Highlights: EC President Barroso at UN, Afghanistan, Lebanese elections

Welcome to the official e-mail service of the European Union at the United Nations

Today and Friday, May 13, 2005, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso will be in New York to visit the United Nations and to meet with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, among others, to discuss UN reform and EU-UN relations, a cornerstone of the EU's external relations and security strategy. President Barroso will also address the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations, a US foreign policy think-tank, during his stay. On Saturday, May 14th, he will receive an honorary Doctorate and deliver the commencement speech at Roger Williams University (Rhode Island).

Following an agreement with the Government of the Republic of Lebanon, the European Commission will deploy this week an EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) for the Parliamentary elections in Lebanon, currently scheduled to be held on four days: May 29th , and June 5, 12 and 19th (http://www.eu-un.europa.eu/articles/en/article_4674_en.htm). The Commission welcomes the prospect of holding genuinely democratic Parliamentary elections, which are a means to reaffirm full sovereignty in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1559. The EU EOM will be led by José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra, Member of the European Parliament, and Member of the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs. The EOM is a further contribution by the European Commission to supporting democracy in the Middle East and Mediterranean region.

The European Commission has allocated €28.3 million in humanitarian aid for one million Palestinians in the Occupied Territories and Lebanon. The aid will provide food, water and sanitation services, employment opportunities, health care, psychosocial support and protection for the poorest Palestinians and those most affected by movement restrictions. Assistance will be channeled through ECHO, the Commission's humanitarian aid department (http://www.eu-un.europa.eu/articles/en/article_4675_en.htm). Commented EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Louis Michel: "Despite the improving political climate, most movement restrictions for people and goods remain in place. While it is crucial that humanitarian aid does not become a structural feature of the Palestinian economy, international donors must continue to help meet the urgent needs of the population."

Before departing for New York today, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Brussels. They reviewed the reconstruction process and the ongoing political transition in Afghanistan, and also discussed counter-narcotics efforts, priorities for future cooperation between the EU and Afghanistan and forthcoming elections. In addition, Presidents Barroso and Karzai announced details of the Commission's program for reconstruction assistance for 2005 and 2006. This program will complete the delivery of the Commission's pledge of €1 billion of reconstruction aid for Afghanistan for the period 2002-2006. For complete details on EU aid and programs for Afghanistan, as well as and other events related to President Karzai's visit to Brussels, please go to http://www.eu-un.europa.eu/articles/en/article_4679_en.htm.

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• Speech by European Commission President Barroso - The EU and the US (13/5/2005)
• EU-UN Press Communiqué - EU President Barroso meets SG Annan (13/5/2005)