| Series Title | European Voice |
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| Series Details | 25/09/97, Volume 3, Number 34 |
| Publication Date | 25/09/1997 |
| Content Type | News |
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Date: 25/09/1997 A Europe-wide conference on human rights and democracy next week has already been the cause of some severe embarrassment for the European Commission. Originally, celebrities such as the former Soviet Union Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze, Czech President Vaclav Havel and Romanian President Emil Constantinescu had been invited to attend, symbolising the reunification of a democratic continent. Nearly all the leading lights declined the invitation on the grounds that the event was too low-level to merit their attendance - all, that is, except for Emil Constantinescu, who said he would be delighted to chair the meeting. His subsequent 'disinvitation' by Foreign Affairs Commissioner Hans van den Broek (on the grounds that it would be embarrassing to have only one such high-profile figure at the event) therefore, quite understandably, caused a bit of a stir. The Romanian mission, nonetheless, has put a brave face on it, with officials insisting their president was not affronted. |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations, Values and Beliefs |
