Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-04-10-Speech-3-031"
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"en.20020410.2.3-031"2
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"Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Commissioner, first of all, on behalf of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy, I would like to thank you for your praise of the committee’s work just now and, of course, to applaud Mr Esteve for pointing out that this report was unanimously adopted and that it is the first time this has happened in our committee’s history.
I would also like to support the proposals that Mr Esteve, our rapporteur, has just made regarding the amendments, and to tell you why there is unanimity. In my view, it was due to the quality of the work, but also to the realisation, since 11 September, that the European Union must not be content to sit back and watch, from afar, what is happening on the other side of the Mediterranean. This unanimity is also the result of the realisation that it is in the EU’s interest to help the African continent to escape from the chaos and poverty that makes it a breeding ground for some of the recruits to Islamic fundamentalism. We have furthermore become aware that it is now impossible for Europe to enclose itself in a fortress, which is certain to be attacked, as all fortresses are – and which has, in fact, already started to be attacked with the growing phenomenon of illegal immigration. Consequently, there is also a need, as you have said, to relaunch the Barcelona Process.
I was appointed rapporteur by my fellow Members of a joint resolution for the Euro-Mediterranean Forum, held on 6 November in Brussels, and I could see that the cooperation which had developed between our Palestinian and Israeli colleagues within the drafting committee could serve as an extremely valuable symbol of hope, despite the tragedy that is unfolding in Palestine today. Therefore, I too firmly support the conclusions of the report which call for the talks that were launched by the Barcelona Process to be recommenced. These talks were intended to lead not only to joint economic and political efforts but also to intercultural and even inter-faith cooperation. I hope that they will also bring restoration, throughout the Mediterranean region, of this dimension of understanding and mutual respect which, once the difficult phase of decolonisation has been completed and the wounds accompanying this stage have begun to heal, must restore to the Mediterranean that sense of
that sense that we have of sharing with our colleagues values which are the basis of our civilisation.
I therefore believe that it is not only the duty, but it is also in the interest of Europe, currently the leading global economic power, to help establish privileged partnerships with our Euro-Mediterranean partners. It is on this basis that we shall continue our work within the framework of the own-initiative reports on the union of the North African Arab countries which will be submitted to the House at the May part-session."@en1
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