Inertia in the European integration of the Western Balkans in 2020

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29 December 2020

Inertia in the European integration of the Western Balkans in 2020

In early 2020, Croatia’s EU presidency managed to renew its policy of integrating the Western Balkans. This happened after the acceptance of the French conditions for the negotiations to be reversible, with the candidate countries meeting the standards for the rule of law from the very beginning. The European Commission announced as a priority the start of membership talks with the Republic of Northern Macedonia and Albania. Bulgaria welcomed this and linked the process to the achievement of tangible results by North Macedonia on the implementation of the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation between the two countries from 2017. It was stated that Albania wwas to monitor the rights of the Bulgarian national minority in the country.

The German presidency called for negotiations with the Republic of North Macedonia to begin by the end of 2020. The EU warned in June that it would not mediate the dialogue between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, that good neighbourly relations and regional co-operation remained essential elements of the enlargement process. There were high hopes that the joint Bulgarian-Macedonian presidency of the Berlin Process would create a positive atmosphere for resolving the case. ()

Yet the forum’s leadership meeting in Sofia in November ended with the signing of a declaration on the creation of a Common Regional Market in the Western Balkans and a Declaration on the Green Agenda. A breakthrough in Bulgarian-Macedonian relations was not achieved and in December Bulgaria vetoed the technical beginning of North Macedonia’s EU integration. More on the conclusions of the European integration of the Western Balkans in 2020 in the interview with Assoc. Prof. Spas Tashev*:

“Candidate countries must also meet certain membership criteria. It is obvious that they are quite far from meeting them”, comments the researcher and expert on the Balkan region in an interview with Radio Bulgaria. “Even Serbia which has been negotiating with the EU for more than 8 years does not open new chapters. Others, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo are even further behind. We need to prepare for a long process, first to prepare for the start of negotiations, and then for conducting the negotiations themselves”.

In the outgoing year, under the pretext that elections were to take place in the Republic of North Macedonia, the Joint Commission on Historical Affairs

<p>from the side of North Macedonia came out with the  argument that it was waiting for a mandate to continue the negotiations. One  year was lost. The upcoming elections in Bulgaria are yet another straw that might  be grabbed by Skopje to postpone the resumption of talks. It is a fact that there  are still violations of the human rights of the citizens in the Republic of  North Macedonia, who, despite the repressions, have preserved their Bulgarian  self-consciousness. I think that when these facts reach our partners, they will  think twice whether they will lightly support Skopje."</p>  <p><b>Is there a useful move?</b> Bulgaria should look for an ally in the presentation  of its thesis on the case with the European integration of North Macedonia and  in the first place these are the citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia,  according to Assoc. Prof. Tashev:</p>  <p>"I have lived in Skopje for 4 years. There is a  multi-layered self-consciousness in North Macedonia, even an identity crisis.  Many people are wondering what the messages from Bulgaria are, which will be,  if not well received, then at least received with interest. <b>In any case,  Bulgaria must strengthen its work among the Bulgarian community in the Republic  of North Macedonia and the descendants of the old Bulgarian-Macedonian  emigration to the United States and Canada</b>. It should also promote the  creation of objective, civil society-controlled media in the country without  fake news”.</p>  <p><b><i>In negotiations with the EU,  Albania is bound to the Republic of North Macedonia. Can this change?</i></b></p>  <p>"I think the first signal came from Sofia, when  our authorities said that Albania was meeting the criteria whereas Skopje had  not met them, which is why we are saying yes to Albania, and we are saying 'no'  to North Macedonia start negotiations. Attention must be paid to the Albanian  factor in the Balkans, which is not united. There is a great difference in  political influence from Tirana and from former Yugoslavia. The key to  stability in the region is the integration of Bulgaria, North Macedonia and  Albania /i.e. of the countries of the European Corridor 8, but with mutual  respect for our common interests."</p>        <p><b><i>Does the lack of reforms or the Kosovo issue determine the course of  Serbia’s European integration?</i></b></p>  <p>"The Kosovo issue is  like a millstone around the neck of Serbian politicians," says Assoc.  Prof. Tashev. “It will be very difficult for Serbs to break their emotional  strands with Kosovo. From this point of view, the processes in Serbia and  Macedonia, as successor states to the post-Yugoslav space, are similar. In both  countries, we have seen political elites say they want EU membership, but in  practice they were working in a completely different direction”.</p>  <p><b><i>What is the worst-case  scenario for the Western Balkans in 2021?</i></b></p>        <p>"The worst-case scenario is a passive Bulgarian  policy that runs after the events and does not generate political  knowledge," the analyst concludes. "The goal of the Bulgarian foreign  policy should not be to isolate North Macedonia from such a negotiating  integration process, but rather to create such conditions under which the  negotiation process could start while Bulgaria’s national interests are also  achieved."</p>      <p><i>* Assoc. Dr. Spas Tashev  graduated from the Diplomatic Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and  the University of National and World Economy. He is the founder and first  director of the Bulgarian Cultural Information Center in Skopje and a former  deputy chairman of the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad. He has a doctorate  in statistics and demographics from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. He has  defended a dissertation on "Demographic perspectives of Bulgaria and  immigration policy." He has participated in the updates of the Strategy  for Demographic Development of Bulgaria. He is the author of a number of books  and scientific articles.</i></p>      <p>English Rossitsa Petcova
            </span>

Bosnia and Herzegovina: EIB provides €340 million to advance works on northern part of Corridor Vc

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29 December 2020

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Bosnia and Herzegovina: EIB provides €340 million to advance works on northern part of Corridor Vc

©WBIF

€340 million to accelerate the construction works on Corridor Vc and boost socioeconomic recovery in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The EIB has committed more than €1 billion for the construction of Corridor Vc.

Modern motorway will improve road safety, functionality and mobility for 1.5 million people.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has unlocked €340 million for the construction of the 36-kilometre section of road between Poprikuše and Medakovo on Corridor Vc, key connectivity infrastructure in the country that is also supported by European Union grants and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). This investment creates new employment and business opportunities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and contributes to regional integration.

With €340 million of new financing allocated to Corridor Vc, the EIB continues to support this pivotal route on the pan-European network connecting the port of Ploče in Croatia with Hungary via Bosnia and Herzegovina. To date, the EU bank has provided €1 billion for the construction of a 155-kilometre motorway along the Bosnia and Herzegovina section of the corridor. This modern transport network is expected to ease commuting for 1.5 million people, contribute to road safety and promote regional cooperation.

As part of exceptional measures adopted in response to COVID-19, the EIB will increase its financing to cover 90% of the total costs to advance project implementation.

EIB Vice-President Lilyana Pavlova, who is responsible for the Western Balkans, said: “The EIB provides continuous support for the development of modern motorways on Corridor Vc in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Modern, safer roads and better transport connections are vital for economic development, fluent trade and regional cohesion and can help attract new foreign investments. This transaction will help create new job opportunities and support Bosnia and Herzegovina’s post-COVID-19 recovery and integration with the regional and EU market.”

Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina Ambassador Johann Sattler said: “I am glad that a new section of Corridor Vc is now financially secured thanks to the efforts of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the EIB, the investment bank of the European Union. The EIB’s investment will help to bring us closer to the objective of the Western Balkans Economic Investment Plan to complete 75% of Corridor Vc by 2024. As the largest donor for Corridor Vc, the European Union has allocated over €200 million for the construction of 11 sub-sections of Corridor Vc in Bosnia and Herzegovina to complement the EIB loans. As a result, BiH citizens will be better connected not only within the country but to the rest of Europe as well.”

The Minister of Finance and Treasury of Bosnia and Herzegovina Vjekoslav Bevanda emphasised the importance of this agreement for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its state and regional significance in terms of development of modern infrastructure, increased safety and motorway capacity. “Each project related to construction of the motorway on Corridor Vc is of great importance and each kilometre represents a step closer to Europe for us. This is why this agreement, in addition to its financial value, will have a positive impact for the public, who will have access to 35 kilometres of new motorway on the Poprikuše-Medakovo section,” said Minister Bevanda.

Background information

About the EIB in Bosnia and Herzegovina:

The EU bank has been active in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1977.

About the EIB in the Balkans:

The EIB is one of the leading international financiers in the Western Balkans. Since 2009, the Bank has financed projects totalling over €8 billion in the region.

The Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) provides financing and technical assistance to strategic investments in the energy, environment, social, transport, and digital infrastructure sectors. It also supports private sector development initiatives.

EU airlines remove non-EU voter rights as per new Brexit rules

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29 December 2020

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EU airlines remove non-EU voter rights as per new Brexit rules

London — Ryanair Holdings and Wizz Air Holdings will take away the voting rights of shareholders outside the EU to ensure they comply with the bloc’s airline ownership rules after the Brexit transition.

All non-EU nationals will lose their voting rights from January 1, Irish discounter Ryanair said on Tuesday in a statement. Hungarian rival Wizz said separately it would take the same step, disenfranchising a majority of its shareholders.

Airlines with a large constituency of British shareholders risk falling out of compliance with EU ownership rules at year-end. The bloc requires airlines that operate routes between two destinations within its borders to be majority controlled by EU nationals. UK citizens will no longer count as EU-based with the end of the Brexit transition.

Without any action, London-traded Wizz said that more than 80% of its ownership would reside outside the EU. It said about 60% of its shareholder base would receive restricted-share notices barring them from voting or attending shareholder meetings.

Ryanair said Britons would join other non-EU nationals in not being able to buy its shares, a policy in place since 2002.

The issue also affects the rights of airlines such as British Airways (BA) owner IAG and easyJet to operate within the bloc.

In the Brexit accord reached last week, the sides agreed to explore a liberalisation of the ownership rules over the next 12 months, potentially insulating carriers from challenges based on their ownership structure.

IAG, which also owns Iberia and Vueling, is incorporated in Spain but has significant UK, US and Qatari ownership. It has said it will modify the ownership of its Spanish airlines as required to comply with the rules. Under the current set-up, their status as EU-controlled could be tested.

UK-based easyJet said on December 23 that it would suspend voting rights of some holders on a “last in, first out” basis if necessary to lift its EU voting base above 50%. At the time, it was at 47%, excluding the UK.

Ryanair was little changed as of 8.35am in Dublin. Wizz rose 1.4%, easyJet was up 3.3% and IAG gained 4.1% in London, in their first trading session since the Brexit deal was announced.

Bloomberg

Call Between Charles Michel And Boris Johnson

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Council of the EU and European Council

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29 December 2020

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Read Out Of The Phone Call Between European Council President Charles Michel And UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson

European Council Press release 28 December 2020

Both leaders welcomed the fair and balanced greement reached on the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union with a view to the upcoming signature, which is scheduled for 30 December. The agreement is essential as it creates stability and predictability for citizens and companies.

In the fight against climate change, both leaders agreed to intensify the future cooperation between the UK and the EU. They agreed to take work forward with a view to the COP 26 in Glasgow. The recent EU decision to adapt its 2030 target was welcomed.

Both leaders agreed to intensify work on the global response to pandemics. In this regard, the idea of a possible treaty on pandemics, which could help to strengthen global preparedness and response was discussed, notably in the framework of the UK presidency of the G7.

On foreign affairs, President Michel and Prime Minister Johnson stated their common interest to continue exchanging views and seek cooperation on specific issues based on shared values and interests.

Religion News Service: Our 11 best stories from a terrible year

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29 December 2020

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Religion News Service: Our 11 best stories from a terrible year

A protester carries a U.S. flag upside down, a sign of distress, next to a burning building Thursday, May 28, 2020, in Minneapolis. Protests over the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody Monday, broke out in Minneapolis for a third straight night. (AP/Julio Cortez)

It’s no news that 2020 will go down as one of the worst years in recent memory. But the triple-whammy of pandemic, economic crisis and demonstrations for racial justice that left many Americans beleaguered and angry also yielded some inspiring and profound stories of faith and spiritual connection. Here are 11 stories by our staff and frequent contributors that captured moments of resilience and perseverance, and even a few moments of celebration.

Multiracial churches growing, but challenging for clergy of color By Adelle Banks

In 1998, 6% of congregations of all faiths in the U.S. could be described as multiracial; in 2019, according to preliminary findings, 16% met that definition. As multiracial and multiethnic congregations continue to sprout up at an impressive rate, the rapid growth can sometimes obscure the fact that life in a multiracial church isn’t always easy.

Conceived months before race became one of the biggest issues of the year, Adelle M. Banks’ January story was one of a five-part series, “Beyond the Most Segregated Hour,” assessing how attitudes about integrating American Christianity have progressed since Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 comment, “It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is 11 o’clock on Sunday.”

A mural honoring George Floyd and other Black victims in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Munshots/Unsplash/Creative Commons)

In Minneapolis, faith groups rush to aid demonstrators as they decry racism By Jack Jenkins

In late May, massive racial justice protests broke out across the country in the wake of several Black deaths at the hands of police. The protests often had clergy present, and many were organized by faith groups, including in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. In D.C., police used tear gas to expel clergy and protesters from in front of a church so President Trump could take a photo there. In Louisville and Pasadena, churches offered protesters sanctuary from police.

The protests started in earnest in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd in May. His final moments were recorded in a widely shared video: Floyd, a Black man, is seen writhing under the knee of Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, begging the official to let him go while gasping, “I can’t breathe.”

When Christians won’t acknowledge racism, protest becomes church By Andre Henry

A dance circle blocking an intersection in Pasadena, California, during this summer’s George Floyd-inspired demonstrations becomes a model for ending racial violence: a place where non-Black people stand around the perimeter of the dancing crowd, disrupting the flow of traffic and acting as a barrier to police violence so the Black people in the center can experience, even briefly, joy.

This story, written by RNS columnist Andre Henry in June, captured young activist Christians’ sense that the evangelical church had failed to answer the moment when much of the country erupted in protest over racial injustice.

Henry’s story was just one of the surprising, inspiring ways people of faith responded to 2020’s reckoning with race, from Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Wiccans joining hands in Oregon to support protesters, to one North Carolina pastor’s determination to march against racialized policing. Read all our coverage here.

In emerging role, chaplains are providing spiritual care for activists in movements across the nation By Alejandra Molina

“Where do I find hope?” or “Why isn’t God doing something here?”

The moral certainty of many activists sometimes belies their despair when a man is executed despite their efforts or when police, instead of listening, defend against their pleas to spare Black lives. Movement chaplains provide spiritual and emotional care before, during and after a protest or demonstration, using sacred texts and physical consolation to create healing in tough and often disappointing fights.

This July story was one of several we ran tracking the particular strains that 2020’s crises put on chaplains, from the Buddhist hospital chaplains who found themselves suddenly in greater demand, to those chaplains of every faith who counseled COVID-19 patients through existential crises as much as spiritual or medical ones, and most recently to those who were ambivalent about being among the first to receive a vaccine.

In this June 27, 2019, file photo, then-Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., listens to questions after the Democratic primary debate hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Art in Miami. (AP File/Brynn Anderson)

How Kamala Harris delivers on 150 years of Black women’s political history By Cheryl Townsend Gilkes

Few, if any, vice presidents have had as much exposure to the world’s religions as Kamala Harris, the 55-year-old senator from California who became the first vice-presidential nominee of a major party in August. Townsend Gilkes, a professor at Colby College, wrote then that Harris’ ethnic, racial and cultural biography represents a slice of the U.S. population that is becoming ascendant but has never been represented in the nation’s second-highest office.

Frequent RNS contributor, Cheryl Townsend Gilkes, argues that, like the biblical Queen Esther, Harris seems to be specially shaped for “such a time as this”: during a reanimation of the Black Lives Matter movement and just as the deaths of two civil rights icons, Congressman John Lewis and the Rev. C.T. Vivian, reminded us voting rights are still a crucial issue.

Harris belongs to a long lineage of Black women who have been loyal to the politics of liberation, participation, emancipation and uplift, knowing that raising themselves up would benefit entire communities and the country as a whole.

QAnon: The alternative religion that’s coming to your church By Katelyn Beaty

In the fraught political atmosphere of 2020, Katelyn Beaty wrote in August, evangelical Christian pastors are worried their congregations are falling prey to QAnon, an internet phenomenon that promotes a tangle of conspiracy theories. With its dehumanizing language that equates certain people with evil, QAnon is exhibiting a power to divide people and spread hate. It’s also hurting Christian witness by challenging confidence in our institutions and even in the authority of the Bible.

Beaty’s essay was one of several warnings about QAnon that appeared in our opinion pages this year. “Religion Remixed” columnist Tara Isabella Burton’s inquiry into why QAnon has taken hold in our secularizing age concluded that often white supremacist followers “yearn for a world in which everything makes sense and where they at last have a role to play.”

‘Kayak Church’ gathers Pennsylvania church in person — and on the water — amid pandemic By Emily McFarlan Miller

Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention, and the pandemic necessitated a lot of innovation in houses of worship this year. From Zoom Christmas pageants and Eid Bazaars, to shofar pop-ups, to a Muslim virtual “matchmaking” project, religious groups and leaders scrambled to adapt for coronavirus restrictions. There were bloopers, of course (who can forget the priest with the googly eyes), and church software companies had to field an “unending stream” of questions from tech-challenged clergy.

But, as the pandemic wore on and the weather warmed up, some religious groups pivoted from technology and headed outside to worship, like Faith United Church of Christ in Pennsylvania, where more than two dozen people joined a brightly colored flotilla of kayaks one Sunday in August.

Annette Hestres holds her hands up in prayer during the kayak church service at Bald Eagle State Park, Pa., on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. State College Faith United Church of Christ hosted the floating service which allowed for the members to socially distance. (RNS/Abby Drey)

Pope Francis’ new encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, enshrines familiar criticisms of racism and borders By Claire Giangravé

In a year of global pandemic, social unrest and widespread armed conflict, Pope Francis released his third encyclical in October, mapping out the moral guidelines for “an open world” that places human dignity at the forefront, ahead of national borders, private property and racism.

The encyclical, titled Fratelli Tutti, tackles the challenges faced by today’s globalized society, from racism to immigration to inter-religious dialogue.

‘Reluctant cultist’ survives an end times cult turned pet rescue group to find his own faith By Bob Smietana

Even in a year dubbed by many as “unprecedented,” there were some religion stories that stood out — like that of Jared Garrett, a father of seven and volunteer pastor, or bishop, of a local congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

But Garrett didn’t grow up in the LDS church. He was raised in a small nomadic apocalyptic sect founded by ex-Scientologists turned Satanists turned animal rescuers. Garrett recounts his childhood inside the cult, where kids were separated from their parents and the nuclear family was deemed obsolete, and his journey to a very different kind of faith.

Across America, Muslims are becoming a fixture on the disaster relief landscape

This November story caught up with Muslim volunteers helping to clean up and restore communities recovering from natural disasters. Over the past 15 years, as white Christian aid groups have seen a decline in participation and donations, Muslim philanthropies have provided needed cash and muscle to fill the gap. Muslim aid workers’ relative youth — and their faith’s mandate to help — has made them a growing force in disaster and emergency relief projects in the U.S., from hurricane cleanup to helping out after the West Coast wildfires.

Khan’s story was part of a series on the changing field of faith-based aid and development organizations, produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center. Other stories in the series covered the aging but faithful workers of the Southern Baptist Convention’s national relief network; a mobile clinic in East Tennessee run by Catholic nuns; and one international aid NGO’s efforts to rally Millennials to support its future.

Black pastor leads his white North Carolina church toward a fuller reckoning on race By Yonat Shimron

In a quietly absorbing story, RNS veteran reporter Shimron took a look at how race and faith operate apart from the upheaval of demonstrations and mutual recrimination. For years, even as racial justice and reparations for slavery have occupied U.S. Christian denominations, a Black United Methodist pastor in one of the most conservative cities in North Carolina has gingerly approached racial issues without alienating his flock.

Lawmakers In Montenegro Back Changes To Contentious Religion Law Amid Protests

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29 December 2020

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Lawmakers In Montenegro Back Changes To Contentious Religion Law Amid Protests

… to a controversial law on religion that had been sharply criticized … the Law on Freedom of Religion in a vote early on … them.
Under Montenegro’s religion law adopted a year ago …

Protests In Montenegro Over Amendments To Religion Law

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29 December 2020

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Protests In Montenegro Over Amendments To Religion Law

… changing a controversial law on religion. The protesters chanted slogans accusing …

Speaker welcomes signing of ‘Tibet Policy and Support Act 2020’ by US President Trump

By

Shyamal Sinha

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29 December 2020

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Buddhist Times News – Speaker welcomes signing of ‘Tibet Policy and Support Act 2020’ by US President Trump

Speaker Pema Jungney on behalf of Tibetans in and outside Tibet and the 16th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, expressed his deepest gratitude to US President Donald J.Trump for signing the “Tibet Policy and Support Act 2020” (TPSA2020).

Expressing his gratitude to the US President, the Speaker wrote, “This ACT officially endorses that recognition of the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is the sole authority of the great XIV Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Buddhist leaders and the Tibetan people with no interference from the Chinese Government (People’s Republic of China). This ACT also recognizes the importance of the Tibetan Plateau and the threat that climate change poses on Tibet, the US will address and closely monitor Tibet’s environment including water security and climate change. The ACT also commends His Holiness the great XIVth Dalai Lama for his great vision as a leader and for implementing a Democratic system of governance and for Tibetan people adopting it.”

“Furthermore, the ACT also forbids China from opening a new consulate in the USA until China allows a US Consulate in Lhasa, the Capital of Tibet. According to the Act, the US business companies and individuals must ensure their business activities in Tibet follow the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. We are also thankful to Your Excellency for the inclusion of formalizing the funding for Tibetans inside and outside Tibet and also for the appropriations.”

“The People’s Republic of China – the government has fooled the world by different means. Most recently it has fooled the world about the deadly Coronavirus Covid – 19 which originated from the city of Wuhan in China. Due to their hiding the truth, the deadly virus spread across the world and killed millions of people and caused immeasurable damage for which China should be held accountable and punished accordingly. Your Excellency, we commend your courage in encountering China for their ruthless suffering caused to the people of the world and holding them accountable.”

“This is a historic moment for Tibetans, particularly our brothers and sisters inside Tibet and all the oppressed people in the world to rejoice and celebrate as it clearly shows that the US stands with the voiceless and oppressed people. Signing this bill into a Law (ACT) brought great hope and joy for the Tibetans particularly our brothers and sisters who are still suffering under the brutal oppressive policies of China and it not only sends out a clear message to China that the US prioritizes principle human values above everything but it also pressurizes China from refraining their false propaganda tactics relating to Tibet’s issues to the world. This bill has acknowledged that China which has been tagged as the world’s most blatant human rights violator – has taken every measure to oust Tibet from the rest of the world by restricting foreigners, particularly the journalists from reporting on its inhuman acts, illegal killings, brutal repression, persecution and arbitrary arrest to the world is a country to be sidelined for its cruel strategies towards Tibet.”

“The United States of America has been among the pioneer countries in helping Tibetans to protect its unique culture and identity by welcoming HH the Dalai Lama since 1979 followed by the adoption of the US Tibetan Resettlement Project in the 1990s, the Tibet Policy Act of 2002, the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act and the most recent TPSA2020.”

President Trump is not expected to take a Bush-like view on the TSPA, which introduces stronger provisions on Tibet, plus teeth in the form of a threat of sanctions, including travel bans on Chinese officials. How the Biden Administration, expected to frame its own China policy, views TPSA remains to be seen.

Still, most US administrations, the Trump Administration included, have broadly maintained a diplomatic balance between relations with China, and support for Tibet and the Dalai Lama. The State Department has a separate section on Tibet in its annual reports on human rights and religious freedom. But there has been no real push for talks with the Dalai Lama or on the release of political prisoners.

“Over the years, the Presidents of the United States of America have consistently supported the Tibet cause and we are immensely grateful for your indefatigable support in taking strong measures against China, a government that is economically the most powerful yet having the record of worst human rights violations.”

“We the people of Tibet are very thankful to your Excellency and urge your Excellency to continue your support till Tibet regains its freedom.”

The TPSA has introduced provisions aimed at protecting the environment of the Tibetan plateau, calling for greater international cooperation and greater involvement by Tibetans. Alleging that China is diverting water resources from Tibet, the TPSA also calls for “a regional framework on water security, or use existing frameworks… to facilitate cooperative agreements among all riparian nations that would promote… arrangements on impounding and diversion of waters that originate on the Tibetan Plateau”. While the 2002 Act said the US should establish a “branch office” in Lhasa, the TSPA ups the ante by changing that to a “consulate”. It recognises the Central Tibetan Administration, whose President Lobsang Sangay takes credit for ensuring that the Senate took up the legislation for vote.

source — CTA

Egypt: The EU Bank supports urban transport

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Newsroom

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29 December 2020

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Egypt: The EU Bank supports urban transport

©Metro Cairo

€1.128 billion of financing to invest in metro and tram systems in Cairo and Alexandria

The first tranche of €600 million is signed

The urban transport schemes will contribute to reducing emissions in the two large cities

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Arab Republic of Egypt have signed a €1.128 billion agreement to support investments in the rehabilitation and expansion of metro and tram systems in Alexandria and Cairo. The EIB financing will contribute to increasing the availability and improving the quality of public transport systems in the two cities, where 30-35% of the country’s population live and work. This new operation is in line with the EU bank’s climate action objectives and comes in support of the government’s national priorities.

The EIB financing will support three large-scale projects in the sector. The first investment will support the rehabilitation and extension of the existing 13.8 km-long El-Raml tram in Alexandria. The second will support the rehabilitation and upgrade of an underused 22 km-long urban railway in Alexandria into a high frequency metro (the Abu Qir Metro), adding metro stops and improving road safety by removing at-grade crossings. The third project will support the rehabilitation of the 23 km-long metro line 2 in Cairo that has been in operation for 23 years and requires urgent upgrades of its electrical and mechanical systems.

The EIB financing contract will be signed in two tranches. The first tranche of €600 million is being signed today and the second tranche of €528 million will be signed early next year. The structure of the EIB facility allows the Egyptian government to secure the funding necessary for large-scale urban transport projects on competitive financial conditions provided under the European Union External Lending Mandate (2014-2020).

In addition to the EIB’s financing, the EIB Economic Resilience Initiative and the EU Neighbourhood Investment Programme (EU NIP) provided grants for technical assistance and advisory supporting the preparation of the three projects.

These investments will lead to a greenhouse gas emissions reduction due to the expected modal shift, and will therefore contribute to the Bank’s climate action objective, as well as to the implementation of Egypt’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), as defined in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change of December 2015.

“Understanding the value of transport infrastructure is at the heart of informed policy-making. Benefiting more than half a million passengers a day, we are not only reshaping Egypt’s economic geography but also meeting social and environmental targets to drive sustainable growth. We value our partnership with the EIB, which has been instrumental in pushing the frontiers of ESG standards that push international cooperation across various sectors to varying projects, including the private sector,” said H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation.

For his part, H.E. Lieutenant-General Kamel Al-Wazir, Minister of Transport, confirmed that the projects that will be financed by the European Investment Bank are: the project of rehabilitation of El-Raml tram in Alexandria with a value of €138 million, the project of converting the Abu Qir/Alexandria railway line to a metro line with a value of €750 million, and the project of rehabilitating the second line with a value of €240 million. These projects have great importance in strengthening the mass transit system, which the political leadership has directed to be comprehensively developed in order to provide distinctive services to citizens. His excellency also added that the two projects of developing the Abu Qir line, converting it into a metro line and the rehabilitation of the El-Raml tram will represent a paradigm shift in the means of transportation within the Alexandria governorate, pointing to the fact that the pre-qualification works for the Abu Qir line and its conversion to a metro line have been tendered, and the tender documents for the El-Raml tram project are being finalised.

The Minister of Transport explained that the plan to rehabilitate the second line of the metro comes within the framework of the comprehensive plan implemented by the Ministry of Transport to modernise the infrastructure of the first and second lines of the metro, by modernising signal electrification systems, communication systems and central control systems, renewing rails and electromechanical works, and purchasing new air-conditioned trains to make all the trains of the current fleet air-conditioned, pointing out that the ministry seeks to provide all distinct services to all passengers.

Flavia Palanza made the following comment on the signature: “As the EU climate bank, we give high priority to clean urban transport projects such as trams and metros. Today, we signed the €1.128 billion government agreement supporting this important goal for our joint cooperation. This large-scale financing responds to the ambitious objectives of the Egyptian government to improve people’s lives by building sustainable transport infrastructure and reducing CO₂ emissions The €600 million first tranche of the EIB support is being signed today and we expect to sign the second tranche early next year. We are looking forward implementing these key investment projects with our Egyptian partners and the other IFIs.”

For his part, European Union Ambassador to Egypt Christian Berger stated: “Sustainable urban mobility will contribute to our well-being and quality of life. The Egyptian Government and our EIB partners have put great efforts into bringing green, affordable and safe transport to Egyptian citizens, to facilitate commuting in dynamically developing urban areas. The EU is committed to supporting green growth in Egypt in line with the spirit of the European Green Deal. Green, clean and sustainable transportation will reduce environmental impact and socioeconomic costs and has strong job-creation potential.”

This EIB facility is part of the Bank’s wider engagement in the urban transport sector in Egypt, which has been gradually increasing over recent years. In 2012, the EIB approved a loan of €600 million for Cairo Metro Line 3, which was signed in three tranches of €200 million each respectively in 2012, 2015 and 2016. In 2019, further financing of €350 million was signed for the Cairo Metro Line 1 Rehabilitation.

European Union clears way for China investment pact

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29 December 2020

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European Union clears way for China investment pact

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The diplomats noted “recent positive developments” in negotiations, with China reportedly addressing concerns over the alleged use of forced labour on its farms.

EU member states gave political backing to Brussels’ planned investment pact with China on Monday, clearing the way for a deal between the world’s biggest economic blocs.

At a meeting of ambassadors, the German EU presidency noted that no member had “raised a stop sign and the way for a political endorsement was thus cleared”, a diplomat said.

The diplomats noted “recent positive developments” in negotiations, with China reportedly addressing concerns over the alleged use of forced labour on its farms.

This came after the Chinese foreign ministry said last week that “negotiations have entered the final stretch” — and a second EU diplomat said an agreement could now be formally announced this week.

“We have to be careful, but as long as China is in agreement, there could be an official announcement from Brussels and Beijing by the end of the week,” the senior envoy said.

No member state intervened at the meeting to block the accord, but afterwards Poland’s ambassador Andrzej Sados said he had “expressed our doubts” after Germany added it to the agenda.

The deal would be a major boost for both sides and strengthen economic ties between the giants before the arrival of U.S. president-elect Joe Biden in the White House in January.

Outgoing U.S. leader Donald Trump has engaged in a trade war with China but his successor has also expressed concern about the EU outreach, with his team urging Brussels to consult with Washington.

“The new administration in the U.S. is starting work in three weeks… and an agreement with China should take into account the EU’s relations with the U.S.,” Sados told the Polish PAP news agency.

“We also said that we shouldn’t act too hastily after seven years of tough negotiations. Meanwhile, such an item is suddenly added to the EU ambassadors’ meeting agenda in Brussels. This is unheard of.”

“In the last days of the German presidency we are dealing with a sudden and unjustified acceleration regarding a very important issue, which concerns international relations.”

The bloc’s leading economic power Germany, which holds the rotating EU presidency until the end of the year, has made securing the deal a priority of its time at the helm.

The European Commission, the EU executive, had said before Christmas that the draft of the “political agreement” was “95 percent ready” and just needed the capitals’ green light.

China’s commitment to labour rights had remained a hurdle, but Europe has long sought greater access to the huge Chinese market for its companies.

‘Systemic rival’

The head of the EU chamber of commerce in Beijing Joerg Wuttke told AFP this month that negotiators had “apparently made great strides on market access”.

As part of the accord the EU has also been pushing Beijing to reinforce respect for intellectual property, end obligations to transfer technology, reduce subsidies for public enterprises and improve on climate commitments.

While Trump’s administration has engaged in a war of words with Beijing, Brussels has taken a balanced approach.

The EU states treat China as a “systemic rival” and have expressed concerns over China’s rights record, especially its clampdown in Hong Kong and treatment of the Uighurs.

Berlin wanted to get the agreement signed off at a joint EU-China summit in September, but the coronavirus pushed the event online and no deal was signed.

China pushed past the United States in the third quarter of this year to become the EU’s top trade partner, as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the U.S. economy while Chinese activity rebounded.

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European Union clears way for China investment pact

The diplomats noted “recent positive developments” in negotiations, with China reportedly addressing concerns over the alleged use of forced labour on its farms.

‘Systemic rival’

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