The Hindu : India-E.U. cooperation irreversible: Italian envoy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 31, 2003

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India-E.U. cooperation irreversible: Italian envoy

By Our Diplomatic Correspondent

NEW DELHI July 30. "We have no interest in giving lessons to anybody," the Italian Ambassador to India, Benedetto Amari, said today in the context of the differences that had cropped up between India and the European Union on several issues in the past.

Mr. Amari's remarks assume significance since Italy is the present head of the E.U. as part of the six-month, rotating presidency and the divergence of opinion between India and the E.U. on the issues of cross-border terrorism and re-engagement in South Asia that had cropped up at the Third India-E.U. summit in Copenhagen last year.

Mr. Amari, however, said he did not agree with the view that the last summit was not a success since important decisions to further India-E.U. economic relations had been taken.

Pointing out that the fourth India-E.U. summit would be held on November 28 and 29 in New Delhi, Mr. Amari said this would be a "great success". Cooperation between India and the Union was now "unstoppable and irreversible". The Ambassador said terrorism would certainly be a topic for discussion as would be the Iraq situation. Laying down the priorities for the Italian Presidency, Mr. Amari pointed to the need to mend fences among member-states of the E.U. after the Iraq crisis. "The worst is behind us," he said about the very public differences of approach between key members of the Union on the invasion of Iraq by the United States and the United Kingdom.

The main task, Mr. Amari said, was how the Union could help in the reconstruction of Iraq. Also, there was a need to "re-launch" the trans-Atlantic relationship between the U.S. and Europe.

One of the main challenges facing the E.U. related to the importance of forging ahead during the process of enlargement of the E.U. Ten East European nations joined the E.U. in April this year, taking the total strength of the Union to 25.

Another challenge was the problem of illegal immigration, with 100-200 such persons being detained every day by the authorities. Italy strongly supported the creation of a European agency to deal with the problem of illegal immigration. There was a need to patrol the "maritime frontier".

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