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Speech by EUHR Solana - Europe's International Role

Speech by JAVIER SOLANA, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Primacial Palace, Bratislava

Europe's International Role

Dear Eduard,
Mr Mayor,
Distinguished Guests,
Dear friends,

I am delighted to be with you this evening, in these impressive surroundings of the Primacial Palace.

Let me begin by thanking you, Eduard, for your kind introduction. It has been a great pleasure working with you.

Over the years, I have been impressed by how you have used your diplomatic skills to great effect, advancing both Slovak and wider European interests. In particular, I want to pay tribute to your terrific work as a Special Envoy of UN Secretary General for the Balkans.

I am also glad to be among friends tonight, in a country which demonstrates that hard work pays off, as do determination, perseverance and responsibility.

The effort of Slovakia's citizens and leaders has been remarkable. And so too have been the results.

I have twice visited Bratislava as Secretary-General of NATO, in 1996 and 1998. Every time I come back, I can feel the enormous progress that your country has made, in a short period of time.

Today, Slovakia is a dynamic country economically. And a firm part of the European family politically.

Dear friends, we are meeting at a crucial time. From my point of view, the case for Europe is a strong as ever.

But we have to acknowledge that a degree of confusion, self-doubt and, yes, scepticism has spread - about the value and future direction of our Union.

I find this mood surprising. For we have been rarely been more successful. We have achieved a great deal in recent years. Enlargement of course. But also the euro and the progressive development of a common foreign and security policy. I could name more.

In addition, when I travel around the world, I see that the demand for 'Europe' is enormous. The world respects us and looks to us for help.

Many regions see European integration as a source of inspiration. Around the world, people call for our assistance, for our presence and for our action.

To those inside Europe who doubt the rationale of European integration, I would say: look at Slovakia. You are an excellent example of the European Union being a magnetic pole, with huge transformative power.

Like the other new member states, you have successfully overhauled your entire system of governance and administration to get ready for membership.

You have made the hard choices. Our role has been to offer advice and support. Together, we brought about an incredible success: the re-unification of our continent through the entry into the European Union of 10 new member-states.

I am a strong supporter of enlargement. I see it both as a historic necessity and a historic achievement - for newcomers and old member-states alike.

It is not often in international affairs that we develop a strategy which is so principled in terms of values and so successful in terms of outcomes. It would be short-sighted and wrong to stop using enlargement's transformative potential.

Romania and Bulgaria are set to join us soon. Croatia and Turkey have just started their accession negotiations. And as you know, our goal is to have all Balkan states eventually enter the European Union.

Enlargement is a huge success, politically and economically. But it is not cost-free. The main cost is that we have to adjust.

We do have a more diverse Union where interests and perspectives sometimes diverge. It is our collective responsibility to ensure the European Union's continued capacity to act.

Moreover, enlargement cannot be our only project. People expect more than an open market and a regional stabilization project.

One thing people expect is a stronger European role on the international stage. All the opinion polls say so. And it is logical too.

Ours is a globalising world. It offers many opportunities for millions to better their lives. But is also one of diffuse threats, which no one can tackle alone.

The 'death of distance' has meant that events in distant places directly affect our security. New powers - China, India, South Africa, Brazil and others - are emerging fast.

Not just as economic competitors but also as major actors on the geo-strategic landscape. Just look at the recent debates on Iran and Sudan.

It is fanciful to think that there is a future in playing national cards in this kind of context. Only by acting together can we Europeans exert meaningful influence on key global trends and issues.

Our publics understand this very well. Indeed they insist that Europe should play its full role on the strategic issues of today and tomorrow. My view is that we have no choice but to heed this call for action.

The good news is that in recent years we have made a lot of progress in building up the European Union as a global actor. The most significant change is how much we have grown up politically and operationally.

We moved from issuing declarations after the event, to influencing events in real time.

We have also built up what we lacked and needed: a set of civilian and military capabilities; new structures and decision-making mechanisms; plus the experience of joint operations and exercises.

At present we are conducting a large number of crisis management operations in different theatres.

In the Balkans, we have missions in Bosnia-Hercegovina and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. In Africa we are active in the Democratic Republic of Congo and supporting the AMIS II mission in Sudan/Darfur.

In the Middle East, we are engaged in Iraq and Palestine. We are now even present in Asia though the Aceh Monitoring Mission in Indonesia.

So the scope and reach of our crisis management activities has expanded enormously. More than that, our presence on the ground is giving us a positive political pay-off.

For years, we had been spending large sums of money without exerting much political influence.

That was our Achilles heel. This is now changing, for the better.

Let me be clear: what we are doing is not about replacing NATO. Nor is it about militarising the Union. It is about effective crisis management. About increasing the role of the European Union as a promoter of stability and security.

The rationale is double: to advance our interests and protect our citizens. But also, and I insist, to have Europe act as a force for good in the world.

If we follow this path, transatlantic relations will strengthen.

Simply put, by becoming a stronger and more capable international actor, we will be a better partner for the United States.

The Balkans are a good case in point. Through our concerted efforts, with the US and NATO, we have ensured that the stability of the region is no longer threatened by the outbreak of a major conflict.

Ten years after Dayton, all countries are moving closer to their eventual destination: entry into the European Union.

But many difficult challenges remain: The Balkans, more than any other region in the world, are an EU responsibility. We need a regional and comprehensive approach, mobilising all our instruments.

This will involve a lot of hard work. But one thing is clear: we cannot afford to fail.

The Balkans are important. So too are other regions. Take the Middle East. As we speak, we are looking into how we can respond to a request from the Israelis and the Palestinians to play a role as third-party at the Rafah crossing point in Gaza.

We are also expanding our engagement in Eastern Europe. For instance with our upcoming border mission in Moldova/Transdnistria.

Ukraine is another good example. I remember vividly how, last year, I travelled to Kiev at the height of the demonstrations. And I am glad that the outcome we achieved was both peaceful and democratic.

This was EU foreign policy at its best: robust in its support for European values; staunch in its defence of the democratic aspirations of Ukraine; open and frank in our dialogue with Russia, and effective in co-operation between capitols and Brussels.

Since those exhilarating days, we have made good progress with Ukraine. We have an adopted ambitious action plan which we now need to implement.

Dear friends,

If you look at this kind of political initiatives like Ukraine. If you add the scope and range of our crisis management operations. Plus our half dozen special representatives present on the ground in various trouble spots, along with the representatives on non-proliferation, terrorism and human rights.

If you add all this up, you get a rough picture of what EU foreign policy is all about: conflict resolution, crisis management, tackling the new security threats and standing up for our values and interests. That, in short, is Europe's international calling.

Let me make one final point. None of this is possible without the active support of all memberstates.

My message to you is that Slovakia has an important role to play.

In our work in the Balkans, in Eastern Europe and elsewhere. By strengthening our crisis-management capabilities. Through your role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

And by sending excellent people, like Jan Kubiš, our first EU Special Representatives for Central Asia.

We have many great things to do together. I count on your continuing support to carry out our European ambitions.

Dyakuem (thanks).

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