Portugese minister Amado verwacht Hervormingsverdrag binnen gestelde termijn (en)

«The constructive positions and availability shown by all Member States, without exception, in carrying out the mandate received from the June's European Council» will allow the Portuguese Presidency of the EU to pursue the ambition of seeing the Reform Treaty approved during the Informal Summit of Heads of State and Government that will take place in Lisbon next October. These are the words of Luís Amado, Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed today during the Press Conference that closed the first working session of European ministers of Foreign Affairs.

For Luís Amado, the atmosphere of this informal meeting in Viana do Castelo «was very positive», which reinforces the expectations of «having a Treaty that will allow the EU to face all the different and difficult problems», internal and external.

In the afternoon, the Portuguese Presidency presented, in collaboration with the Juridical Service of the Council, a balance of the work done by the technical group that has been drawing up the future Treaty. After, there was a debate reflecting the political assessment of the technical negotiations, by the 27 Member States.

«I am sure we can reach an agreement in October», stressed Javier Solana. At the Press Conference, the Secretary-General of the Council and High Representative for External Affairs and Common Security seemed as optimistic as the Portuguese head of diplomacy.

Margot Wallstrom, Vice-president of the European Commission and Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy, said that the working session happened in a «very favourable» atmosphere, being thus possible to foresee a speedy conclusion of the IGC.

Besides institutional issues, the first working session was dedicated to the preparation of the next Summits: «the Presidency gathered a series of expectations on the preparation of Summits, which the Portuguese Presidency is responsible for organizing during the next few months, giving particular attention to the EU-Russia Summit and to the development of a strategic dialogue with this country. But it is also responsible for the deepening of relations with other privileged partners such as China, India, Ukraine and Africa», said Luís Amado during the Press Conference.

Benita Ferrero-Waldner i, Commissioner for External Affairs of the EU, also stressed the atmosphere of cooperation between Member States and emphasized the importance of the works that have been developed by the Portuguese Presidency on issues such as relations between the EU and Russia, for which «there are considerable improvements».