The Hindu : Expansion a boost for peace: E.U.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 17, 2003

International

International

Expansion a boost for peace: E.U.

ATHENS April 16. European Union leaders hailed the enlargement of their wealthy bloc today as a historic boost for security, peace and prosperity across the continent, according to a draft declaration obtained by Reuters.

Still smarting over the Iraq war and the divisions it exposed, the leaders meeting in Athens for an enlargement signing ceremony also pledged to work harder to ``support conflict prevention...and defend global stability''.

``This Union represents our common determination to put an end to centuries of conflict and to transcend former divisions on our continent,'' said the draft declaration drawn up by Greece, which holds the E.U.'s rotating presidency.

``Accession is a new contract between our peoples and not merely a treaty between states,'' it said.

Ten mostly ex-communist countries were due later today to sign their accession treaty at the foot of the Acropolis, cradle of ancient Greek democracy.

Many of the acceding countries supported the U.S. and Britain in the military campaign to oust the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, drawing a harsh rebuke from the French President, Jacques Chirac, the war's leading opponent. In the draft declaration, the Greek presidency referred only briefly to the Iraq crisis, which has cruelly exposed the fragility of the E.U.'s efforts to build a common foreign policy. ``In the wake of the war in Iraq, we are committed to facing up to our global responsibilities. We will support conflict prevention, promote justice, help secure peace and defend global stability,'' the declaration said. The 10 signatories — ex-communist nations Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Latvia, plus Cyprus and Malta — will formally join the E.U. in May 2004. — Reuters

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