Next EU Chair Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski to EuroFora on Financial Perspectives+Ukraine/Turkey

EU should first "see where the Money goes", in order to be able to consciously judge on 2011 Strategic Political issues in EU's MultiAnnual Financial Perspectives 2013-2020, comparing f.ex. Activities and Geography, replied the next EU Council's President in office, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, to "EuroFora"s question on hard choices which apparently must be made between funding f.ex. Cohesion, Agriculture and High-Tech. Investments (as GALILEO, etc) Policies, or Turkey's notoriously controversial and impopoular EU bid, etc., while unquestionably European and developed Countries as Ukraine, a.o. are still waiting on the pipeline with legitimate hopes for perspectives to join the EU in the forthcoming Decade, as he acknowledged without taking anything for granted. carefully...

Sikorski, who was visiting EU Parliament for the 1st time in order to prepare the forthcoming Polish EU Chairmanship, from July to December 2011, met with several key MEPs, including its President, Jerzy Buzek, a former Prime Minister in Poland, with which the young Minister had started to serve in Government, as he reminded. Meanwhile, Polish MEP Jacek Saryuz-Wolski, experienced former President of EU Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, who hosted Sikorski's 1st venue to Strasbourg, had already stressed to "EuroFora" the particular importance for a good and solid, in depth Preparation of the forthcoming Polish EU Presidency, inter alia, also, precisely, because of the need to carefully examine the particularly thorny and delicate issue of EU's Multi-Annual Financial Perspectives, which imply several Strategic Political choices...

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 - "As you said, you shall have very difficult, but also passionate and "Ambitious" Tasks, inter alia also the  Financial Perspectives of the EU, which is very Political also", noted "EuroFora" in the 1st of our 2 Questions during the Polish Foreign Minister's Press Conference at EU Parliament in Strasbourg.- "As you know, recently (12/2010) there was a Letter from British Prime Minister, Mr. Cameroon, which was agreed also by other (EU) Countries, such as France, Germany and Netherlands, etc., to try to have a Zero Growth" in EU's annual Budgets" in the foreseeable Future.

 - "But, you shall have the (EU) Cohesion (and Agricultural) policies to fund; which are very important, also the High-Tech investments as, f.ex. eventually GALILEO (Satellite Navigation System), etc., and you shall have also the Accession or Open-ended Negotiatons with Turkey, which take almost 1 Billion € each year, etc", we reminded.                                                                                                     

 => - "How do you think that you shall succeed to find Priorities to invest in what you think (that) it's best for EU's Development in Future ?", "EuroFora" asked Sikorski.  

    + "And (in) a 2nd, only partly related Question", we reminded him that : "You spoke about the Eastern Partnership, EU Enlargement Perspectives, etc, while "You have an interesting Country, close to Poland, but also for all Europe, which is Ukraine", "EuroFora" noted

- "Independently of the Governments which come and go, what are your views about the perspectives for Ukraine ? They have "Antonov" Technology (on Airplanes), they have Raw Materials, (f.ex. Wheat, Uranium, etc), and, Culturally and Geographically, they are unquestionably an European Country", we observed. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

- "'Do you think that there might be perspectives (to join the EU), in one way or another, in the Future ?", "EuroFora" asked Sikorski.
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    Forthcoming EU Chairman's replies to "EuroFora"s Questions were Sharp on both points :

     - "You said that the Brittish PM Letter proposed Zero Growth. (But) my recollection is that it proposed the Cutting Down of the Budget of the EU to 0,85% of EU GDP, so, it was much Stricter than even what you suggest...", Sikorski bitterly but accurately observed, as a matter of fact, (citting the initial Cameroon move, compared to which the deal brokered with Merkel, Sarkozy and the Dutch was an upgraded compromise).

    - "As the EU incoming Presidency, we (Poland) are Guardians of the Procedures. Therefore, we believe that the MultiAnnual Financial framework should be proceeded on according to the (EU) Treaties", he stressed, as a matter of principle.

    => - "Namely : 1st the proposal by the EU Commission. Then, Negotiations. Then, a Full Fight. Then, a Deal", Sikorski, characteristically described.

    - "I.e., "Not the other way round : Not pre-Judging the Outcome, before the whole procedure", he pointed out.

     >>>"And, it's particularly important, because it's only on the basis of the Commission's proposals that we'll actually see where the Money would go, in terms of Areas of expenditure, and areas Geographically", he explained, obviously in relation to "EuroFora"s concrete examples (See supra).

    - "So, it's only on the basis of the (EU) Commission's proposals (that) we'll be able to see whether there is . Ambitious Project, or an Economy Budget. And (it is) in that Light that (EU) Countries will be able to make their Judgements"; he concluded.

 

    I.e. Sikorski spoke as if he didn't exclude a possibility for Funds to be re-allocated according to better choices focused on the main EU Priorities, so that, even if comparatively Secondary issues might be reduced, revised or droped somehow, at least during this period of financial Global Crisis, on the contrary, the most Important, key matters of Vital significance to EU's Future, are not only saveguarded, but, perhaps, even more Strengthened and developed, f.ex. by concentrating EU Funds on what is more substantial for the kind of Europe.which is politically desirable.

    - "So, it's in this sense, that "we (forthcoming Polish EU Presidency) will be Friends of the Community method, as I've already mentioned" earlier, he added, trying to get also EU Commission on his side.
    
    - This goes"particularly on such a Political issue as Money" for the next 1O Years, Sikorski undelined in fine, Smiling, in an obvious hint at "EuroFora"s introductory remarks on the "Political" importance of the choices to be made on the MultiAnnual EU's Financial Perspectives (See supra).
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    + Meanwhile, "as regards Ukraine, well, Poland is a Founding Member of "Friends of Ukraine Group", he reminded in reply to "EuroFora"s 2nd question (See supra).

       -  Therefore, "we'd be delighted if we were able to Sign the "Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with Ukraine, on our watch, including the Comprehendsive Free Trade Zone", i.e. between July and December 2011, he anounced.

    - "'But, it takes 2 to tangoe", Sikorski observed carefully...

    - "So, it needs to be Flexibility on both sides, both (EU) Commission and Ukraine, for it to happen", he warned.
 
    - "'I've personally been to Kiev several times, including together with my German collegue, my Swedish collegue (Foreign Ministers Westerwelle and Bildt), etc., the President of EU Commission (Barroso) has just been to Kiev, (and) we are Neighbours and have a close and intense relationship with Ukraine", he reminded.

    - So, "we are Aware of Ukraine's Strengths, and also of some of its Vulnerabilities", but "the relationship has to be a Legal one" , Sikorski pointed out smiling, in relation to "EuroFora"s earlier concrete remarks, (See supra).

    -" As regards Ukraine's European perspective, ... I know that the Ukranian Government would very much like to have that in the Partnership Agreement", he observed.

    - But, "I'm afraid (that) it's not in the mandate" given to Poland, he regretted, at least for the moment.

    - However, "let me remind you, that, when we (Poland) were a Candidate, we didn't have it either : We had only an one-sided Polish Declaration, that we have an "Aspiration" to join the EU. Yet, we are (EU) Members today !", Sikorski reminded, in an obviously Encouraging way.

     - "So, I think that the Lesson is that "You have to make it a National Obsession for a Decade" to join the EU, and, so, perhaps, you can eventually do it", he advised Ukraine and other interested European Countries, symbolically speaking the same day in Strasbourg that EU Parliament's Plenary voted with an exceptionally Strong Majority of 548 MEPs in favor, against 43 and 52 abstentions only, following the visit in Strasbourg also of the Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor.

    - "But nobody is going to guarantee you anything in advance", he warned everybody, (adding in the balance also his personal experience as former Journalist and husband of a Journalist).

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