Date of release : 08-03-2005

Policy area : General Affairs and External Relations

Event : European Parliament plenary session

During the plenary session of the European Parliament on 8 March, Nicolas Schmit, Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs and Immigration, pronounced  two Presidency statements on the review of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and on the situation in Lebanon. Nicolas Schmit also met Bulgaria’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Salomon Passy.

In the Presidency’s statement about the NPT, the Minister mentioned the main issues regarding nuclear proliferation, namely talks with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and with Iran: "The NPT remains the cornerstone of the global non-proliferation system. Therefore, it is important for the European Union to preserve every aspect of this treaty in its entirety and to ensure that the treaty review conference, scheduled for 2005, is a success."

With regard to the DPRK, the Minister stated that "the Presidency of the European Union is very concerned that the DPRK stated on 10 February 2005 that it possessed nuclear weapons […]. Observance of international obligations, on both nuclear and human rights issues, is a prerequisite for the European Union to develop its bilateral relations with this country."

As regards Iran, the Minister noted that "the two parties are negotiating seriously, and as long as the Iranians continue to participate in the negotiations, there will be a chance for success."

In the Presidency’s statement on the situation in Lebanon, Nicolas Schmit informed the European Parliament that "the Council is continuing to closely monitor with concern the serious political crisis that Lebanon is experiencing […] which culminated in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 18 other innocent civilians."

"The Union has strongly condemned this act of barbarism […]. The resignation of the Karame Government, under pressure from the people, is creating a new situation and it is important to make the most of it." The Minister assured the European Parliament that the Council would do everything in its power to work towards a satisfactory solution to the problems in Lebanon.

Within the context of the plenary session, Nicolas Schmit met Bulgaria’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Salomon Passy. The talks mainly revolved around the case of the Bulgarian nurses held in Libya and sentenced to death on 6 May 2004, and the preparations for the signing by Bulgaria and Romania of the accession treaty to the European Union, within the context of the “General Affairs and External Relations" Council meeting in Luxembourg in April. It should be noted that the Presidency will make a statement to the European Parliament on 9 March 2005 about the case of the Bulgarian nurses.