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Home arrow newsitems arrow German Foreign Minister Westerwelle to EuroFora: We shall talk about China (also in relation to CoE)

German Foreign Minister Westerwelle to EuroFora: We shall talk about China (also in relation to CoE)

Written by ACM
Monday, 04 October 2010

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Speaking to "EuroFora" in Strasbourg at the eve of a Germano - Chinese Summit with Chancelor Angie Merkel and Prime Minister Wan Jiabao at Meseberg,  the Foreign Mnister of Germany, Guido Westerwelle, agreed that Beijing might get in Future a special status in Strasbourg's PanEuropean organization of the CoE, (which already has as Full Member Russia, etc), eventually inspired from that previously given also to Washington DC, Montreal, Tokyo, etc., completing soon after 2010 an Historic trend triggered since 1995-1996...

- "We shall speak about that", Germany's Foreign Minister positively replied to "EuroFora"'s question on whether he found "useful" for China, who currently is "the only UN SC Permanent Member without any kind of status at the CoE", while, on the contrary, in addition to the USA, Canada and Japon, even Mexico has already got a Special CoE status, as we reminded, (while Russia is Full CoE Member), to get a special CoE link, in one way or another.


A similar suggestion, to tailor a special CoE status for structural relations with China, has already been done recently by the Head of France's Delegation at CoE's Assembly, the mainstream MEP of the Governing UMP Party, Jean-Claude Mignon, (See "EuroFora"'s earlier publication).  


Recently China approached CoE mainly through Sport (including Anti-Doping and Ethic Standards' issues) and Education matters, particularly on the occasion of the 2008 Beijing International Olympic Games, following, mutatis-mutandis, a similar path to that which had been previously followed by former Central-Eastern European Countries, including Russia,

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- "But", this must be done "on the appropriate Time", Guido Westerewelle carefully added, on the Special CoE Status issue.


- And the right moment hasn't come yet, since it's "not now",  Westerwelle concluded for the time being, obviously keeping the issue Open for the foreseeable Future, according to relevant developments.


EU - China Deals might be eventually brokered also during the forthcoming G-8 and G-20 Chairmanship by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, after unanimous support expressed by the September 2010 EU Summit, and particularly extended talks and statements also by German Chancelor Angie Merkel (Comp. relevant "EuroFora"s publication).

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Jiabao was Monday in Brussels for an EU - Asia Summit, where Sarkozy pleaded for the need of a greater involvment of China f.ex. on Monetary and raw material prices' issues, etc., through the G8+ - G20+.
 
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Significant of a greater China's wish for closer EU links, Jiabao spend the previous 3 Days in Greece, where he signed a series of contracts on Ships (Greek commercial fleet being traditionaly No 1), Transports and Telecoms, Tourism and Trade, including the creation of a 5 Billion € Greco-Chinese Development Fund, crystallizing Beijing's wish to use Athens as a hub towards the entire EU, Russia, Middle East, Africa, etc. : A rare point on which both the current Prime Minister Georges Papandreou (Comp. Papandreou's statements to "EuroFora" at Brussels' EU Summit of December 2009) and the Opposition leader Antonis Samaras (ChristianDemocrats/EPP : comp. other "EuroFora" publications with statements that Samaras gave us at Bonn's EPP 2009 Summit and his recent 9/2010 Speech on a topical €uroZone issue).
 
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Meanwhile, Germany's Economic Boom, stronger than expected, allied to France's solid, steady trend to Growth, also more than scheduled, together with Debt reduction and Investment for Innovation, added also to several other good results in various other €uroZone Countries, giving EU a stronger say in the forthcoming Bilateral and Global Talks with Major Economic Partners, such as USA, Russia, China, Japan, India, etc. Germany, with its strong Economic growth, is contributing to EU's  economic stabilisationas a whole, also because Germany isn't only EU's biggest exporter, but even the biggest Importer, and this affects positively many other exporting countries, the Foreign Minister observed.


However, as he earlier said for Russia, in reply to a MEP's question at CoE's Assembly, such Strategic Partnerships "are not only for Energy" a.o. Economic Issues, but extend well beyond that, allowing to deal with Democratic States "also on the resolution of various Conflicts" around EU and elsewhere in the World.


Westerwelle also invited "EuroFora" to "look first at my (official) Speech" at CoE's Assembly, where it is underlined that "Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law" are "at the base of Germany's Foreign Policy" and "not contrary to Economic Interests" but parallel, as he stressed in Strasbourg before speaking later-on with CoE's SG Thorbbjorn Jagland about Turkey, that ECHR recently condemned for the Murder of Armenian Journalist Hrant Dink, revealing that Turkish Authorities knew the Murder Plan, but did nothing to prevent it, (on the contrary, even colliding with the Group of Extremists planning to Murder the Dissident Journalist into harassing and persecuting him at the Courts, threatening his Press Freedom), while also still covering up with scandalous Impunity until now, 2010, several Turkish State Agents involved, (See other NewsDraft, already sent to "EuroFora"s Subsrcibers/Donors, and "EuroFora"s 14/9/2010 Publication on ECHR's landmark judgement).

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€uroZone's and all EU's 500 Million Citizens' strong Economic, Scientifico-Technologic and progressively, potentially Political Development, giving a stronger say in Global issues,  would have been impossible without the "ReUnification of Europe" which was the real Historic meaning of "Germany's ReUnification", as repeatedly stressed Westerwelle, confirming "Germany's commitment for Europe", both at the CoE, (speaking in its Parliamentary Assembly, after inaugurating an impressive High-Tech. Digital Exhibition  on the Fall of Berlin's Wall and German ReUnification), as well as at a well attended, large Reception in Strasbourg's Historic University, (the same one which had, in its glorious History, attracted even, whose statue is still standing in front of it), amidst a series of events for the "1st German Days in Strasbourg" organized by the Franco-German Foundation, headed by experienced former Ministers Andre Bord and Lothar Spaeth.

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(NDLR : For various other statements by Westerwelle on topical issues to Journalists at the CoE, including "EuroFora", see DraftNews already sent to "EuroFora"'s Subscribers/Donors, and, for his Speech at CoE Assembly's Plenary, see full Copy available at the Internet in CoE's website. As it is well known, as a matter of Principle, always practiced during more than 17 Years of work in the European and PanEuropean Press, "EuroFora" focuses mainly on Original, first-hand News, and never pastes late Copies of texts already published in full at the Internet and/or given in reply to other journalists' questions and available to anybody worldwide).


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They voted to "freeze" UK Government's draft to put People in jail for 42 Days on "anti-terrorist" suspicion without charge, or they abstained. Don't they look suspect ?
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CoE's debate on UK controversy stirs PanEuropean check of anti-terror suspects' imprisonment

Former Leftists of the Sixties would boil in hot water if they heard PACE's debate on the controversial 42 days detention without charge, currently drafted by the British Government :

A "Socialist" Government, a Socialist PACE Rapporteur and a Socialist Chair of PACE's Legal Committee, opposed a .. "Conservative" amendment (supported by .. Liberals, Democrats, etc), to freeze the measure, in order to protect Citizens' Freedom, by "waiting" until CoE's Venice Committee checks its conformity with Human Rights' principles.

"Left"'s support to Conservative-Lib.Dem's criticism, wasn't enough to obtain a majority, nor to make things as they were back in the good old days, when "Left" and "Right" had a clear meaning, as "liberty" and "restrictions"...

Conservatives and most Democrats were joined by the Left in voting for the "freeze", as well as Liberal Paul Rowen, while Socialist MEP Ivan Popescu, an experienced MEP from Ukraine (PACE Member since 1996-2008) abstained. But most Socialists, added to a few Liberals and EPP's Right, voted against.

Fortunately, someone inside PACE had the wise idea to shorten the Debate for less than 1 Hour, and put it on the Agenda only at the end of an exceptionally busy day, towards the end of the Evening, when most MEPs had already gone to taste wins and foods at various Receptions all around Strasbourg's "European" area : As a result, not even 42 MEPs weren't present..

Socialist Lord Tomlinson accused the leaders of the PanEuropean Assembly, in its highest body : the "Bureau", to "lack wisdom" by deciding to hold a Debate on an issue that neither the Socialist Chair of the Legal Committee, nor its Socialist "reluctant Rapporteur", did "not want to do", ...

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Finally, everybody (critics and supporters alike) was happy to agree, in substance, that the controversial measure "may" gravely violate Human Rights, and therefore, PACE asked Legal Experts of Venice Commission to check UK Government''s plans.

But this might take more than .. 42 Days to do, since PACE's Rapporteur asked the Experts to enlarge their study in a PanEuropean comparison of all that is happening on "anti-terrorism" legislation in 47 CoE Member Countries, including Russia, Turkey and Azerbaidjan..

Bad lack : "The existing 28 days’ detention without charge in the UK is, in comparison with other CoE member countries, one of the most extreme : In Turkey, the period is 7,5 days, in France 6 days, in Russia 5 days, and in .. the U.S. and Canada just 2 and 1 days respectively", denounced Democrat MEP Ms WOLDSETH from Norway..

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"Numerous respected human rights organisations, including Liberty and Human Rights Watch, have expressed serious concern" "The proposed legislation ...could easily lead to extensive abuses. ...Detention for 42 days means six weeks in which one is taken away from one’s family, friends, home and livelihood only to be let off without being charged. That will destroy lives and isolate communities", she added.

- "3 years ago, the UK Government sought to increase the period of pre-charge detention from 14 days to 90 days. Not long before that, it had been only 7 days. There was a vigorous debate ...and a ...compromise was reached of 28 days. We have to ask whether there are proper safeguards in place to extend the period to 42 days. I suggest that there are fatal flaws", reminded British Conservative Clappison.

- "What sort of society holds someone in detention for 42 days and does not have to tell the person who is in prison why they are there, or explain the suspicions that arose and led to their detention? What sort of society believes that that is the way to treat its citizens? That is an appalling injustice, ...A 42-day detention period will not make the UK safer. Instead, it will be the first step to giving in to terrorists; it is saying that we are prepared to sacrifice our democratic rights and the principles for which we have stood for centuries", criticized British Liberal Michael Hanckock

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"Comments made ...by Norwegian delegates are unfortunate", replied British Socialist MEP Ms.Curtis-Thomas, accusing them to "besmirch the reputation of our police force, which is one of the Best in the World", as she said, believing that "there are significant safeguards ...to ensure that individuals are not subjected to unlawful detention"

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PACE "has serious doubts whether ...the draft legislation are in conformity with the ...case-law of the European Court of Human Rights. A lack of ..safeguards may lead to arbitrariness, resulting in breaches of ... liberty and ...right to a fair trial". PACE "is particularly concerned that: ..the judge ..may not be in a position to examine whether there exist reasonable grounds for suspecting that the arrested person has committed an offence;"; that "... representation by a lawyer may be inappropriately restricted or delayed;" that "information on the grounds for suspicion of a person ...may be unduly withheld.. ;" that this "may give rise to arrests without the intention to charge;", and; in general, that "prolonged detention without proper information on the grounds for arrest may constitute inhuman treatment", says Klaus De Vries' Report, adopted with 29 votes against zero.

vries

Records don't say if it took him 42 Days to draft his Report, but, at least, he knew why...

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2009 EU Elections were won by Parties against Technocracy and Turkey's controversial EU bid, while the 1999-2004 Majority Abstention trend decelerated. What should be done in 2009-2014 ?

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