Message of Welcome from Ambassador Thomas Matussek, Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations
Sommaire: Message of Welcome from Ambassador Thomas Matussek, Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations (1 January 2007: New York)
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the website of Germany's Presidency of the European Union at the United Nations in New York. We hope you find this website a useful source of information.
Germany's term as Presidency of the European Union lasts from 1 January to 30 June 2007. Our country will hold the EU Presidency at a time when Europe is preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the European Economic Community (EEC). The EEC was founded in 1957 with the aim of promoting lasting peace in Europe by removing trade barriers on the continent and forming a common market. Its 50 years of existence are an unprecedented success story. What started with a treaty on
economic cooperation in 1957 will with the accession of Bulgaria and Romania on 1 January become a Union of 27 Member States, which, following the painful experiences of two World Wars and the ensuing division, now unites the European continent in peace and guarantees a level of prosperity and stability previously unknown in the history of Europe.
The celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome on 25 March 2007 will be a highlight of the German Presidency. On this occasion, the EU Heads of State and Government will meet in Berlin and present a declaration to reaffirm EU values and outline its future role.
We are deeply committed to European integration because we believe that it is the foundation of our common future, and we are determined to promote its dynamic development during our Presidency.
Our activities as Presidency will be shaped by two factors: By our Presidency Programme entitled "Europe - succeeding together" and of course also by external events happening during the next six months. For the first time, this agenda has been agreed together with the subsequent Presidencies of Portugal and Slovenia and represents the official working programme of the European Council over a period of 18 months from January 2007 to June 2008.
Our priorities include: - the continuation of the process of giving Europe a Constitution,
- the shaping of an economic order in Europe which is competitive while upholding social and environmental responsibility. Among other projects, we work towards the adoption of an ambitious Energy Action Plan and towards the development of a common EU position on international climate protection after 2012.
- the promotion of security and stability in Europe and its neighborhood. In addition to drawing the Western Balkans closer to the EU, the Presidency will focus on strengthening and developing the European Neighborhood Policy and extending relations with Russia and Central Asia. We are convinced that the United Nations is and remains the central institution for effective multilateralism. The German Presidency will therefore devote particular attention to intensifying collaboration between the
EU and the UN and to actively seeking cooperation with all other UN member states and groups of states within the UN.
Areas of cooperation include strengthening and reforming the UN and implementing the Millennium Development Goals. We will also together with our partners in the EU and in the UN contribute to the stabilization of the situation in Lebanon and to the active search for a comprehensive peace solution for the Middle East conflict. Another of the most urgent challenges will be to continue efforts to find a peaceful solution to the dispute concerning the Iranian nuclear programme. The situations in
Sudan, in Somalia and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the wake of the elections will be at the top of the European Union's African agenda. We are also committed to achieving significant progress in the forthcoming discussions on environmental issues within the UN framework.
The next six months will be a challenging and intense time for Germany and the EU. We are looking forward to organizing and coordinating the work of the EU Member States in New York, facilitating discussions and promoting agreement between them on the European Union's contribution to the work of the United Nations as well as coordinating the European Union's outreach to all other member states of the UN.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require further information on the European Union's contribution to the work of the United Nations.
Thomas Matussek
Ambassador
- Ref: PRES07-002EN
- Source UE: Présidence UE
- UN forum:
- Date: 1/1/2007
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