Adali's muder as a part of a Series of Journalist's murders, including fex. Gongadze, Politkovskaya, ao., tthen we (EU) could also act together with CoE's Commissioner on Human Rights, Thomas HAMMARBERG, it was suggested.
- "We (EU) must step up efforts against the problem of IMPUNITY : Real Peace cannot exist without Justice", stressed also this week at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, French Minister on Human Rights, Mrs Rama YADE.
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