Summary: UN Secretary-General Ban and EU Parliament President Poettering hold talks in EU Parliament (25 January 2007: Brussels)
Wednesday saw the UN's new Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hold talks with Parliament's President Hans-Gert Poettering. They held a wide ranging discussion on the role of the UN, the Middle East and in particular continued efforts to find what Mr Poettering called a "lasting peace" in the Israel-Palestinian dispute. Mr Ban was in Brussels to meet leading EU figures en route to a donor's conference on Lebanon in Paris and visits to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and
Kenya.
Poettering speaks of "shared objectives" of EU and UN
During his time in Brussels Mr Ban expressed his "profound admiration" for the EU's role in the international community. In particular he praised its commitment to "peace and prosperity, protection of human rights, combating climate change and the fight against terrorism".
At their meeting President Poettering said he was "convinced that the European Union needs to have a strong voice and presence in international affairs". He noted that the Parliament has always been "a forceful defender of human rights and the dignity of the human person - an objective that we share with the United Nations".
UN, EU working closely in the Balkans/DR Congo
Cooperation between the EU and UN in the international sphere has increased in recent years. They have worked strongly together in the Balkans, specifically Bosnia and Kosovo - where stabilisation and rebuilding have been key. The EU organised extensive police training in the region.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo they have also worked together. During the elections there in November the EU sent 2,400 troops to the region - they joined the 17,000 UN troops deployed there. The Parliament also sent a team of election Observers.
Last week MEPs voted to back a report on arms exports that strongly supported the UN's proposal for an International Arms Trade Treaty to curb the illegal arms trade.
The EU's 2003 "Security Strategy" committed itself to conducting security, peacekeeping operations under the auspices of UN resolutions. The EU has by its nature a very multilateral approach to conflict resolution in international relations.
This was followed by an EU-UN joint declaration on "cooperation in crisis management" in late 2003.
UN previously honoured by MEPs with Sakharov prize
Both men are in the first few weeks of their new posts. Ban Ki-moon became the eight Secretary-General of the UN on 1 Jan, whilst Hans-Gert Poettering became the Parliament's 26th President on 16 January.
Four years ago MEPs honoured The UN's staff and its then Secretary-General Kofi Annan by awarding them jointly the annual Sakharov prize for freedom of thought.
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