Wednesday 03
September 2008, San
José, Costa Rica
Inflation Soars
Above Government Target
Costa Rican
President Arias Urges EU Not To Neglect
Central America
Cow Auction
Tonight
Padre Minor Cannot
Broadcast His Radio Show
From Jail Without A
Permit
Costa Rica Coffee
Exports Up 6.7%
Isla Del Coco
Down In
‘Seven Wonders’
Ranking
Italian Embassy
Has Him Waiting Outside Like A
Beggar
|
Costa Rican President
Arias Urges EU Not To
Neglect Central America
In a speech to the
European House, Costa
Rican president, Oscar
Arias Sánchez, urged
Europe to support
Central America's
efforts to build a
peaceful and prosperous
society.
In particular he called
for the association
agreement currently
under negotiation with
the EU to grant
favourable trade terms
to the region and for
arms sales by outsiders
to be discouraged.
Introducing president
Arias, European
Parliament (EP)
president Hans-Gert
Pöttering, referred to
his Arias' previous term
as president of Costa
Rica in 1986-90, when
his work for peace in
Central America had led
to him being awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize. He
described Arias and his
achievements as "a model
for the whole world".
Pöttering stressed, was
keen to see the
association accord
signed and he believed
Arias could play a key
role in the
negotiations.
President Arias began
his speech by describing
his country as one which
had realized the ideal
of "a society without an
army" and would soon
celebrate 110 years of
democracy, even though
it had been "surrounded
by the most appalling
dictatorships" in the
second half of the 20th
century.
He then recalled that
twenty years ago Europe
had played a positive
part in helping to end
the civil wars ravaging
Central America.
"Europe at that time was
the answer to our
prayers. The moral
support of this
continent legitimized
our efforts to find a
diplomatic solution to
the conflicts". Now,
however, "relations
between Europe and
Central America, so
close in a time of war,
have become distant in a
time of peace. We never
imagined that in
crossing the threshold
of peace, we would enter
the kingdom of
oblivion", he said.
Arias then highlighted
three courses of action
that could help
strengthen ties between
Europe and Central
America.
Firstly, the signing of
the planned EU-Central
America association
agreement, which
contained provisions on
free trade. He
acknowledged that "in
this House there are all
kinds of views regarding
free trade". However, he
pointed out bluntly that
for a small country like
Costa Rica, "if we
cannot export more and
more goods and services,
we will end up exporting
more and more people".
Secondly, said Arias,
"it is not a mark of
honour that in 2007
Latin America's military
expenditure reached
36,000 million dollars".
To applause from the
House, he argued "the
developed nations of the
world must not support,
with aid and resources,
the decision of those
who prefer to equip
their soldiers rather
than educate their
children".
He called on Europe to
support the Consensus of
Costa Rica, "an
initiative to create
mechanisms for forgiving
debt and supporting,
with international
resources, developing
countries which
investment more in
environmental
protection, education,
health and housing for
their peoples and less
on arms and soldiers".
He also urged backing
for the Treaty on the
Transfer of Arms, which
bans arms transfers to
states, groups or
individuals suspected of
using them to violate
human rights or
international law.
Thirdly, to further
applause from MEPs, he
alluded to Costa Rica's
efforts to set an
example on the
environment by becoming
carbon neutral by 2021.
"We are leading a global
crusade against global
warming and today I ask
you, humbly, to join
us".
Concluding, the Arias
said: "We are all
members of a single
species, which is still
capable of plucking the
best flowers from the
garden of life. Our
dreams are a common
heritage and our
decisions have an impact
on the lives of others,
whether we like it or
not."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Costa Rica's President Oscar Arias, left, is welcomed by
European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering as he
arrives to attend a plenary session at the European
Parliament in Brussels, Wednesday Sept.3, 2008. (AP
Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) |
|
|
| |
|
