Turkey warned on Thursday that its European Union membership talks could suffer irreparable damage if EU leaders imposed new sanctions next week in retaliation for Ankara’s refusal to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot traffic. “There are already too many sanctions on Turkey because of Cyprus,” said Egemen Bagis, Turkey’s chief EU negotiator. “Any additional sanctions will kill the motivation of my leaders towards the EU.” The Greek Cypriot-controlled government of Cyprus is pressing its 26 fellow EU member-states to tighten measures against Turkey for failing to abide by the so-called Ankara protocol – a 2004 EU-Turkish agreement that Turkey would open direct transport links with the Greek Cypriots in return for launching EU membership talks. EU governments agreed in 2006 to freeze eight of the 35 negotiating chapters, or policy areas, that Turkey needs to conclude in order to join the EU. EU leaders will meet at a summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday next week to decide their course of action. The bloc is divided among countries that support Turkey’s EU aspirations, such as Sweden and the UK, and others such as Austria and France that do not want Turkey to become a member. Turkey has refused to honour the Ankara protocol on the grounds that the EU reneged on a promise to end the isolation of northern Cyprus, where Turkish Cypriots in 1983 declared an independent state recognised by no country except Turkey.
Prime Minister of the Former Yugostav Republic (FYROM) of Macedonia Nikola Grievski wants parallel talks to be held-with EU on accession and with Greece-on name issue, Greek Eleftherotypia newspaper writes. This “original” proposal, which, of course, should not be accepted by Greece, the newspaper reads, was tabled by Gruevski after the meeting with the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso and EU Commissioner on Enlargement Olli Rehn. This happened a week before the EU Summit at which it is expected the proposal of the EC on setting data for the start of EU accession talks with FYROM to be discussed. Barroso said the proposal of the EC should be considered as encouragement for resolving the name issue.
Azerbaijan and Belarus spoke before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) today against the Kosovo Albanian unilateral declaration of independence. The unilateral proclamation represented a breach of the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and a violation of Serbia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, which was against international law. The Hague-based UN court is currently conducting a public hearing in the case, forwarded to it last year by the UN General Assembly. It will afterwards rule on the legality of the proclamation, made in February 2008. Austria and Bahrain also made their arguments today, in favor of the declaration. Russian news agency Itar-Tass said the Austrian delegation representative Helmut Tichy stated that his country's view was that the independence declaration was "in accordance with international law". Tichy explained this by saying there were "no rules that prohibited a declaration of independence or secession in international law", adding that it had been adopted by "elected officials who expressed the will of the people in Kosovo, and that was not illegal in international law". Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria and Burundi are scheduled to present their views on Friday, while the hearing itself will last until December 11. The full transcript from today's proceedings is available here.
Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said that the Serbian delegation presented its arguments yesterday before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at the start of the oral debate regarding the legality of the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo-Metohija forcefully, but with wisdom and equanimity. Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said that the Serbian delegation presented its arguments yesterday before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at the start of the oral debate regarding the legality of the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo-Metohija forcefully, but with wisdom and equanimity. During a break in the debate, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Jeremic told the press that international law, history and more than two thirds of the world’s countries are on Serbia’s side when it comes to the legality of the secession of the province. A tough struggle lies ahead of us that we cannot and will not lose if we show perseverance, wisdom and unity and for that we require national unity and political unity between all the parties and the people, said the Minister. He said that Serbia’s legal team argued that it is impermissible in the 21st century to divide a peace loving UN member country against its will. If that can be allowed to happen during the 21st century anything can be expected. I hope that we will show that this is not the case, said Jeremic, adding that he hopes that the ICJ will uphold the fundamental principles of international law, one of them being the right of a recognised country to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Today we are in The Hague, tomorrow we will be in New York. We will go where ever we need to in order to fight for Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity until our final victory, said Jeremic, adding that Kosovo was and will remain a part of Serbia.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, in power for over 10 years, ruled out a departure from politics on Thursday, telling a questioner: "Don't hold your breath." The country's most powerful leader made the comment with a smile when asked on his annual televised question and answer session with the Russian people if he would like to leave politics and start a quiet life. Putin, 57, also said he "will think about" taking part in the 2012 presidential election, when many Russians expect him to return to the Kremlin for a six-year term. Putin's eighth annual phone-in entitled "A Conversation with Vladimir Putin. The Sequel" showed the premier back on form after an uncharacteristically subdued performance last year amid the economic crisis. Commenting on everything from Russia's football performance to the brand value of Lada cars, Putin showed the mastery of detail, firm command, trademark frankness and humor which has made him the country's most popular politician.
Pope Benedict XVI and visiting Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed Thursday to upgrade Vatican-Kremlin relations to full diplomatic ties, the Vatican said. The step forward on the diplomatic front comes at the same time as a warming in previously tense relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican. A Vatican statement said Benedict and Medvedev agreed that Russia will upgrade its representation at the Vatican from a special mission to embassy level and that the Vatican will reciprocate in Moscow. The two men also discussed challenges to "security and peace" in the world and "themes of mutual interest such as the value of the family and the contribution of believers to the life of Russia," the Vatican said. Medvedev, on a one-day visit to Rome, met with the German pope for 30 minutes, speaking through interpreters. He had earlier met with Premier Silvio Berlusconi. After decades of hostility between the Vatican and the Kremlin during the Cold War, the major breakthrough came when former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev met with Pope John Paul II in December 1989. But the lifting of restrictions on religion led to new tensions with the Orthodox church, which accused the Vatican of poaching for souls in traditional Orthodox territory — a charge the Vatican denied. The standoff prevented John Paul II of fulfilling his wish of making a pilgrimage to Russia. Vatican officials, however, say that despite improved atmosphere such a trip is not on Benedict's agenda now. The Vatican statement after Thursday's meeting did not mention it. Benedict had met with Medvedev's predecessor, Vladimir Putin, two years ago. As a gift, Medvedev presented Benedict with 22 volumes of an encyclopedia on the Russian Orthodox Church to complete a set brought by Putin.
Eritrea’s human rights record came under the scrutiny of the United Nation Human Rights Council on December 1. Some 20,000 political prisoners there-- including 3,000 Christians-- are imprisoned by a regime known for torturing its opponents. Colonized by Italy, Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 and eventually annexed, leading to a decades-long civil war. Eritrea regained its independence in 1993 under the leadership of Isaias Afwerki, a Marxist who received his military training in Mao Zedong’s China. Afwerki remains the totalitarian nation’s leader today. Reporters Without Borders deems Eritrea’s treatment of press freedom the worst in the world. A longtime Christian area-- local bishops were part of an Oriental Orthodox Church that region ceased communion with the Holy See following the Council of Chalcedon in 451-- the nation of 5.5 million is now half Muslim, 30% Eritrean Orthodox, and less than 4% Eastern Catholic. The government recognizes the existence only of Islam, the Eritrean Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church, and the Lutheran Church; according to the State Department, it systematically arrests and imprisons other believers, in some cases reportedly making their conversion to Eritrean Orthodoxy, obtained under torture, as a condition for release. Official recognition does not provide immunity from persecution. In 2005, the government appointed a layman to administer the Eritrean Orthodox Church, and the following year, the Church’s patriarch was deposed. In 1998, the government took over Catholic schools and health clinics; last year, it took over all Catholic Church property in the nation’s capital.