Germany Says Italy's UN Stance Will Hurt Europe… I truly hope so!

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Germany Says Italy's UN Stance Will Hurt Europe… I truly hope so!

Posted: 9/25/2004 3:18:05 PM EDT

Good for Italy… at least that country has a pair… unlike the Germans and French.… Hey PaoloAR15! I'm proud of your country!

Andy

Germany Says Italy's UN Stance Will Hurt Europe

Sat Sep 25, 2004 03:48 PM ET

ROME (Reuters) - Germany said on Saturday that Italy's opposition to its campaign for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council could mean Europe loses out.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said the council urgently needed to be reformed and expanded for its decisions to be accepted as legitimate.

"Following the criteria accepted by everyone, the other regional groups, overcoming divisions and difficulties, will have a new representative on the expanded council. We Europeans won't," he said in an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera published on Saturday.

"Why? Because Italy doesn't accept the German candidacy, but doesn't offer itself as a candidate," he said. "I say sincerely, candidate yourself, it would be a true competition between two countries that are friends and allies."

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has launched an initiative to reform the Council, which currently has five veto-holding permanent members -- America, Russia, China, Britain and France -- and 10 rotating two-year seats.

Germany, Japan, India and Brazil have formed a lobbying group for permanent seats on the council to head off rival plans for seven or eight "semi-permanent members" serving four- or five-year terms, a proposal Italy would support.

Italy has opposed adding permanent seats to the leading international diplomatic body, whose decisions can be binding on all 191 U.N. members.

"The Security Council is the main organ responsible for peace in the world, but if we want its decisions to be accepted as legitimate and put into practice, we have to expand it, increasing the number of permanent and non-permanent members to make it reflect the strategic and geopolitical reality of our times," Fischer said.

He said Japan and Germany are the second and third highest contributors to the U.N. budget after the United States.

"I think those aspiring for a place on the council and have their cards in order should say it openly," he said.

www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6332562

Posted: 9/25/2004 3:24:56 PM EDT

[#1]

Hell, they should boot France while they're at it. Give that seat to Australia or maybe Texas.

Posted: 9/25/2004 3:31:52 PM EDT

[#2]

I think the EU should just get one seat. I mean if Britain, France and Germany can each have a seat then Texas, California and New York should all have seats too.

Posted: 9/25/2004 3:40:26 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
I think the EU should just get one seat. I mean if Britain, France and Germany can each have a seat then Texas, California and New York should all have seats too.

+1

They can't have it both ways: being both
a EU member state AND a sovereign nation.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Germany Says Italy's UN Stance Will Hurt Europe… I truly hope so!

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