At Monday’s meeting of the chairs of the Conference of Community and European Affairs Committees (COSAC) in Vienna, Foreign Minister Plassnik gave an overview of the reflection phase and the debate on the EU constitution from the point of view of the Presidency. She emphasised the significance the Austrian Presidency attaches to strengthening citizens’ confidence in the European project. “This confidence-building will succeed only through tangible progress with specific projects. The national parliaments and the European Parliament are our key partners in this task”, stated the Foreign Minister.
Plassnik welcomed the fact that in the past few days Belgium had been the 14th Member State to ratify the constitutional treaty. “This, together with the approval of the treaty on first reading by the Estonian Parliament, is a clear sign of confidence in our joint European project”, said Plassnik.
The Foreign Minister pointed out that the heart of the debate on the future is the European way of life, and our vision of the shared European future. “The fact that the European model is not just hollow words was demonstrated in the past week by the so-called cartoon controversy”, said the Minister. “From the beginning, the Presidency has been very clear about the European values of freedom of expression and freedom of the press. We also made it clear that respect for religious values and the acceptance of diversity are an important part of our way of life. At the same time we condemned specifically and emphatically any and all forms of violence”, stated Plassnik. The meeting last week of the Danish Foreign Minister and leading representatives of the Islamic faith community had been a conscious move to lend visibility to and support interreligious and intercultural dialogue.
“We need a level-headed, pragmatic understanding of how to anchor dialogue between cultures and religious communities in our societies. Therefore, we have reached out our hands for dialogue: inwardly to Islamic communities in our countries and outwardly to the world’s Muslim societies. We cannot leave this topic to those who fan the flames of intolerance and extremism. Precisely in this context, I would like to invite the national parliaments and the European Parliament to take part in the efforts to organise a dialogue based on a foundation of clear values”, said the Foreign Minister.
Plassnik stressed that building confidence in the European model does not end at the borders of the EU but also affects the external dimension of the European Union. “There is a strong demand for more Europe in this area. Europe cannot afford to be self-absorbed. We are aware of our responsibility and use our instruments quickly and flexibly. The EU missions in Rafah, the Balkans, Sudan and Congo clearly demonstrate this. Our efforts to place EU prospects for the Balkans credibly at the top of the EU agenda are also part of our specific work on the European peace project”, said the Foreign Minister.
Email Service
Accreditation
Hotel Reservation
Route Planner
Weather