Ambassador of Estonia to Belarus: We Preserve Faith in European Solidarity
“We still are full of idealism and positive pathos”, - declared the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Estonia to Belarus Jaak Lensment to DELFI. According to him, Estonia was not forced to enter the Eurozone and it perceives Euro as native currency. Except for that he noted that Estonia keeps its faith in fundamental values of European solidarity. READ MORE
Europe's Nabucco Pipeline Delayed Again
The European Union’s plans to start construction on the Nabucco pipeline, which is intended to reduce dependence on Russia for natural gas, have been delayed for another year, until 2013, because the consortium has no gas supply contracts lined up. READ MORE
MEP: EU-India FTA should not lead to a race to the bottom
The Free Trade Agreement currently being negotiated between India and the EU must be accompanied by a clear commitment to respect international social and environmental standards, according to Graham Watson, chair of the European Parliament's delegation on EU-India relations, which has a say on trade deals. READ MORE
Fellegi: In energy policy everything goes according to plan
Member State ministers will discuss the EU’s external energy relations in Gödöllő, on 2-3 May 2011. This will greatly assist the succeeding Polish Presidency, which treats the uniform external energy policy as a key dossier, said the Minister for National Development, Tamás Fellegi, to eu2011.hu, The Minister believes that the Hungarian Presidency has accomplished its energy management objectives. READ MORE
NATO: A Victim of U.S. Smothering
European leadership of the second phase of the military intervention in Libya has not gone especially well. Although the United States officially transferred responsibility for the operation to NATO, that change was more impressive in the realm of press releases and organizational charts than substance. Even the notion of a “NATO” command was largely an illusion. It really meant transition to a British and French-led mission with token support from some other European NATO members. Several key alliance players, especially Germany and Turkey, are noticeable by their absence. In fact, both Berlin and Ankara have refused even to endorse the mission, much less contribute military forces. READ MORE
Poland and Ukraine: miles to go
The fastest way to appreciate just how far Poland has advanced in the last two decades is to make a quick trip to neighbouring Ukraine. The visual evidence is overwhelming. READ MORE
Europe’s Neighborhood: Can Turkey Inspire?
Since the Arab Spring dawned,Turkey’s potential value as an inspiration for and facilitator of reform in the Middle East and North Africa has been a heated topic of discussion. Critics have been concerned that this debate would both work against Turkey’s EU integration by distracting intellectual and political attention and complicate domestic political dynamics through overemphasis on Turkey’s Muslim identity — in essence making Turkey more Middle Eastern rather than spreading reform and open society. READ MORE
Russian energy moves indicate a shift in priorities
The Russian energy moves in natural gas and oil as they are being developed since late 2010, indicate a shift in priorities, namely more reliance on exports in the dynamic Asian markets and at the same time acceleration of the ongoing collaboration schemes with Western producers and traders. READ MORE
Prime Minister Orbàn: “We Will Not Allow Brussels Dictating Us Their Terms”
“We will not allow Brussels dictating us their terms! We have never let Vienna or Moscow to guide us in our history, and now we won’t let Brussels do this! Hungary should have its own corner interests!” – claimed the Prime Minister Viktor Orbàn. This belligerent rant has confused even those EU diplomats that are perfectly familiar with Budapest. READ MORE
