Hungarian d. Foreign Minister, 2011 EU Chair, Ivan Baba to EuroFora on EU Priorities: Economy+Danube

Economy and Danube are due to be at the focus of the next EU rotating Presidency,  January - June 2011, said to "EuroFora" the next EU Chairman in office, Hungarian Deputy Foreign Minister Ivan Baba, speaking on the sidelines of CoE's Summit on Roma in Strasbourg, where he highlighted some among the main EU Priorities for the next 6 Months :

From "Economic Governance", up to "SME"s, "Danube" River, Foreign Policy, etc. up to the coordination of EU/CoE Plans for the integration of Roma People, etc.,  the "Priorities of the (Hungarian 2011 EU) Presidency, in general" will also coincide with a key moment, when New EU Commissioner on Energy, Gunter Oettering, is reportedly due to present a set of Proposals, on February or March 2011, about Energy policy and Networks, (comp. relevant Oettering's statements to "EuroFora", that he gave us on 12/2009 and early 2010).

Hungary, a new EU Member since 2004, has had already a useful Experience in such matters since it chaired CoE's Committee of Ministers, as early as back on 1999, when it organized an exceptionally important PanEuropean Ministerial gathering in Budapest, (where "EuroFora"s co--founder had been invited for Press coverage), by an interesting coincidence under  the same Center-Right FIDESZ Governing party led also by the current Prime Minister Victor Orban, (who has just succeeded to win the 2010 Elections with an astonishing 2/3 "SuperMajority"), and with the same  Foreign Minister : the experienced János Martonyi.
  
Ivan Baba himself already had a long Experience at the Foreign Ministry of Hungary throughout the 1990ies, including during the 1999 Hungarian Presidency of the CoE, and  later became Head of the currently Governing Party FIDESZ' Office on Foreign Affairs, (2000-2006).

- Start to apply EU Council's forthcoming Decisions on EU's "Economic Governance", for the 1st time in Europe's History,  will also one of the key Priorities of the Hungarian 2011 EU Chairmanship, he  said to "EuroFora".

- But these are due to extend also on "Good Governance in Economy", in general, "Small and Medium Enterptrises", etc., the Hungarian Minister added.

- As far as the CoE is concerned, the "Follow-up of its Plan for the integration of Roma People", adopted by a High-Level PanEuropean Ministerial meeting in Strasbourg today, in the presence of EU Commissioner Viviane Reding, (See DraftNews already send to "EuroFora"'s Subscribers/Donors), will timely be one among the issues for action, Ivan Baba went on to observe, in the framework of the Cooperation with the EU, as well as of EU's proper strategy,

- "Danube" priority is certainly a Key point for the 2011 Hungarian EU Chairmanship, which intends to address this strategic EU asset from many points of view : on Navigation, Economy, Ecology, Culture, etc., so that it's quite a Complex" of issues,  the incoming EU Chairman in office highlighted.

 - "Yes, yes", this naturally includes using the huge Potential of Danube - Rhine Ship Transports also for Energy Transport, from the Black Sea, through EU's Industrial core and France - Germany's common borders up to the Northern Sea, particularly by boosting New Technologies for Liquefied Gas, (which can be safely and easily transported in a condensated liquid form inside containers), he agreed with "EuroFora".  

The move comes timely, at the same period during which EU Commissioner Gunter Oettering, (from nearby Stuttgart), reportedly aims to present also Plans for Energy Networks on February or March 2011, while being personally aware and interested in Danube and Rhine Rivers' recently enlarged potential to boost in particular Liquefied Gas Transports by Ships from the Caspian area, via Black Sea, through EU's Franco-German core, up to Holland and the UK at the Northern Sea, (where Gas findings are notoriously declining).

European bodies organizing Navigation through Danube and Rine Rivers are headquartered at Budapest (Hungary), and Strasbourg (France, facing the German border), respectively.

But Strasbourg is in the process of becoming an even wider European River Crossroads, potentially able to link 4 Seas (Black, Northern, Baltic and even Mediterranean), thanks also to German river Elbe and to a French channel able to link Rhone to Rhine

The "great Importance" to develop Strategic River Links able to interconnect most Europe while also  combining Sea and River Ship Transport, was timely stressed, earlier these days here also by the recently elected new President of Region Alsace's MEDEF Businessmen,   Olivier Klotz, speaking to Strasbourg's Journalists, including "EuroFora", as far as the Rhine - Rhone rivers big gabarit project link is concerned.     

                                                                                                                                    
On this occasion, MEDEF's new President in Strasbourg's region Alsace, (who was himself a CEO for a German company), in reply to an "EuroFora" question stressed his belief that EU's "motor" France and Germany (which share together the key Rhine River link), are willing to combine economic efficiency and political will in a common "desire to boost Europe". (Comp. Draft News already send to "EuroFora"'s Subscribers/Donors earlier).