| EU foreign policy chief vows to tackle threats with joint action | |||||
| 2010/02/06 | |||||
MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Saturday vowed to add value to the EU with a collective response in tackling interlinked threats of the century. In her first speech at the 46th Munich Security Conference (MSC), which runs here from Feb. 5 to 7, Ashton said members of the 27-nation bloc should mobilize all efforts in supporting "a single political strategy". The 54-year-old Briton, who was named the first EU foreign policy director under the Lisbon Treaty in November 2009, said the new set of EU rules would offer "an opportunity to deliver a step change in European policy". Such challenges as state fragility, terrorism and organized crime were interlinked, Ashton said. "My aim is for a service fit to tackle the problems of the 21st century, which adds real value to what our EU member-states are already doing," she said. "There cannot be sustainable development without peace and security, and without development and poverty eradication there will be no sustainable peace," Ashton said. She said China, India, Brazil, Mexico and Turkey were also major political and security players, and she wished to "invest a lot in strengthening partnerships with what we somewhat misleadingly call the 'new powers'". "The European response should be more generous in making space at the top tables of global politics, early on when strategies are formed, not just when resources are needed for implementation," she said. The annual Munich conference, dubbed the "Davos of security policy", gathered some 300 high-level participants in discussions on major global political and security challenges. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi also delivered an opening speech on Friday at the meeting. Related: U.S. security chief calls for global effort to meet challenges MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. National Security Advisor Gen. James L. Jones called on Saturday for more coordination from European allies and emerging powers in facing global challenges. "America cannot confront the challenges of this century alone" and "Europe cannot confront them without America," Jones said while attending a security conference here, "We have listened, consulted and coordinated our actions with allies and partners -- and welcomed European leadership -- in meeting urgent global challenges." Full story Chinese FM makes debut at Munich security conference
MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Friday made his much-anticipated debut at the Munich Security Conference. Full story Munich Security Conference kicks off on wide-ranging topics
MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The 46th Munich Security Conference opened here on Friday, with about 300 high-level officials covering themes from Afghanistan, Middle East stability to global energy security, arms control, world power shifting and NATO's new strategy. Full story end_ct
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