EU Organizes Terror Conference
By PAUL GEITNER
Associated Press Writer
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- The European Union met with several of its neighbors from Iceland to Russia on Saturday to coordinate anti-terrorism strategies and reaffirm their solidarity with the United States in the wake of last month's attacks.
Foreign ministers, lawmakers and other officials from nearly 40 countries adopted a declaration expressing "wholehearted support" for targeted U.S. military strikes to "eliminate terrorism and stamp it out at its roots," said Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency.
They also agreed to "spare no effort" to implement international agreements aimed to cut off financing for terror groups and combat money laundering, as well as to study ways to share information on terror networks, including the movements of individuals, weapons and chemical, biological and nuclear materials.
The talks on terrorism came at a meeting that is held twice a year, mainly for countries that want to join the 15-nation EU. Former Soviet republics Russia, Ukraine and Moldova were invited for the first time "in view of the importance of the subject" and joined in unanimously supporting the declaration, Michel said.
"We have created a European coalition against terrorism, with the EU taking the lead," said EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen. "The other countries agreed to be inspired by actions already taken by the EU."
At a summit on Friday, EU leaders pledged their continued support for the U.S.-led campaign against Afghanistan's Taliban rulers, who have refused to hand over terror suspect Osama bin Laden.
Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said the United States has asked the EU for specific help in three areas: judicial assistance and extradition, stopping proliferation of biological, chemical and nuclear material that could be used as weapons, and cracking down on forged documents, such as passports and visas.
On Saturday, delegates reported what their countries had done so far and exchanged ideas for additional steps.
Some non-EU countries asked to join in plans for a common European arrest warrant, which EU leaders hope to approve by the end of the year. Michel said the EU was open to the idea, but that it wouldn't happen right away.
Michel and Verheugen assured the 13 countries now applying for EU membership, mainly in central and eastern Europe, that the focus on the war against terrorism would not alter plans to begin accepting new members by 2004.
"In the new global situation, our strategy is more justified than ever," Verheugen said. "Enlargement will contribute strongly to create an area of security and stability in Europe. That can be the best prevention against tensions, conflict, violence and terrorism."
Michel said a decision by EU leaders Friday to make a thorough review in December of progress by applicant countries in meeting membership criteria would not create new hurdles.
Its purpose, he said, was to provide a "strong signal" of "encouragement and motivation" for countries to get their laws and economies ready.
|