E.U., U.S. for closer dialogue on Kyoto, NMD

By Batuk Gathani

BRUSSELS, JUNE 19.The solid achievement of the European Union's summit in Sweden is that the 15 E.U. government leaders have resolved to begin the first phase of its expansion by 2004. It is a process which has been described as `irrevocable'. The E.U., structured to consolidate the economic and fiscal integration of Western Europe and the 19-member NATO may also, in tandem take in new members from the former Communist ruled countries of Eastern Europe. In between, the E.U. governments propose to ratify the Kyoto protocol on global warming.

The focus in Sweden was the E.U. leaders' meeting with the U.S. President, Mr. George Bush. To narrow the trans-Atlantic chasm between the U.S. and the E.U., mainly on global climate and security issues, the European leaders suggested a more intimate and detailed dialogue between the U.S., the E.U. and Russia. The European security establishments are already seriously worried as some 25,000 protesters at the E.U. summit in Sweden promise ``a long summer of discontent''.

The Euro-American summit of G-7 leading industrial nations plus Russia will take place in July in Genoa, Italy, where Mr. Bush and the Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, will also participate. Later, they meet at the Asia-Pacific leaders summit at Shanghai in October. Meanwhile, American and Russian officials are working on details of Mr. Putin's proposed visit to the U.S. and Mr. Bush's visit to Russia.

At the same time, the European and the U.S. leaders and officials have made it clear that neither the U.S. nor the E.U. has ``any wish to leave Russia outside the historic transformation now under way''. As an editorial writer put it,`` Those critics of policies and the media proclaimed that the American President would encounter a hostile Europe, incensed at his (Mr. Bush's) stand on missile defence, Kyoto treaty and capital punishment. Nothing of the sort happened. It soon became evident that Mr. Bush had more logical allies than enemies. They included Spain's Mr. Aznar, Britain's Mr. Tony Blair and Italy's Mr. Berlusconi on one side and Poland on other.''

It is argued that most of the anti-American or rather anti-Bush rhetoric emerged from ``declining socialist core of yesterday'' represented by the French Prime Minister, Mr. Lionel Jospin, and the German Chancellor, Mr. Gerhard Schroeder.

Mr. Bush argued his case by reiterating his perception that neither NATO nor the U.S. are enemies of Russia and stated that ``Russia is part of Europe and therefore does not need a buffer zone of insecure states separating it from Europe''. Mr. Putin responded by saying: ``I am so grateful that finally these words have been spoken .. this means so much to us.''

The European, Russian and American leaders have put their newly found friendship on a high plane of trust and respect though differing on global issues. The debate now is whether this constructive beginning will culminate into genuine partnership. Mr. Bush paid Mr. Putin a warn tribute calling him ``a leader that America can trust''.

Observers note that the cold war milestone has again been passed, as Mr. Bush has further consolidated the Euro- American bilateral relationship. Mr. Bush's mission during the six-day intensive European tour was to clear mutual incomprehension and suspicion.

For European cynics, all this may be a ``clear break'' from eight years of Clinton administration. But a more sober perception of the trip is that it may ``shape up as an important test of Mr. Bush's foreign affairs leadership since it was the first major journey abroad for America's least travelled modern Presidents, which may give him fuller and firsthand understanding of the leaders and issues animating Europe'', wrote an editorial writer of the New York Times.

Apart from Mr. Putin and the 15 E.U. heads, Mr. Bush met several key officials of European governments. The more flattering perception of his tour is that it has won him ``a first instalment of international respect as a coherent, non- confrontational explainer of American policy.

The French leftwing newspaper Liberation wrote ''Mr. Bush was manifestly not the superficial buffoon portrayed in the media. At NATO summit in Brussels, he succeeded in making his European allies' reservations about missile defence plan look old- fashioned and from another era.``

The U.S. National Security Adviser, Ms. Condoleeza Rice, claimed that 70 per cent of Europe leaders now agreed that the world had changed and a new strategy and thinking was necessary to cope with the reality of new nuclear threats.

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