Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-09-04-Speech-2-160"

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"en.20010904.7.2-160"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the rapporteur on Latvia's application for membership of the European Union, Mrs Schröder, has made some very important and pertinent observations. They also seemed to me to be very critical. That is why, with your permission, I should now like to highlight two positive points which present the overall picture in a perhaps more favourable and also, in my opinion, a more realistic light. In many reports – and the same is true of the report on Latvia's application, there is a statement at the beginning which is simple and which is important but which cannot be taken for granted. Latvia satisfies the political criteria for membership of the European Union. This simple sentence represents splendid achievements, achievements which deserve respect and recognition. In the light of the difficult situation which these countries were in at the outset and the complicated basic conditions, satisfying the first Copenhagen criterion is a remarkable result. This is especially true for the three Baltic states which, compared with all of the other candidates, were forced to a far greater degree into the totalitarian structures of the former Soviet Union. This applies particularly to Latvia, given the complicated ethnic make-up of its population. It is precisely against this tragic historical background that the systematic and continuous efforts of its parliament and government to integrate all of the country's inhabitants into society deserve our respect and support. Latvia is also an excellent example of how clear political prospects for the future can strengthen and accelerate social and economic development. On 15 February 2000 the accession negotiations were formally opened. In the same year, growth of 6.6% in gross domestic product was achieved and in the first quarter of this year growth even reached 8.2%. These are just a few of very many other indicators which point to the opportunities – the opportunities to create political stability and economic dynamism – which enlargement brings."@en1

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