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EU for building multipolar world

Amit Baruah

Strategic partnership with India needs more substance: Josep Borrell

NEW DELHI: India and the European Union (E.U.) must unitedly build a multipolar world, European Parliament President Josep Borrell said in an address to the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) on Friday.

Mr. Borrell pointed out that the world had not become a safer place after the collapse of the Soviet bloc. Arms' spending this year was more than $800 billions, 15 times the volume of international aid.

Neither Europe nor India would like to see a bipolar world dominated by the U.S. and China. "For too long, our Eurocentric approach prevented us from giving enough attention to Asia, and to India in particular. This is no longer the case."

According to Mr. Borrell, in West Asia, where for too long Europe had signed the cheques for policies made elsewhere, the E.U. was now becoming a key player. The E.U. member States took a decision to form the backbone of a new U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon at a historic meeting with Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Role in Palestine

"In Palestine, the E.U. military personnel are providing security on Gaza's southern border.

In Congo, the E.U., with 5000 troops, has been able to play a role as an impartial peacemaker in a difficult political context ... in Indonesia, the E.U. troops are guaranteeing the peace agreement in Aceh," he pointed out.

"For Europe, the use of force cannot impose political agreements on parties to a conflict. Force is there to guarantee the implementation of those agreements. I mention these examples because I believe it is time to bury the myth of the E.U. as an "economic giant" and a "political dwarf." It is work in progress but many steps have already been taken."

Advocating a "new impetus" to India-E.U. relations, Mr. Borrell said the strategic partnership needed more substance.

Our institution, the European Parliament, believes that the partnership should be a comprehensive one. There should be no taboo issues in discussions."

While calling for an agreement in the Doha round of trade talks, he said the reality that the round may not be completed had to be faced.

The European Parliament, he said, had supported last week the proposal of a high-level trade group to start negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement with India.

"India is calling for a re-ordering of the top table of the international institutions. Brazil, South Africa and China are making the same demand. And you can rely on our Parliament's support on this matter."

According to Mr. Borrell, if India were to sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), it would pave the way for a civilian nuclear cooperation with Europe.

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