ASSUMING EU PRESIDENCY MERKEL CHANGED HER MIND ON PRESENTING ULTIMATUM TO TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
20.12.2006 17:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ December 20 in Helsinki during a meeting with
Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen German Chancellor Angela Merkel
officially assumed presidency in the European Union. Less than two
weeks before Germany assumes the EU presidency, the country wants
the ailing EU treaty back on track as some warn that indecision is a
"warning sign that Europe is paralyzed." German Chancellor Angela
Merkel said on Tuesday she hoped the ailing EU constitution would be
put "back on track" and called on members of the bloc to focus on their
common interests. "We hope to get this project (the EU constitution)
back on track, but we know that we must take many factors into
account and we must consider how to proceed between now and 2009
(when European elections are scheduled) so that the European Union
regains its ability to act," Merkel said.

"I would consider it an historical failure if we do not succeed in
working out the substance of the constitutional treaty by the time the
next European elections take place," Merkel said in her speech, which
was meant to set out the aims of Germany’s EU presidency which starts
in January," she said when addressing the Bundestag. The chancellor
added that she and the German government would work "intensively"
during the six-month presidency "so that such a treaty, based on our
common values, can go into force." Merkel acknowledged that the issue
of the constitution would not be settled by the end of Germany’s turn
at the EU helm but said she hoped that with its support the treaty
would be revived and put back on track. "We have the task at the end of
our presidency to set a roadmap" for the future implementation of the
constitution, she said. The constitution was designed to provide the
institutional framework for an EU which will grow to 27 member states
when Bulgaria and Romania join on Jan.1. But it suffered a severe blow
when French and Dutch voters rejected it last year. erkel also urged
EU states to work closer together, saying that a united Europe could
achieve success, but a divided Europe would weaken the strength of the
bloc. On the thorny issue of Turkey’s bid for EU membership, which
is expected to be tackled yet again during the summit in Brussels,
Merkel said that the EU had decided on a "resolute but prudent"
course of action in its standoff with Turkey over Cyprus. "The EU has
reacted (to Turkey), in my opinion, in a way that is both resolute
and prudent…prudent in that it is always made clear to Turkey
that is worth it to continue working on reforms," Merkel said. Thus,
assuming the EU presidency the German chancellor changed her mind to
present an ultimatum to Turkey, reports Deutsche Welle

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress