september 2004

EURONEWS

Finland to stay neutral, says minister

0Kirk 3.12.2003 - 09:57 CET | By Lisbeth

Finnish foreign minister Erkki Tuomioja has said he is convinced that Finland will remain non-aligned - even under a system of closer co-operation in defence and security within the EU.

"Finland is non-aligned as long as we want to continue on that path", said Mr Tuomioja at a news conference organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Helsinki on Monday (1 December), according to Helsingin Sanomat.

The following day he paid a second visit to Paris to hold talks with French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin on the drafting of the future EU Constitution

For the EU's four non-aligned or neutral countries Finland, Sweden, Ireland and Austria, the issue is politically very sensitive and could mean that they have severe difficulties in getting the Constitution accepted.

Last weekend, EU foreign ministers discussed an Italian proposal obliging EU countries to provide military aid in an emergency - even without a specific request from the country that has been attacked.

The disputed wording was changed when the non-aligned EU member states Finland, Sweden, and Ireland put forward an alternative that fell short of calling for automatic security guarantees.

Major interests at stake
The Finnish government is also under strong pressure from within its own ranks. MP Kimmo Kiljunen, a member of the Convention and a Social Democrat like the foreign minister, said last week that Italy's proposal would mean an end to Finland's non-alignment. A third prominent Social Democrat, Paavo Lipponen, also took a stand on the defence question on Monday. He dismissed the current debate about non-alignment as "theological" and said the most important thing for Finland would be to take part in European defence co-operation. "We have major interests at stake", he said according to Helsingin Sanomat.

Bordering Russia, Finnish neutrality was recognised by both the West and the East in the early 1960s.

Anachronism?
The European Union's highest military official is the former Chief of Defence in Finland Gustav Hägglund, who has been the Chairman of the Union's Military Committee since 2001.

EU defence ministers will meet today (5 April) to discuss plans to set up an EU military planning cell.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS –

The idea, agreed in principle last year, will be on the agenda as ministers meet ‘informally’ in Brussels to sketch out some of the details of the plan. Initially made up of 20 or so planners, the unit will be tasked with preparing EU peacekeeping, crisis management and humanitarian operations. Talks will no doubt focus on the mandate of the group and its key goals. Ministers will also discuss plans to create a set of EU battle groups that would be able to conduct operations in a series of environments.

Foreign Ministers last month agreed to take up the plan, asking the Irish Presidency to produce a report by June.

The plan is expected to mirror a previous plan, tabled by France, Germany and the UK.

The EU’s big three proposed seven ‘battle groups’ be set up of 1,500 troops, each able to fight in a different environment.
The groups should be ready for action at 15 days notice and be able to stay in the field for 30 days.

It is likely that the groups will act as a standing force for UN operations, but will also be able to take up the EU’s own missions.
Ministers will also discuss the takeover of NATO’s SFOR mission in Bosnia, which the EU looks set to take on late this year.

UK-Spanish relationship on the rocks

The tiny territory has been a thorn in the side of UK-Spanish relations since it was seized by the British in 1704.
04.08.2004 - 09:03 CET| By Richard Carter

Gibraltar's chief minister Peter Caruana accused the Spanish of being obsessed with the issue, saying, "How we choose to celebrate our very close links with Britain and our British sovereignty is a matter for us". As the people living on the tiny rock of Gibraltar prepare to celebrate 300 years of British rule, relations between the UK and Spain are once again being dragged down by the disputed territory. UK defence secretary Geoff Hoon will attend the celebrations, which will include a military parade of 300 personnel. The parade is expected to be greeted enthusiastically by the 30,000 people living on the 'rock'
Profound disappointment
Spanish foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos has registered Spain's "profound disappointment" at Mr Hoon's appearance.

And he wrote in El Pais, "It is very strange that, in the European Union of the 21st century, one member state should be celebrating the military occupation of part of another member state". He added, "This commemoration of a past military event weakens the relationships with Spain", accusing the British government of "a clear lack of sensitivity". Spain feels it is inappropriate to celebrate former colonialism in this fashion and points to the decision made by the US to remove a frigate from the celebrations. The US said they did not want to be "perceived as upsetting sensibilities".The Prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero also described a visit by a British nuclear submarine to the territory as the most displeasing incident of his first 100 days in office.

The two countries were involved in negotiations to share sovereignty over the rock, and Spain would like to restart negotiations but "London" believes the people have made their views clear and is unwilling to go against the wishes of the population.

Shifting plates?
Although the dispute may appear minor, it may also signal a move away from the UK-Spanish axis that emerged during the premiership of José Maria Aznar. The two nations stood "shoulder-to-shoulder" on the Iraq issue and were perceived by some to act as a counterweight to the traditional Franco-German partnership at the heart of the EU. (very interesting in the wake of the lies revealed by the Madrid bombs investigation.JB Editor)

But Mr Zapetero has already made it clear that he would like to see Spain moving more towards France and Germany. He recently said in an interview with French daily Le Monde, "France and Germany are the two decisive countries for the European construction and Spain should be there".

British military vessels in Gibraltar infuriate the Spanish (Photo: EUobserver.com)

Is the USA/UK lobby of neo-cons now "advising" in European Union? :EU needs "good laws and good armies"29.10.2003

The European Union must step up efforts to spread its version of law and order around the world if it is to avoid a September 11 of its own, says a top adviser to Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief.