EPP calls for EU foreign policy despite divisions
The European People’s Party (EPP) today pledged its support for a future democratic Iraq and called for a common European foreign and security policy despite clear divisions in the EU over the Iraq crisis.
At the EPP summit, attended by 6 Prime Ministers, including José Maria Aznar of Spain and Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, a common resolution was produced saying that the EU had a "moral obligation to show solidarity and to provide humanitarian and financial aid to the victims of this crisis, over and above existing development aid commitments".
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The party took an apparently balanced position on the Iraq crisis, both endorsing the "central role of the UN Security Council in the definition of international peace and security policy" and, at the same time supporting the "maintaining and reinforcing of the transatlantic relationship in mutual respect". This latter position was formulated by Aznar, according to the EPP’s President, Wilfried Martens.
However, in a clear reference to the UK, Mr Martens said to journalists after the summit that those who have followed "national policies" have "discredited" the UN Security Council" and "created divisions in the EU". He described the recent events as a "failure" in European foreign policy and said that he hoped this failure would drive member states harder to forge a common policy.
The EPP resolution specifically calls for "an efficient foreign and security policy for the enlarged EU". Antonio Lopez-Isturiz, the Secretary-General of the EPP, told EUobserver that "many discussions took place" over how to include this common foreign policy in the future Constitution being debated in the Convention on the Future of Europe.
The EPP also called for a strengthened relationship with Arab countries and the relaunch of the Middle East Peace Process with a comprehensive peace plan including plans for an independent Palestinian state.