The second is cohesion and obtaining globalisation opportunities to strengthen the social fabric and modernise the economic fabric of the Union. The third relates to external policy and the common European security and defence policy. On this third point we had the opportunity yesterday to debate the proposals with the Presidency and in particular the issues which will be on the agenda a
t Feira. However, I cannot resist expressing our delight not only at the concrete steps taken in this area in terms of defence and security but also at the political visibility which this Presidency has had in cooperation with the Secretary-General of the
...[+++] Council and the Commission. It has achieved this by contributing to the resolution of regional conflicts and particularly by ensuring that there is not just one regional conflict mediator available in the world, namely the United States of America, but that Europe can also assume what is one of its main historic vocations and one of the decisive factors in the European project.
Mais je ne peux m’empêcher, Monsieur le Président, d’exprimer notre contentement non seulement à propos des pas concrets qui ont été franchis dans ce domaine en matière de défense, de sécurité, ainsi que de la transparence politique dont cette présidence a fait preuve, en collaboration avec le Secrétaire général du Conseil et avec la Commission, en termes de contribution afin qu’il n’y ait pas seulement un médiateur disponible des conflits régionaux, c'est-à-dire les États-Unis d’Amérique, mais une Europe qui assume également l’une de ses principales vocations historiques et l’une des valeurs déterminantes du projet européen.
