Ethyl
04-11-2007, 01:46 AM
Eight EU Presidents Gather For Informal Talks In Latvia
The presidents of seven EU member-states gathered in the Latvian capital, Riga, on Tuesday for two days of informal talks on the EU's future, with an eighth due to join them in the evening.
The talks, hosted by Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, bring together the presidents of Austria, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Portugal. Polish President Lech Kaczynski is scheduled to join the group later in the day.
In the first debating session on Tuesday afternoon, the presidents discussed the future of the EU's stalled Constitutional Treaty, EU integration and European competitiveness in a globalized world, Vike-Freiberga's press service announced.
The challenge of teaching European history in a balanced way in schools was also discussed, the press service said.
History teaching has become a topical subject in the EU in recent months, with some states calling for an EU-wide textbook on the subject and others saying that member states' perceptions of history are part of their sovereign past.
It is a particularly sensitive issue in Latvia, where a dispute over whether the USSR occupied the Baltic states illegally in 1940, as Western historians believe, or legally, as Moscow says, still divides the country.
A further debating session on Wednesday is scheduled to discuss the question of "Living in Europe and the world," while the presidents are also set to meet with young researchers for a discussion of the topic "Goal - Europe."
It is the fourth time that the leaders of the eight countries - known as the Arraiolos Group, after the Portuguese village where they first met in 2003 - have gathered to debate topics of European importance.
The octet was first brought together by Portugal's then-president Jorge Sampaio. Its members were chosen as representing the widest historical, economic and geographical variety of European states, according to Daina Lasmane of the Latvian president's press service.
It is the first time that the group has met on the territory of one of the states which joined the EU in 2004. Hitherto, they have met in Arraiolos, in Helsinki (2005) and in Dresden (2006).
It is not the largest gathering of national leaders which Latvia has seen, however. Last November, the Baltic state hosted 26 heads of state and government from NATO member states - the biggest diplomatic event in the history of the Baltic states.
The eight presidents are largely seen as figureheads in their respective countries. However, they wield considerable influence and are seen as making a key contribution to foreign policy.
Of the eight, the Austrian, Finnish, Polish and Portuguese presidents are elected by the populace, while the Latvian and Hungarian presidents are elected by parliament.
The German and Italian presidents are elected by special bodies consisting of members of parliament and representatives of the state's regions.
http://www.playfuls.com/news_10_23639-ROUNDUP-Eight-EU-Presidents-Gather-For-Informal-Talks-In-Latvia.html
The presidents of seven EU member-states gathered in the Latvian capital, Riga, on Tuesday for two days of informal talks on the EU's future, with an eighth due to join them in the evening.
The talks, hosted by Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, bring together the presidents of Austria, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Portugal. Polish President Lech Kaczynski is scheduled to join the group later in the day.
In the first debating session on Tuesday afternoon, the presidents discussed the future of the EU's stalled Constitutional Treaty, EU integration and European competitiveness in a globalized world, Vike-Freiberga's press service announced.
The challenge of teaching European history in a balanced way in schools was also discussed, the press service said.
History teaching has become a topical subject in the EU in recent months, with some states calling for an EU-wide textbook on the subject and others saying that member states' perceptions of history are part of their sovereign past.
It is a particularly sensitive issue in Latvia, where a dispute over whether the USSR occupied the Baltic states illegally in 1940, as Western historians believe, or legally, as Moscow says, still divides the country.
A further debating session on Wednesday is scheduled to discuss the question of "Living in Europe and the world," while the presidents are also set to meet with young researchers for a discussion of the topic "Goal - Europe."
It is the fourth time that the leaders of the eight countries - known as the Arraiolos Group, after the Portuguese village where they first met in 2003 - have gathered to debate topics of European importance.
The octet was first brought together by Portugal's then-president Jorge Sampaio. Its members were chosen as representing the widest historical, economic and geographical variety of European states, according to Daina Lasmane of the Latvian president's press service.
It is the first time that the group has met on the territory of one of the states which joined the EU in 2004. Hitherto, they have met in Arraiolos, in Helsinki (2005) and in Dresden (2006).
It is not the largest gathering of national leaders which Latvia has seen, however. Last November, the Baltic state hosted 26 heads of state and government from NATO member states - the biggest diplomatic event in the history of the Baltic states.
The eight presidents are largely seen as figureheads in their respective countries. However, they wield considerable influence and are seen as making a key contribution to foreign policy.
Of the eight, the Austrian, Finnish, Polish and Portuguese presidents are elected by the populace, while the Latvian and Hungarian presidents are elected by parliament.
The German and Italian presidents are elected by special bodies consisting of members of parliament and representatives of the state's regions.
http://www.playfuls.com/news_10_23639-ROUNDUP-Eight-EU-Presidents-Gather-For-Informal-Talks-In-Latvia.html