US official calls for a united voice in Middle East policy

By Andrew Beatty

Date: 20/10/05

A senior US State Department official has called on the EU and US to unify around the cause of championing democracy in the Middle East and to send a "clear unified message" to countries of the region.

Kurt Volker, who is second-in-command at the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, said that the impact of a joint EU-US approach is already being felt in the region, but that failure to speak with one voice would undermine efforts on both sides.

"What is important is that we send a clear unified message, that we both expect to see the strengthening of civil society, democracy, individual freedoms, human rights, market economy, social inclusion [and the] rule of law," he said.

"If our efforts appear to be distinct or divided in some way we do not send that message. We have been proposing to the EU and European states that we do put our efforts together in some ways to make that clear and visible statement that we are working together," he added.

Volker's comments come as preparations are being made for the Group of Eight's (G8) forum for the future meeting in Bahrain and the EU-Mediterranean 10th anniversary summit in Barcelona. The US is hoping that the EU will make a sizeable financial contribution to the forum for the future.

Both meetings are expected to focus on democratisation in what has become known as the broader Middle East, but the EU has been reluctant closely to associate its ten-year-old Barcelona Process with other high profile US initiatives.

With Washington's stock at a low in the region, some in the EU fear the Barcelona Process could be viewed as more Western demands on the Arab world.

But following democratic elections in Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon and a freer vote in Egypt, Washington is keen to capitalise on what Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has cal-led "democracy's march".

"These set of developments can be traced both to the US putting priority on these issues and the European Union doing so, and giving the space to civil society and political reforms in the region for their own efforts," said Volker.

"There is a lot of resonance for that, I think the European public believe that that is the direction that the region needs to go. And people in the region themselves believe that."

In a nod to EU concerns, Volker emphasised the need for regional ownership of the initiative and praised efforts to draw the positions of Brussels and Washington together.

"I do get a sense that the EU has looked at that and is saying 'yes we should try and do that'," he said.

Emma Udwin, European Commission spokeswoman on foreign affairs, said: "We have complementary initiatives with shared objectives. We regard the forum for the future as very complementary."

Udwin added that the EU would make a contribution to the forum for the future, "but it will not be as large as the three billion [euros] we spend every year in grants and loans" as part of the Barcelona Process.

Comments by Kurt Volker, who is second-in-command at the US Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. Volker called on the EU and US to unify around the cause of championing democracy in the Middle East and to send a 'clear unified message' to countries of the region.