Madam President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.
The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and the EFTA countries Iceland and Liechtenstein, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this declaration.
* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

Madam President,

The dramatic developments that we witnessed during the last months have again demonstrated the urgent need to move from violence and hatred to peace and confidence. I would like to thank the Arab League for its initiative to convene this session as also the European Union sees that the most pressing issue is to end the current stalemate of the peace process. There are no military or unilateral solutions to any of the challenges and problems of the Middle East. Lasting peace and security in the region can only be ensured by a comprehensive settlement with a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at its core.

The urgency to change the developments in the region is dictated first and foremost by the fact that the situation on the ground is deteriorating and we must urgently take measures to alleviate the situation of the Palestinian people. The economic and humanitarian situation is severe in the Palestinian Territories: 70 % of the population live under the poverty line, most of them children deprived of their basic needs.

The European Union has mobilised more resources than ever before to meet the urgent needs of the Palestinian people, including through the Temporary International Mechanism. This mechanism has allowed substantial resources to be channelled directly to the Palestinian people in the last few months, and it has now been extended. We encourage donors and others in the region to make full use of this mechanism. The European Union repeats its call on Israel to resume transfers of withheld Palestinian tax and customs revenues. These resources are needed in order to improve the severe situation of the Palestinians.

The humanitarian situation is directly connected to the question of access and movement. This is a major problem in the Palestinian Territories in general and in Gaza in particular. The European Union has stressed in its contacts with Israeli counterparts that the border crossings such as Rafah and Karni be opened and remain open. We urge the parties to urgently take concrete steps to implement their obligations under the Agreement on Movement and Access, and in this regard, the European Union reiterates its continued commitment to EU Border Assistance Mission in Rafah.
The viability of an agreed two-state solution is threatened by the continued enlargement of settlements and the continued building of the separation barrier on Palestinian land. The European Union will not recognise any changes to the pre-1967 borders other than those agreed by both parties.

The European Union demands that Palestinian militants cease all violence directed towards Israel or other Palestinians. The Israeli soldier must be released immediately and unconditionally. The detained Palestinian ministers and legislators must also be released. The European Union also urges Israel to abide by its obligations under international humanitarian law, including its obligation to protect civilians and not to use disproportionate measures. Security is not an exclusive matter for one party – it matters for everyone in the whole region.

The European Union stresses the need to solve underlying problems by political means. Therefore we welcome the announcement by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on an agreement to form a government of national unity. The European Union has expressed its hope that these negotiations will be rapidly and successfully concluded and that the new government’s political platform will reflect the Quartet principles and allow for early engagement.

There is also a need to proceed on a diplomatic path regionally. This is why we need support for the peace process from all regional partners. The ultimate goal is to receive a comprehensive and sustainable peace in the Middle East. It is imperative to create new dynamics towards that goal.

The European Union welcomes the statement of the Quartet issued yesterday which reaffirms the commitment of the Quartet to the Roadmap. The Roadmap has as its aim the creation of two states living side by side in peace and security. In order to achieve this all parties must respect their obligations under the Roadmap. The European Union gives its full support to the Quartet’s intention to meet on a regular basis in the coming period, as well as to actively engage with the parties and other regional partners to monitor developments and to discuss the way ahead.

Thank you, Madam President.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,

It is a great pleasure for me to address the Sixth Asia-Europe People’s Forum. Your gathering has marked the official launch of the ASEM week, which will culminate in the Summit next Sunday and Monday.

Asia and Europe constitute two of the world’s dominant regions in the so-called tripolar global order. ASEM was called to life to form a junction point where the two regions could meet, in order to strengthen their relations and fill in the  ”missing link” in the international structure. A decade has passed since ASEM’s birth. The Asia-Europe Meeting has offered us a unique and highly valuable forum for dialogue and cooperation. It has contributed to making Asia-Europe relations stronger and more dynamic, not only on the government level, but also in the field of people-to-people contacts. It is indeed a unique feature of the ASEM cooperation that it covers three pillars. Political dialogue, economic cooperation, as well as social and cultural interaction.  Looking back at the past decade, we may have achieved most progress in the so-called third pillar, socio-cultural and educational exchanges, and people-to-people contacts.

We can build on a solid foundation of ten years, in order to strengthen our partnership and take the process forward. The Finnish EU Presidency offers us the chance to contribute to that goal. Asia is a vital partner for the European Union, and many of our priorities on the agenda are also relevant for Asia. Strengthening and reforming the UN as the centrepiece of an effective multilateral system; responding to security threats; addressing climate change and achieving global agreement on how to take the UN climate regime forward; improving energy efficiency and promoting the use of renewable energy resources; and promoting intercultural and interfaith dialogue. All these issues are on the table during the ASEM6 Summit. Open and informal dialogue is one of ASEM’s prime aims. From the EU’s perspective it is furthermore very important that the meeting provides for an opportunity to have a frank and direct exchange also about sensitive and difficult issues, such as human rights and democracy in some ASEM partner states. And of course we Europeans should be prepared to listen to critical views of our role in the world as well. I think this is one of ASEM’s strongest features: we may not always agree with each other, but it is important to continue to communicate, and aim to achieve progress through a process of constructive dialogue.

The overarching theme of the upcoming Summit is ”Global challenges – Joint responses”. In order to translate this slogan into actions and effectively address these challenges through common responses, a bottom-up approach and multi-level participation are essential. If we want to deal with the immense challenge of climate change and other environmental issues, address the root causes of terrorism, tackle human trafficking, or promote human rights, the rule of law and good governance, we need to enhance multi-level participation. From the outset ASEM was created to function also as a bottom-up process, and the key documents referred to civil society as one of the main actors involved in the process.

The very purpose of the Asia-Europe Foundation, ASEM’s only institution, is to act as an interface between Civil Society and Asian and European Governments, and to develop this outreach. Also the Asia-Europe People’s Forum plays a vital role in enhancing contacts and exchange. The AEPF can furthermore help Asia and Europe to make an effective impact on global issues. The NGOs and civil society groups of European and Asian countries can do much under the AEPF agenda to rally support for tackling broad security issues, addressing economic security and social rights, and enhancing democracy and human rights.

Let me give one example. Raising support for the abolition of the death penalty is a very topical issue which will also be debated during this forum. It is also an issue for which multistakeholder participation is of crucial importance. The European Union opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances. We feel that an abolition contributes to the enhancement of human dignity and a progressive development of human rights. The EU therefore warmly welcomed the abolition of death penalty in the Philippines in June 2006. (Let me add, however, that we also want to see an end to the the political killings which still form a harsh reality of that country.)

 The AEPF also plays an important role in enhancing the awareness of ASEM among the wider public. Efforts need to be intensified to raise the general awareness and inform a wider public of the important work that is taking place in the ASEM context. I firmly believe that with your help we can make the people of our two regions feel more connected to the ASEM process.

Finland attaches great importance to a closer integration of the multi-stakeholder concept into existing mechanisms of global governance. We support a closer involvement of civil society in the broad sense to the ASEM process. We have been doing our best to support enhanced contacts with the business community, NGOs, and Civil Society in the broad sense. The Finnish government has furthermore provided financial resources to the sixth Asia-Europe People’s Forum in order to ensure a wide visibility and a broad representation of NGOs and people from both Asia and Europe. You will have the opportunity to convey your message to the host of the ASEM Summit.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Globalisation has gained enormous speed during ASEM’s first decade, and economic globalization and its effects is one the key topics on your agenda. The impacts of globalization is a subject for constant and sometimes stormy debates and will continue to be so also from now on. This is the case also in the Helsinki Process on Globalization and Democracy that the Finnish and Tansanian governments have facilitated during the past few years, and where several of you and your organizations have been deeply involved.  

But despite these inevitable differering views it is our hope that we could see increased global interdependence as an opportunity to promote multilateral responses to global challenges. We should also see globalisation as a change to enhance the well-being of the people and emphasise the rights of those in a weaker position. The work for a fair globalisation starts at the grassroots level. I sincerely hope that the AEPF will continue to work together with the governments of Asia and Europe to achieve this aim.

Before concluding, let me now briefly still turn your attention to the abhorring situation of Burma/Myanmar. The EU is dissapointed with the lack of democratic reforms and human rights in Burma/Myanmar. In this regard there has been no progress in the country.

As you know, Burma/Myanmar is one of the 39 partners of the ASEM process, because it joined the process two years ago. Because of that, it was also inivited to take part in the Helsinki Summit. However, this should by no means be seen as any kind of softening of the EU position. It is just that we should not let the Burma/Myanmar issue to dominate the agenda between Europe and Asia. It’s a problem for the whole international community, and the ASEM should not be held hostage by this problem.

It is also important to note, that the ASEM process brings together the representatives of the government of Myanmar, as well as other Asian countries such ASEAN member states China, Japan and Korea. Engaging the whole region will help to strengthen the international pressure on Myanmar.Serious human rights violations and democracy situation in Myanmar will be discussed in the ASEM6 Summit.

I thank you for your attention.