UNITED ARAB EMIRATES AND EUROPE – A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES AND EUROPE – A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP      

                         

“Europe is praising the vision of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan”(Professor Anton Caragea ,president of EUCIR in discussion with H.E. Ambassador of United Arab Emirates-Yacoub Yousef Hassan Al-Hosani )

United Arab Emirates are celebrating on 2 of December the 38 anniversary of the Independence Day, a day of special significance not only for the Emirates but for the entire area of Arabic Gulf and Middle East. In these 38 years of independence the progresses registered by the United Arab Emirates under the visionary leadership of late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahayan and after 2004 under the His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan where outstanding. United Arab Emirates build in the region a climate of peace, equilibrium and economic and political cooperation and obtained achievements praised internationally. For Europe the connection with United Arab Emirates is one of the most important in the area, Europe appreciates the United Arab Emirates commitment in helping nations worldwide to achieve development, also Europe is praising the vision of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan in constructing a leadership role in a new stage of development for the UAE that will witness the empowerment of his nation and its emergence on the global scene as a major world player.

Also His Highness expressed the Government’s commitment to strengthen the private sector, encourage investment projects, and expand in industry, tourism, construction while protecting the environment.  For all this reasons Europe considers United Arab Emirates a privileged partner in the Gulf Area and a country that will lead into XXI century. As a sign of respect for the splendid achievements of United Arab Emirates in this 38 years from independence, practically Europe will celebrate for all month of November 2009 the National Anniversary of United Arab Emirates, a day that many Europe are seeing as a day of a friendly country that is leading the way of development into XXI century and is considered in Europe as a long term strategic partner

EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS SUPPORTS JEAN CLAUDE JUNCKER FOR EU PRESIDENCY

PRESS RELEASE

EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS express his content at the final signing of the Lisbon treaty by the Czech Republic. This final act transforms European Union in a more efficient and more visible entity on the international stage. An increase in the visibility and importance of the European Union in the world affairs is an important goal that was always inscribed in the principle of the European Council on International Relations.

Now in this moment of triumph for the European Union idea we must take time and congratulate all member states that made sacrifices and sustained effort in order to achieve this aim of a stronger European Union. Also European Council on International Relations express his gratitude to countries like Romania and Bulgaria that did not tried to block the EU consensus on Lisbon Treaty in spite of their national interest that would have ask for such an action.

Also European Council on International Relations congratulates all the European Union responsible actors that were involved in the important task of raising awareness for the necessity of a more democratic and more efficient European Union.

In this moment of euphoria European Council on International Relations must  emphasize on the necessity   of electing a President that will unite Europe nut divide, that will represent the small countries as well as the biggest player, that will mediate not impose, that will coagulate Europe and create a new feeling of identity based on justice and protection .

In this regard European Council on International Relations support the candidature of Mr. Jean –Claude Juncker   as an ideal representative of a European Union of dialogue not controversy and of commitment in building a Europe for all his citizens .

We need to transform the signing of Lisbon Treaty in a victory for all Europeans and in a victory for a better European Union of XXI century.

PRESIDENT OF EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON INERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Professor Anton Caragea PhD, MA, FINS

LE SAINT ET LES CULTE DES SAINTS PAR ANTON CARAGEA/THE SAINT AND THE SAINTS CULT BY ANTON CARAGEA

THE SAINT AND THE SAINTS CULT BY ANTON CARAGEA   

The book THE SAINT AND THE CULT OF SAINTS by Anton Caragea is the most remarkable editorial work of the latest 20 years in Romania filling up an enormous gape in the religious and historical research in Romania.  THE SAINT AND THE CULT OF SAINTS is also a significant apparition on Christian world literature and history. Such a book never existed prior to this moment in the Romanian historical research in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Church also the book was hailed as the latest publication on the field of saints life research where conducted in XIX century , over 100 years again and needed a reevaluation and historical reassessment.  So both of Catholic and Orthodox Churches regarded the new book as a fundamental research on Church History.

The book is based on the last five years of research in Turkey, Syria and Egypt by Professor Anton Caragea and is based on documents forgotten in the last 1.800 years of history of Christianity. Based on professor Caragea work as historian, scholar and text translator the life of saints forgotten by over 2 millennia are seeing one more time the light of day. By his work professor Anton Caragea is inviting us in a unique voyage among Popes, martyrs and saints and he make us witnesses to the birth of Christianity opening for us the door to a secret world: the world of saints. Let`s fallow professor Anton Caragea by the gate of miracles and history with his new book: THE SAINT AND THE CULT OF SAINTS.                  

Saints Sergiu and Bachuss(from Maloula-Syria), saints almost forgotten in the last millenium,you will find there life in Saints and the Cult of saints by Anton Caragea 

LE SAINT ET LES CULTE DES SAINTS PAR ANTON CARAGEA.  

 Le livre LE SAINT ET LES CULTE DES SAINTS  par Anton Caragea est le plus remarquable travail éditorial des dernières vingt années en Roumanie que satisferez  un énorme gap dans la recherche historique et religieuse en Roumanie. LE SAINT ET LES CULTE DES SAINTS est aussi une apparition importante dans  la littérature et l’histoire mondiale chrétienne. Si un tel ouvrage n’a jamais existé avant à ce moment dans la recherche historique roumain dans l’Église catholique et l’Église orthodoxe également le livre a été salué comme la plus importante publication sur le domaine de la vie des saints.

Les dernier ouvrage sur set sujet  on été  réalisée au XIX siècle, maintenons âpres  plus de 100 ans de recherche et nécessaires t une réévaluation historique.  Donc les églises  catholique et orthodoxe saluent  le nouveau livre comme  une recherche fondamentale sur l’histoire de l’église. Le livre est basé sur les dernières  cinq années de recherche en Turquie, Syrie et en Égypte par professeur Anton Caragea et est basé sur les documents oubliés au cours des dernières 1.800 années de l’histoire du christianisme. Par le travail admirable de professeur Caragea  tant qu’historien, érudit et le traducteur du texte de vie des saints, oubliées par plus de deux millénaires, set texte rare  voient pour la première fois la lumière du jour. Par son travail le professeur Anton Caragea  nous invite dans un voyage unique parmi les Papes, martyrs et saints et ils nous font témoins de la naissance du christianisme, son livre  ouvrant pour nous la porte à un monde secret : le monde des saints. Nous allons avec le professeur Anton Caragea a  la porte de miracles et de l’histoire avec son nouveau livre : LE SAINT ET LES CULTE DES SAINTS.

US NEW POLICY TOWARDS EASTERN EUROPE

JOE BIDEN AND US NEW POLICY TOWARDS EASTERN EUROPE by Anton Caragea PhD, MA, FINS

 

On 17 of July at European Council on International Relations was published a letter signed by 22 former presidents, intellectual and policy makers from Central and Eastern Europe announcing their mistrust in the new rapprochement policy with Russia . Regarding the abandon of the missile shield in Poland and Czech Republic the letter pointed out: “Abandoning the program entirely or involving Russia too deeply in it without consulting Poland or the Czech Republic can undermine the credibility of the United States across the whole region”.  Now Joseph Biden has toured the region proclaiming the US new vision for Eastern Europe.

 

End of confrontational vision.

First announcement made in the visits in Ukraine and Georgia between 20 and 24 July was the end of the confrontational vision at Black Sea that G. Bush has supported. Even the visit in those two countries was left to Joe Biden, vice-president while Barack Obama has selected Moscow as the main step on his diplomatic journey. This was a gesture never made by previous administration which only visits Moscow after visiting Romania, Poland or Baltic states in order to send an unambiguous signal that relations with Russia are determined by Russia policy in Eastern Europe. No such signal come from Obama administration, sending the vice-president was itself a sign of downgrading relations with the region.  Joe Biden also announced the policymakers in Tbilisi and Kiev that now is the time to have better relations with Russia and pressured US allies like Georgia’s Saakashvili to open society and to embrace democracy reform, which was seen as a favorable moved toward pro-Russian opposition which is regularly   accusing President Saakashvili of dictatorial ambition. Also in Kiev Biden didn’t missed the opportunity to meet Victor Janucovici the Kremlin backed main contender for president Victor Yushcenko for presidential bid in 2010 Ukrainian elections. A striking difference form previously US unwavering support to orange revolution leaders in Ukraine and Georgia.

Yushcenko a leader of orange revolution now abandoned ?

End of the missile shield.

Now between 20 and 23 of October vice-president Biden was in a new diplomatic journey to Eastern Europe visiting Poland, Romania and Czech Republic in order to officially announce the US redraw from the Missile Shield Plan. Announced in 2007 by Bush administration, the Missile shield was seen by many as a continuation of Reagan Star Wars, that help bring down Soviet Union economy and communism system. This time the shield, publicly oriented against Iran, was universally regarded as a pressure against Putin`s Russia. All the leaders of the region have seen this sign of US commitment to the Eastern Europe in the face of a new assertive Russian power. The Obama administration decision to build a small shield, really dedicated counter Iran ballistic system, on Black Sea in Turkey and Israel and maybe Azerbaijan, was looked as a further signed of US disengagement in the region. Joe Biden visit was projected with the purpose of calming eastern European fears and to build a new relation between US and Eastern Europe.

A new U.S. strategic vision.

Joe Biden explained in Warsaw, Bucharest and Prague  that: US is not seeing Russia as an enemy and the Cold War perception  of Moscow as a foe that must be isolated under an Iron Curtain is over . The result of this assertion was that US will not tolerate and support rebellious actions as Georgian-Russian war in summer of 2008 or Ukraine pressure on Russian navy or Romanian plans to counter Russian influence at Black sea and Polish pressure in Belarus. All this actions of harassment backed by previous US administration must end.        

Also US is ready to sponsor a detente in the Eastern Europe- Russia relations based on economic and cultural relations and on a new vision of a common economic space between Russia and Europe. This vision of peaceful cooperation is not shared in the region , the 22 former leaders wanted a tougher stance on Kremlin: “When it comes to Russia, our experience has been that a more determined and principled policy toward Moscow will not only strengthen the West’s security but will ultimately lead Moscow to follow a more cooperative policy as well”. The US response is a startling: No! to this vision.

Saakashvili sacrified on the altar of a new US-Russia relationship ?

A space of economic cooperation.     

Instead of political confrontation from Baltic to Black Sea Joe Biden is wanting to see economic cooperation and more precisely: energy cooperation. In Poland he was spoken about energy routes in the Baltic linking Russia and Europe closer, in Romania was speaking about Trieste- Constanta gas pipeline and a liquid gas terminal at Constanta, based on Qatari gas transported to Romania and from here to Western Europe.  Also Biden expressed support not for EU backed Nabucco pipeline, destined to override Russia as a gas supplier to Europe but to South Line, a Russian sponsored gas pipeline.  To measure what a disappointment this speech  will be for Eastern Europe leaders I quote one more time from there letter: „Central and Eastern European countries should lobby harder … for diversification of the energy mix, suppliers, and transit routes, as well as for tough legal scrutiny of Russia’s abuse of its monopoly and cartel-like power inside the EU. But American political support on this will play a crucial role. Similarly, the United States can play an important role in solidifying further its support for the Nabucco pipeline”.

Finaly Joe Biden signaled in all the capitals his wish for a new generation of leaders in Eastern Europe capable to understand the necessity of a new policy towards Russia, in Bucharest, he was paying a lot of attention to opposition leaders in order to signal the US disinterest in the fate of Romanian president Traian Basescu, a former darling of Bush administration, and the play was repeated over and over in Warsaw and Prague.

Lessons of Joe Biden visits.

First it is interest to point out that Biden avoid going to Baltic States , shattered by economic crisis , isolated in EU and pressured by Russia, a sign that Baltic States must first  end there anti-Russian stance and normalize relations with Kremlin.  Also Biden didn’t visit Bulgaria that already switch to a more conciliatory stance with Russia accepting Russian pipelines on his territory, supporting Russia in Kosovo, Serbia and Balkans relation and opened for strategic business partnership with Russia. Also Hungary that signed 10 billion agreement on gas, energy and oil with Russia accepting to become Russia`s main energy partner in the region was avoided. For Bulgaria and Hungary the new Washington vision was already in place; make business not war was the tune form White House. This was a visit to last remaining pro-Bush strongholds: Poland, Romania and Czech Republic destined to signal that US is redrawing support for confrontational vision. Cohabitation with Russia is a must for the new leaders of the region.    

Professor Anton Caragea PhD ,MA, FINS

NATIONAL DAY OF NIGERIA CELEBRATED IN ROMANIA

NATIONAL DAY OF NIGERIA CELEBRATED IN ROMANIA                 

On  1-th of October is traditionally to celebrate the National Day of Federal Republic of Nigeria, but this year the celebration has being more grandiose then in any other year , so we can say that the month of October is really a month dedicated to Federal Republic of Nigeria.

President of Federal Republic of Nigeria-Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the arhitect of Nigeria new status

In the last period the Republic of Nigeria has become a poll of stability in West Africa: the peace in the Niger Delta, continuous economic growth (in spite of economic crisis), a better life standard and the transformation of capital of Nigeria- Abuja in a diplomatic center of the region, all this has made Nigeria a special partner to European Union and Romania.

Also in the last two years, with the dedication and commitments of the Nigerian Ambassador in Romania, Mba Ama Mba, the relations between Romania and Federal Republic of Nigeria has being radically transformed: exchanges of political, cultural and economic delegations has build a bridge between Bucharest and Abuja and   we have witnessed a historical increase of economic and political exchanges between the two countries. In the month of October , a month dedicated to Federal Republic of Nigeria , His Excellency Ambassador Mba Ama Mba has made a public relations campaign presenting to Romanian press and economic community the Nigerian cultural and economic opportunities . It is appreciated that by his efforts this year the Federal Republic of Nigeria national day has being transformed in a month of Nigeria in Romania.

H.E. Ambassador of Nigeria - Mba Ama Mba

NON ALIGNED MOVEMENT RENAISSANCE: A CHANCE FOR A MULTIPOLAR WORLD ? by Anton Caragea PhD

NON ALIGNED MOVEMENT RENAISSANCE: A CHANCE FOR A MULTIPOLAR WORLD ?

NAM Member States

In 1955, when the founding fathers of Non Aligned Movement (NAM) held their first meeting in the now famous Bandung Gathering, the role of Non Aligned Movement seemed to be clear: prevention of a new war. In a world already savagely ravaged by the Second World War, URSS and United States already embarked in a new kind of military and political confrontation: Cold War. So the role and the place of a non-aligned movement where clear and easy to carve: keeping the two opposite blocs in equilibrium not allowing for the cold war to become a nuclear war. After the fall of the communism and dissolution of Warsaw pact in 1991 the Non Aligned Movement seemed to be out of place in a world that had promised to be without military or ideological confrontation. Many had claimed even the end of the organization in a post-Cold War world. After the US invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq that presented clear the risk of a unipolar world ,now a new need is offering to Non Aligned Movement a new chance to play a historic role: the search for a multipolar world.

A new Non Aligned Movement?

 The Cuban presidency of Non Aligned Movement (2006-2009) has witnessed a new world that could offer new meanings to a movement that seemed to be in collapse in the last decade of XX century. The reason for this comeback where many . First we are seeing an increase in relevance of the so called Bandung spirit. In 1955 at the inaugural session the five key figures of the movement: Josif Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, Jawaharlal Nehru of India, Gamel Nasser of Egypt , Sukarno of Indonesia and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana wanted this new organization to stand for: non-aggression, non-interference, respect for independence, equality and peaceful co-existence.

 

At the end of the Cold War this principle seemed to stay at the heart of the new international security structure. The dissolution of URSS granted freedom to the people in the communist area and the Kuwait War (1991) signaled a new role of United Nation as a protector of independence of small countries . Soon this dream was dashed, the US lead invasion in Afghanistan (2001) the unilateral Iraq invasion (2003) and the threats to North Korea and Iran existence , the orange revolution in Eastern Europe, all this marked a new era of unipolar world . In this new confrontational vision the spirit of Bandung was the key for re-establishing order in the world. In an unexpected way the so called war on terror marked the necessity for a balanced world in which no power to act without impunity and those marked the renaissance of Non Aligned Movement.

Is Non Aligned Movement a power?

At a first glance the answer seemed to be a clear Yes: with118 member states and another 15 observer waiting for admittance and with almost 55% percent of the world population and 20% percent of world economy, demographical and economical date tend to suggest an important power to be used by this movement. In any case the sad days of the nineties when the Movement look as it will lose his meaning are long gone. But on a realistic note the Non Aligned Movement has still the same weakness that crippled his influence on the Cold war period. The Bandung five fathers imagined a powerful military, political and economical alliance that could balance United States and Soviet Union. This strong alliance is not build yet. On political level the connections between these countries are still week, economic also there is no plan for common development, there isn’t any trade agreement or economic project to hold together the NAM members. Also the NAM it does not offer a political mechanism for dismantling inner tension between member states and no military common capacity to give relevance to the movement. State by state agreement does not substitute a common unified mechanism .Also the NAM organization it is lacking the material resources to put forward a common international agenda. Finally a weak point of the organization is the dependency on the country that is chairing the NAM Alliance. The last years prove this quite eloquently , the three years of Cuban mandate marked a bust in visibility and international audience to the organization ,while the Egyptian mandate until now is a very disappointing one, succeed only in puttying the organization into shadow . So NAM is having a lot of work to do until will be able to measure up with NATO or United States influence.

Is Non Aligned Movement rising up?

 Despite these internal issues the Cuban presidency and NAM have marked a few initiatives that could foster the image and influence of the organization. The most important was the decision of NAM to get involved in a necessary, but long postponed, reform of United Nation system. Taking part in common peace keeping operation is also offering the breeding ground for an experimental military task force of NAM. Finally the Committee on Palestine of NAM has offered credible solution on the Middle East problem, requesting Israel to to halt its settlement activities, open up border crossings, and cease the use of force and violence against civilians and relinquish Gaza and West Bank territories to a future Palestinian state. Extremely important was the decision on NAM to emphasize on justice and respect for fundamental human rights and for the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and relinquish his older name as the club of autocrats and foster democracy on the member states. Off course it is still a long way until NAM will be a club of democracy but it is a step on the right direction. All this new stance , the decision to create a Joint Economic Cooperation committee and to offer a new leadership to the organization in the form of a Joint Coordinating Committee that doubles the state leadership of NAM, all this are opportunity to make the organization more efficient and by this more visible. As always history teach us that an organization like a person is having his role in the world. Non Aligned Movement played a part on the Cold War adventure and is having now a new calling: fostering a new power for a multipolar world. The last decade, under a one polar world, was not a beneficial one: increase in military spending, economic crisis, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and destabilizing of the Middle East region, African underdevelopment, and democracy crisis, all this need to be address and Non Aligned Movement by his simple existence could be a beckon of hope.

Professor Anton Caragea PhD, MA, FINS

CAUCASUS THE POWDER BARELL OF EUROPE?

CAUCASUS THE POWDER BARELL OF EUROPE?

Caucasus: the place for the next war ?

 

In the XIX century it was usual to say about the Balkan Peninsula that here is the powder barrel of Europe where all the wars are starting. In XX century the Russian and German ambitions where making the Eastern Europe the powder barrel of Europe. The XXI century seems to have (besides Middle East) his own soft spot: the Caucasus region. Here an explosive mixture of dictatorship, military ambitions, Islamic fundamentalism and rich natural resources is threatening the Europe stability.

Georgia`s open wounds.

Off course the first thing that is crossing our minds in relation with Caucasus region is the Russian-Georgian war of 2008. The war left the region in tatters : Georgia has seen disappearing all his chances to join NATO or European Union in the forcible future, the Georgian army was crushed by a rudimentary Russian forced proving that Georgia is far from a position of strength in the region. Not at least Georgia has seen amputation of his territory by the independence proclamation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Both newly appeared countries are supported militarily and economically by Russia which is making any transgression against these two countries a casus belli. If Georgia does not relinquish his claims to this two regions will never be accepted to NATO and European Union, both organization requiring a prior settlement of frontiers as a part of any pre-joining negotiation. Now an isolated Georgia, a war ravage country confronted with street demonstration and an unpopular president with authoritarian tendencies is ready to embark at least in a war of words with Russia. In august 2009 a war of tension brooked out one more time between Russia and Georgia both trying to win a PR confrontation this time, war is a continuation of politics by other means used to say Clausewitz and Russian and Georgia are ready to continue their confrontation.

 Frozen conflicts.

The Georgian-Russian war is not the only conflict that is casting a shadow over the region prospects on a normal development.   The north of Caucasus seemed to be one more time engulf in the flames of radical Islam. In 1999 then Prime-Minister Putin has build his career on crushing the Chechen rebellion. Now ten year after the story is again on the front page of newspapers; Chechnya is burning.  In Ingushetia, a neighboring republic of Chechnya has seen in the last months his president badly wounded and two ministers assassinated and a radical increase in terrorist activity. In the old wound of Chechnya the Kremlin prodigy Ramzan Kadyrov is confronted with an Islamic revival, a chain of assassination and attacks plague the country and make even the Prime minister reloaded Vladimir Putin visiting the region in a desperate effort to prevent a new war in Chechnya that could be fatal to his political stature. Let`s not forget that Chechnya war has destroyed Boris Eltin popularity and toppled two Russians prime ministers.

The conflict has spelt into Dagestan and North Ossetia menacing the pro-Russian leaders and the stability of a difficult region. A new war in Caucasus in a crumbling economy with a Russian unreformed army could spell disaster for Russian renewed imperial ambitious.

Azerbaijan on the frontline.

Azerbaijan is not enjoying a comfortable position on power struggle on Caucasus. With a large part of the population of Shia confession (the same as Iran) the Azerbaijan is observing with increasing worry the rise in isolation of Iran. If a war is to broke up in the region Azerbaijan is crucial: first his air space must be used for aerial attacks on targets on Iran, the country radar system must be used to control Iran air space and any missile interception system to prevent attacks on Europe and Israel must be position here. Already the Israel president Shimon Peres made a landmark visit to Azerbaijan (June 2009), described by Israel Minister of Foreign Affairs as:  „to reaffirms the strategic relationship between the two countries”.

Azerbaijan is sharing a long border with Iran, an important Shia population and a common history and is having important internal issues that make the country fragile, economic crisis seriously crippled the economy; corruption is endemic and democracy inexistent. In this difficult portrait the Iran threat made public by Iranian Chief of Staff , Hasan Firudabadi, that said that is regarding Azerbaijan movement as inimical and the Iran ambassador in Baku was recalled for consultation .An attack on Iran could be fatal for Azerbaijan in the present diplomatically  and economical construction.

Caucasus: oil and gas battle.

As if the geopolitical confrontation in the region is not enough the resources battle is at an age here. The oil and gas resources of Caspic Sea are poring from this region either to Russia, or to Europe, also the reach wealth of Iran in gas and oil could be exported to Europe only by this region. Russia is trying to secure his control on energy route on Caucasus by building South Stream pipeline, by dismantling independent pipeline and exploit the military victory over Georgia as an incentive to control the region resources. European Union is trying to find alternative routes and reserves of gases, independent of Russian influence by building Nabucco bypassing Russia as main supplier. But the Nabucco pipeline must go by Caucasus region and the gas and oil reserves  are also in the region so economic date are making the future of the region even more cloudy then it seems.

Caucasus is looking like a fragile region, with authoritarian regimes, economic corruption and under an ongoing battle for influence and power between Russia, United States, European Union, Israel and Iran. Will be Caucasus the new powder barrel of Europe?    

Professor Anton Caragea PhD, MA, FINS

PRESS RELEACE- EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON INTERNATIONAL RELATION

PRESS RELEACE.

Between 15-16 august 2009 in Viena was held the first meeting of EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON INTERNATIONAL RELATION ( EUCIR) the leading EU think tank.

The meeting was concentrating in shaping the future of the organisation for the next year 2009/2010 and to establish the main goal of the organisation. Professor Anton Caragea has read the manifest of EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON INTERNATIONAL RELATION : RISE UP EUROPE, a call for an independent European diplomacy and voice.

In his speech professor Anton Caragea has drow attention on the fact that : From the end of the Second World War Europe had suffered the cold war, the iron curtain and military occupations. This historical conjecture made it impossible for Europe to assert his unity as a continent, connected by history, culture, economic and culture legacy. The end of the Cold War change all this and Europe is enjoying one more time the chance of creating a common house for all his people. This opportunity must not be missed and EUCIR is promoting first and foremost the opportunity of creating a Europe, united by his legacy and history and not divided. Also EUCIR is the house for all does who think that Europe voice was silent for too many years on international arena. For too much the Europe position was not heard on key issues on international arena and humanity agenda. We at EUCIR believe that Europe is having the chance of asserting his voice, the power to claiming a new world direction, the economic resources to create the force in the world for a new tip of policy and the diplomatic and intellectual resources for a new world construction with equal opportunity for all, equilibrium of power and respect for United Nations. We at EUCIR we believe that Europe could be a force for good in the world , a force for promoting democracy , social responsible free economy and to create a climate of international détente and cooperation necessary to tackle the important humanity issues. We at EUCIR believe in an independent European voice of all nation that with a historical legacy and cultural connection build in the last two century could create new relation`s with all the major geopolitical areas of the world.

The meeting has concluded with the election of a new Board of EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON INTERNATIONAL RELATION .

www.eucir.com

SEVEN DAGGERS AT THE HEART OF THE AMERICAS by Fidel Castro

SEVEN DAGGERS AT THE HEART OF THE AMERICAS 

            I read and reread data and articles written by smart personalities, some better known than others, who publish in various media outlets drawing the information from sources nobody questions.

            Everywhere in the world, the people living on this planet are taking economic, environmental and war risks due to the United States policies but no other region of the world as threatened by such grave problems as that country’s neighbors, that is, the peoples of this continent south of that hegemonic power.

            The presence of such a powerful empire –with military bases, nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers; modern warships and sophisticated fighter planes that can carry any type of weapons, deployed in every continent and ocean; with hundreds of thousands of troops and a government that claims absolute impunity for them– is the most important headache for any government, be it a leftist, rightist or center government, an allied of the United States or not.

            The problem for those of us who are its neighbors is not that it is a different country with a different language. There are Americans of every color and background. They are people just like us with all kinds of feelings, in one sense or another. What is dramatic is the system that has been developed there and imposed on everyone else. That system is not new to the use of force and to the domination methods that have prevailed throughout history; what is new is the time we are living. Approaching the issue from a traditional perspective would be a mistake and no one would benefit. Reading and getting acquainted with the ideas of the advocates of the system can be very educational for it helps to become aware of the nature of a system which builds on a continuous appeal to selfishness and to the peoples’ most basic instincts.

            Without convictions about the value of conscience and its capacity to prevail over instincts, it would not be possible to even speak of a hope for change in any period of the very short history of man. Neither would it be possible to understand the formidable obstacles lying in the way of the different political leaders of the Latin American or Ibero-American nations in the hemisphere. In any case, the peoples living in this part of the world in the last tens of thousands of years until the famous discovery of the Americas had no traits of the Latin, Iberian or European peoples and their features resembled more those of the Asian peoples where their ancestors had come from. Today, we can find them on the faces of the indigenous people in Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and Chile, a country where the Araucanians wrote enduring pages. In certain areas of Canada and Alaska they still preserve their indigenous roots as purely as they can, but in the continental United States a large part of the ancient peoples was exterminated by the white conquerors.

            As everybody knows, millions of Africans were uprooted from their land and brought to work as slaves in this hemisphere. In some countries like Haiti and a large part of the Caribbean Islands their descendants make up the majority of the population, and in some other countries they add up to large segments. In the United States, there are tens of millions of people of African descent who, as a rule, are the poorest and most discriminated against.

            For centuries that country claimed privileged rights over our continent. At the time of Jose Marti, it tried to impose a single currency based on gold, a metal whose value has been the steadiest through history. In general, international trade was based on gold; but that is not the case today. From the days of Nixon’s administration, world trade developed on the basis of the paper money printed by the United States, the dollar, a currency worth today about 27 times less than in the early ‘70s; one of the many ways to dominate and defraud the rest of the world. At the present moment, however, other currencies are taking the place of the dollar in international trade and in the hard currency reserves.

            Then, while the value of the empire’s currency is decreasing, its military forces’ reserves are increasing and the state-of-the-art technology and science monopolized by the superpower are largely directed to weapons development. Presently, it is not only the thousands of nuclear missiles or the modern destructive power of conventional weapons, but the guided planes piloted by robots. This is not just a fantasy. Some of these aircraft are being used in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Recent reports indicate that in a relatively near future, by the year 2020, –long before the Antarctic icecap melts– the empire plans to have among its 2500 war planes, 1100 fifth-generation F-35 and F-22 fighter-bombers. Just to give an idea of that potential, suffice it to say that the aircraft used at the Soto Cano base in Honduras to train that country’s pilots are F-5, and the ones supplied to the Venezuelan air force –prior to Chavez– and to Chile and other countries, were small F-16 squadrons.

            Even more significant is the empire’s plan for the next 30 years anticipating that every U.S. combat aircraft, from fighter planes to heavy bombers and tanker planes are piloted by robots.

            Such a military might is not a necessity of the world; it is a necessity of the economic system that the empire imposes to the world.

            Anyone understands that if the robots can replace the combat pilots, they can also replace the workers in many factories. The free-trade agreements that the empire is trying to impose on the countries of this hemisphere mean that these workers will have to compete with the advanced technology and the robots of the Yankee industry.

            Robots do not go on strike; they are obedient and disciplined. We have seen on TV machinery that can pick up apples and other fruits. The question could also be asked to the American workers. Where will the jobs be? What is the future that capitalism without borders, in its advanced development stage, assigns to the people?

            In light of this and other realities, the leaders of UNASUR, MERCOSUR, the Rio Group and others cannot but analyze the very good question raised by Venezuela: What’s the meaning of the military and naval bases that the United States wants to set up around Venezuela and in the heart of South America? I remember that a few years back, when relations between Colombia and Venezuela, two sister nations bound by geography and history, grew dangerously tense Cuba quietly promoted significant steps leading to peace between them. Cuba will never encourage war between sister nations. Historic experience, the manifest destiny claimed and applied by the United States and the weak accusations against Venezuela about weapon supplies to the FARC, combined with the negotiations aimed at granting to the U.S. Armed Forces seven places in that territory to be used by their air and naval troops, are leaving Venezuela no other choice but to invest in weaponry the resources it could use for the economy, social programs and cooperation with other countries of the region having less resources and development. Venezuela’s military build-up is not aimed against the fraternal people of Colombia but against the empire which already tried to overthrow its Revolution and today intends to set up its sophisticated weapons near the Venezuelan border.

            It would be a serious mistake to believe that only Venezuela is being threatened. Actually, every country in the south of the continent is under threat. Not one of them will be able to avoid the issue as some of them have already stated.

            The present and future generations will pass judgment on their leaders for the way they conduct themselves at this moment. It is not only the United States, but the United States and the system. What does it offer? What does it want?

            It offers the FTAA, that is, the early ruin of our countries: free transit of goods and capital, but not free transit of people. They are now afraid that the opulent consumerist society is inundated by poor Hispanics, indigenous people, black, mulatto or whites who cannot find jobs in their own countries. They return everyone who commits an offense or that they do not need; quite often these people are killed before they enter that country or returned like animals when they are not necessary. Twelve million Latin American or Caribbean immigrants remain in the United States illegally. A new economy has emerged in our countries, especially in the smallest and poorest: that of remittances. In times of crisis, this strikes mostly the immigrants and their families. Parents and children are separated, sometimes forever. If the immigrant is of military age, he is given the chance to enlist for fighting thousands of miles away from home “on behalf of freedom and democracy,” and if they do not get killed, on their return they are given the right to become US citizens. Then, as they are well trained they are offered the possibility of a contract, not as official soldiers but as civilian soldiers for the private companies that provide services to the imperial wars of conquest.

            There are other extremely serious dangers. There are always news of immigrants from Mexico and other countries of our region dying as they try to cross the U.S.-Mexican border. The number of victims each year widely exceeds the totality of those who lost their lives in the almost 28 years of existence of the famous Berlin Wall.

            But what is most incredible is that there is hardly any news in the world about a war that is taking thousands of lives every year. In 2009, more Mexicans have been killed than the number of American soldiers who died during Bush’s war on Iraq in the course of his administration.

            The cause of the war in Mexico is the largest drug market in the world: the United States market. But there is no war going on in the American territory between the U.S. police and the military fighting the drug-traffickers. The war has instead been exported to Mexico and Central America, but especially to the Aztec country which is closer to the United States. Dreadful images of dead bodies are shown on TV while news keep coming in of people murdered in the surgery rooms where their lives were being saved. None of these images originates in the U.S. territory.

            Such a wave of violence and bloodshed is expanding through the countries of South America, affecting them to a lesser or greater extent. Where does the money come from if not the endless source of the U.S. market? Likewise, consumption tends to expand to the rest of the countries in the region causing more victims and direct or indirect damages than AIDS, malaria and other illnesses put together.

            The imperial plans of domination are preceded by huge sums of money assigned to the task of deceiving and misinforming the public. For this purpose, they have the full complicity of the oligarchy, the bourgeoisie, the rightist intelligentsia and the media.

            They are experts in spreading news of the politicians’ mistakes and contradictions.

            The fate of mankind must not be left in the hands of robots turned into people or people turned into robots.

            In the year 2010, the U.S. government will promote its policy through the State Department and USAID spending 2.2 billion dollars –12 percent more than the Bush administration received in the last year of its second term– and almost 450 million of them will be used to prove that the tyranny imposed on the world means democracy and respect for human rights.

            They constantly appeal to the human beings’ instinct and selfishness; they despise the value of education and conscience. The resistance put up by the Cuban people throughout 50 years is evident. Resistance is the weapon that peoples can never give up. The Puerto Ricans were able to stop the military exercises in Vieques by standing on the site of the firing range.

            Bolivar’s homeland is today the country they are most worried about for its historical role in the struggle for the independence of the peoples of the Americas. Cubans working there as healthcare and informatics specialists, educators, physical education and sports professors, agricultural technicians and specialists in other areas should do their best to fulfill their internationalist duty to prove that the peoples can put up a resistance and carry forward the most sacred principles of human society. Otherwise, the empire will destroy civilization and even the human race.

 

 

Fidel Castro Ruz

August , 2009.

FIDEL CASTRO: WHAT SHOULD BE DEMANDED FROM THE UNITED STATES ?

WHAT SHOULD BE DEMANDED FROM THE UNITED STATES by FIDEL CASTRO

                                               

The meeting in Costa Rica didn’t, nor could it, lead to peace.  The people of Honduras are not at war, it’s just the perpetrators of the coup who are using weapons against the people.  One should demand that they cease their war against the people.  That meeting between Zelaya and the coup was only good for discrediting the constitutional president and wearing away at the energies of the Honduran people.

World public opinion learned about what was happening in that country through the images broadcast by international television, basically Telesur, which without losing a single second, faithfully broadcast each one of the events happening in Honduras, the speeches made and the unanimous agreements of the international bodies against the coup.

The world could watch the blows that rained down on men and women, the thousands of tear gas bombs thrown into the crowd, the rude gestures with weapons of war and the shots intended to intimidate, wound or murder citizens.

The idea that the US ambassador in Tegucigalpa, Hugo Llorens, didn’t know about or discouraged the coup is absolutely false.  He knew about it, just like the American military advisors who didn’t stop for a minute in their training of Honduran troops.

Today we know that the idea to promote a peace process from Costa Rica arose from the offices of the State Department, in order to contribute to the strengthening of the military coup.

The coup was conceived and organized by unscrupulous characters on the far-right, who were officials in the confidence of George W. Bush and had been promoted by him.

All of them, without exception, have a thick file of activities against Cuba.  Hugo Lorens, the ambassador in Honduras since the middle of 2008, is a Cuban-American.  He is part of the group of aggressive US ambassadors in Central America, made up of Robert Blau, the ambassador in El Salvador, Stephen McFarland in Guatemala and Robert Callahan in Nicaragua, all appointed by Bush in the months of July and August of 2008.

The four of them follow the line of Otto Reich and John Negroponte who, together with Oliver North, were responsible for the dirty war against Nicaragua and the death squads in Central America that cost the peoples of the region tens of thousands of lives.

Negroponte was Bush’s representative at the United Nations, the US intelligence tsar, and finally under-secretary of State.  Both he and Otto Reich, using different routes, were behind the coup in Honduras.  

The base at Soto Cano in that country, home to the Joint Task Force-Bravo of the US Armed Forces, is the main point of support for the coup d’état in Honduras.  

The United States has the dismal plan to create five more military bases around Venezuela, with the excuse of replacing the one in Manta, Ecuador.

The absurd adventure of the coup d’état in Honduras has created a really complicated situation in Central America that cannot be resolved with trickery, deceit and lies.

Every day we learn about new details in the US implication in that action that will also have serious repercussions in all of Latin America. 

The idea of a peace initiative from Costa Rica was transmitted to the president of that country from the State Department when Obama was in Moscow and he was declaring at a Russian university that the only president of Honduras was Manuel Zelaya.

The perpetrators of the coup were in a predicament.  The initiative transmitted to Costa Rica was seeking the goal of saving them.  It is clear that every day of delay has a cost for the constitutional president and tends to dilute the extraordinary international support he has received.  The Yankee manoeuvre does not increase the possibilities for peace, just the opposite, it decreases them, and the danger of violence grows, since the peoples of our America will never resign themselves to the fate that has been programmed for them.

With the Costa Rica meeting, the authority of the UN, the OAS and the other institutions that committed their support to the people of Honduras is being questioned. 

When Micheletti, the de facto president, yesterday announced that he is willing to step down from his position if Zelaya resigns, I already knew that the State Department and the military in the coup had agreed to replace him and send him again to Congress as part of the manoeuvre.

The only correct thing to do at this moment is to demand that the government of the United States ceases its intervention, stops giving military aid to the coup and pulls out its Task Force from Honduras. 

What they want to demand from the Honduran people in the name of peace is to deny all the principles for which all the nations of this hemisphere have fought. 

 “Respect for the rights of others means peace”, said Juárez.