Русская версияOn Wednesday this week, you spent several hours discussing the
situation in the Caucasus with your European colleagues.
There was
talk of a European peace mission. What exactly is this about?
Jean Asselborn: That is an interesting question: How can the
European Union contribute? We need to be present in the country.
But how can we be present? We can think about two or three things
now. For example, we can act as a monitor by sending police
organized under the European flag to follow the situation..
But no troops, no soldiers?
If there are troops -- and this is the second thing I wanted to say
-- then I feel that needs to be decided within the framework of the
United Nations.
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Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:
Asselborn insists that a solid partnership with Russia is essential
Where does the EU stand on the future status of the South
Ossetia and Abkhazia provinces that officially belong to Georgia?
We have avoided talking about this and I will also avoid discussing
it with you. It's one the points where we said that we as the
European Union will of course contribute in negotiations, in a sort
of mediation or intervention. And we have said from the very
beginning what should happen with this. In any case we are backing
the integrity of Georgian territory.
But were the EU foreign ministers in agreement about who is to
blame for the conflict?
No, we avoided the question of blame. If we got bogged down in
playing the blame game, we would have lost a lot of time. We would
have never agreed on anything and that wouldn't have solved
anything anyhow. We are not judges in the European Union.
But some countries, the Baltic States and Poland in particular,
have clearly demonstrated solidarity with Georgia while the German
foreign minister, for example, warned against judging Russia too
quickly.
What does this mean then for the planned new strategic partnership
agreement between the EU and Russia?
I think it would be a fatal mistake to break off this partnership.
I do not find it 100 percent bad that the Baltic States and Poland
have taken this stance. But you could still see and feel that the
EU presidency -- currently held by France, it could have been
another country speaking on behalf of the European Union --
is calling the shots.
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And we also need to know that we have no political interest in
ducking when the US and Russia are involved in a verbal war. We
have to show that we are important in our own right. We can do that
with our solidarity which of course we then need to demonstrate.
The European Union has more inhabitants than Russia and the US put
together. We are a big player in the global economy. Politically
too, we are a very important factor when we present a united front.
As the European Union, we must stick to the partnership with
Russia, even after these recent events which of course do not
please us. We need to enhance this partnership so that one day we
won't have these situations any more.
To what extent can the European Union function efficiently and as a
united force without the Lisbon Treaty?
The European Union can function coherently with regard to foreign
policy even without the Lisbon Treaty. And we also need to remember
that with the Lisbon Treaty, nothing fundamental changes in the
bloc's foreign policy. Foreign policy will remain the most
difficult area in the European Union in the next ten years, even
with the Lisbon Treaty. European foreign policy is more than the
adding-up of national interests. It's a question of political will,
not about a treaty. We need to work on that and we also need to
judge ourselves based on that.
(Deutsche Welle)
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