VATICAN CITY, Sept 3 (Reuters) – Roman Catholic bishops urged Belarus’s leader Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday to let its most senior cleric come back into the country.
Minsk’s archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, who has angered Lukashenko by defending the rights of anti-government protesters, was stopped at the border on Monday as he was returning home from a ceremony in neighbouring Poland.
Lukashenko, who is facing the biggest challenge to his 26-year rule, told reporters the prelate had been barred because he had “dragged Catholic believers” into politics. “We do not care who he is,” Lukashenko said.
In a statement, the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE), called on Thursday for Kondrusiewicz’s “immediate return home” and a commitment to dialogue to resolve the crisis in Belarus.
A day earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote on Twitter that Kondrusiewicz should be allowed to return home “so he can tend to his flock during the ongoing protests”.
Kondrusiewicz, 74, is the most senior Catholic prelate in Belarus and is a citizen of the former Soviet republic.
Last week, the archbishop issued a statement criticising riot police for blocking people from seeking refuge in a church in Minsk. On Aug. 19, he prayed outside a pre-trial detention centre where anti-government protesters were being held.
Lukashenko has been trying to strengthen his grip on power after weeks of mass protests and strikes following a disputed election. On Thursday he promoted hardline loyalists to top posts in his security apparatus. He blames the unrest on foreign aggression.
In a message read out during a service in Minsk cathedral on Thursday, Kondrusiewicz said he was praying “for the solution of the socio-political crisis in our country … and my speedy return to my homeland”.
Pope Francis has called for respect for justice and a rejection of violence in Belarus.
The Switzerland-based CCEE represents the Catholic Church in 45 European countries. (Additional reporting by Matthias Williams in Kyiv; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Dear Minister [of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Sameh Shoukry], dear friends, thank you very much for your warm hospitality and for the very important meeting that I had the honour and pleasure to have with his Excellency the President of Egypt [Abdel Fattah al-Sisi]. Thank you also for the good meeting we have just had.
I am delighted to be here in Cairo. It is my first visit as High Representative. Coming to Egypt to meet you and with President Sisi and other Ministers and interlocutors was a priority for me. I could not do it before, due to the constraints imposed by the coronavirus. But the coronavirus has only succeeded in delaying my visit. Here we are, trying to enhance our partnership.
This is a good opportunity to bolster this partnership, because we want to strengthen our relations. And we want to do so because we share many interests. We want to consult with you on many pressing regional issues, in the areas of energy, environment, migration, trade and security. We also want to work together in areas that are important for the well-being of the Egyptian people – water management, socio-economic development, education, and health.
In this regard, we spoke about the emergency package of support we prepared to face the consequences of COVID-19, which is hitting you, us and everybody much stronger than expected.
We also discussed how to best handle difficult issues, like human rights. Among friends, we should and we can talk about everything.
Maybe the most important aspects of this visit are the regional issues, because our neighbourhood – the Mediterranean – is in trouble.
We raised the situation in Libya – which I visited earlier this week, and where Egypt is playing a decisive role and I want to thank you for this role in pushing for and keeping the ceasefire in Libya.
On the Middle East Peace Process – and above all the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, which has prevented the annexation in the Jordan Valley this summer.
I think that we have to continue working on the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, where the current developments are very worrying, and on the need for de-escalation and dialogue.
And finally, although it is a little bit far away from the European Union countries and much closer to Egypt, we are very much concerned and we shared comments and considerations about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, where we welcome Egypt’s continued engagement in the negotiations with Ethiopia and Sudan, and we hope that you will continue having this important role in order to use this vital resource for Egypt in an organised way.
Dear Minister [Shoukry], I am very much looking forward to continuing our discussions over lunch and also during your next visit to Brussels.
Q&A
Q. On the developments in Libya, at the political arena and in the field. Could you explain your vision on how the Libyan crisis will be resolved in the future in light of the consultations that took place this morning?
First, I want to praise the important role played by Egypt on the ceasefire. Without the Cairo Declaration this would not have happened. And without the important political pressure that you put, explaining clearly which were the red lines that you were not going to accept to be overpassed, maybe the ceasefire would not have come. This is very good news, because the first thing to stop a war is to stop fighting.
Now, for the time being, it is happening and we want it to last. And it will last according also to the pressure that Egypt and other Arab states will be able to put on both sides, but mainly on one side.
I think that there is a window of opportunity in order for the Libyan people to reach agreements among them – because the solution can only belong to the Libyan people – in order to decide how to organise their future.
We share the same will for every mercenary to leave Libya, to stop the foreign interference in the country, to stop the flow of arms and to give an opportunity to peace.
I think that on that, Egypt has a role that cannot be played by anyone else. Egypt alone will not be sufficient, that is why the European Union is also ready to contribute.
I have been visiting Tripoli and Tobruk the past days. I had a long meeting with [President of the House of Representatives of Libya, Aguila] Saleh and I think that this window of opportunity cannot be lost and I am sure that Egypt and the European Union will work together to keep it.
Q. How concerned are you about the regional interference in Libya? The United Nations yesterday said that the arms embargo is ineffective. There are foreign fighters coming in from Turkey, Wagner mercenaries and 338 cargo flights as documented by the United Nations. On human rights, you talked with Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Soukry as friends; can you tell us more about the human rights issues that you tackled together?
About the arms embargo, it is a reality that the arms embargo is not being fully respected. We can say that it is not respected by anyone.
We, the European Union, tried to do what we can do in order to enhance this arms embargo, using our capacity. We launched Operation IRINI, which is a navy mission that has also a certain capacity of controlling what is happening in that area. The United Nations mandate to control the arms embargo only talks about controlling it by sea and air, which is what we are doing. We have had some success, sending to the United Nations technical bodies information about 500 hailings, which concerns both sides of the conflict. Now it is up to the [United Nations] Security Council to decide what to do with this information.
From our side, we try to control the arms embargo as much as we can, but we are perfectly aware that the flow of arms continues reaching Libya and, as far as this continues, it is going to be quite difficult to stop the fighting.
Of course we have been talking about human rights policy. You know that it is an horizontal policy, it is the line of our external relations, not only with Egypt, but with everybody. I perfectly understand that it is a very sensitive issue, but I think that we have to talk about it, putting on the table our worries and also sharing information. Because sometimes there are some considerations that are not exactly according to reality. I think that we have to continue doing so, every time that there is something that worries us, or every time that in Geneva they decide on a statement that puts things in a way that we disagree. We have to talk about it. That is what we have been doing today.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) plays an essential role in delivering justice to the victims of some of world’s most horrific crimes. Its independence and impartiality are crucial characteristics of the Court’s work, which are fundamental for the legitimacy of its judgements.
The sanctions announced by the United States administration on 2 September against two Court staff members, including its Prosecutor, are unacceptable and unprecedented measures that attempt to obstruct the Court’s investigations and judicial proceedings.
The ICC must be able to work independently and impartially, free from outside interference. The United States should reconsider its position and reverse the measures it has taken. Impunity must never be an option.
The European Union is unwavering in its support for the universality of the Rome Statute and for the ICC. We will resolutely defend it from any attempts aimed at obstructing the course of justice and undermining the international system of criminal justice.
Even though Emmanuel Macron has promised to host another donor’s conference to support Lebanon, he has made any bailout conditional on a government that implements reforms by the end of October.
He wants to know the true extent of Lebanese debt, the state of the banks and a review of the entire economy.
The central bank is now a key focus of French scrutiny.
On top of that, the French president wants an end to corruption and a new era of transparency in the country, which is wracked by debt, unemployment and economic stagnation.
Macron’s presence in Beirut this week was viewed by some as a sign that a financial package they had been pleading for was on the cards.
During his visit, Macron toured Beirut’s port to follow up on the work at the site after huge explosions last month destroyed thousands of buildings, leaving 300,000 people without a roof over their head.
Current estimates of damage from the port explosion in early have risen to over 3billion USD. In a new report, the World Bank stated that transport and housing are among the sectors worst affected.
Meanwhile, contamination from hazardous chemicals and water pollution, are among the most urgent challenges faced by the Lebanese authorities and UN teams tackling the huge task of clearing up Beirut.
The UNDP estimate that the cost of cleaning up the environmental degradation resulting from the explosion will be over $100 million.
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“Science and faith can come to see one another as sisters carrying out a fundamental service for the whole of society.”
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, made that remark on Wednesday in his speech at the opening of Euroscience Open Forum 2020. The biennial event, which is being held in the Italian city of Trieste, unites Europe’s leading scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs, and policy makers to debate the direction of scientific research.
In his address, Cardinal Parolin expressed the Church’s dedication to advancing the dignity and development of the human person in dialogue with the sciences. He said the interchange between the two is fundamental for confronting the “urgent questions that threaten the peaceful coexistence of humanity.”
Humanity, he added, risks “remaining adrift, without a goal in sight,” if it neglects the “profundity of reality offered by science” and the “deep human yearning for something greater.”
Cardinal Parolin went on to explore humanity’s relationship with the environment, technology, and itself.
The Cardinal spoke first about our relationship with the environment. He lamented humanity’s impact on the planet which has led to the extinction of numerous species, as well as the unequal distribution of scientific advancements which better human life. Everyone, he stressed, must assume responsibility for our common home in order to survive.
Science alone, said Cardinal Parolin, cannot resolve the ecological problem facing humanity. Rather, the Church seeks to help humanity recognize the contribution that faith can make by integrating scientific approaches into an overarching vision known as integral ecology. “Faith wants to be responsible for the care of our common home, listening to science and contributing, through its own ways of knowing, to the development of integral responses to this complex problem.”
Integral ecology, said the Cardinal, is best expressed with a phrase from Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’: “Everything is related; everything is linked together; everything is connected.”
The dialogue between faith and science seeks to “to discover the common root of phenomena that, viewed separately, cannot truly be understood.”
In this way, said Cardinal Parolin, integral ecology requires scientific research to combine both the “rational understanding of reality” and the “desires and longings of the human heart”.
“The Church is close to all those who want to acknowledge the complexity of reality by seeking solutions that do not sever human and social problems from the ecological question.”
Technology and ethics
Cardinal Parolin then addressed the topic of humanity’s relationship with technology.
He said many technologies are advancing at such breakneck speed as to leave little time for deeper ethical considerations. “The question that we must face together is this: ‘Given everything that we are technically able to do, what is it ethically right to do?’”
The way knowledge is communicated, said the Cardinal, is also undergoing unprecedented changes, due to digitalization and globalization.
He said the Church is concerned about the effects these trends have on young people, who are fed a constant media diet that “modifies the brain structure of the digital native.”
“Science and faith must be allied in caring for the younger generations, ensuring that they receive an education that can enable them to live full and authentic human lives amidst the challenges posed by new digital languages that can modify human thought processing, as well as culture.”
Cardinal Parolin made reference to the spread of disinformation which occurred at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Any professional who speaks about this pandemic should spend a lot of time thinking about how words and data matter, and then act accordingly,” he urged.
Interpersonal relationships
Cardinal Parolin concluded his speech with a reflection on humanity’s relationship with itself.
“How can the human family acquire the collective and individual wisdom to accept this responsibility and exercise the technological and scientific power presently at our disposal?” he asked Europe’s scientific leaders.
In this time of crisis, he said, the Church can help humanity deal with the elements of life that cause the current sense of “great anxiety.”
“The loss of hope and of interest in the immediate and more distant future stems from a loss of our sense of what it is to be human,” said the Cardinal. “Only if we become aware that we have lost this perspective will we be able to come up with an answer.”
Rebuilding community, he added, is the key to finding the answer, because interpersonal relationships keep the individual from becoming isolated and lonely.
Progress vs development
Another part of the answer lies in making the distinction between progress and development.
Progress, said Cardinal Parolin, “indicates a gradual advance or change resulting in greater growth in capacity and potential.”
Not all forms of progress are good, he pointed out.
However, integral human development “ focuses on broader processes that expand the choices of individuals and improve their prospects for well-being, thus enabling individuals and groups to achieve their potential as quickly as possible.”
Keeping humanity’s focus on development, said the Cardinal, looks beyond technological advancements and places the human person “at the heart of our reflection and as the goal of what can qualify as progress.”
Sustainable peace
Finally, Cardinal Parolin urged scientists and policy makers to never tire in seeking the betterment of humanity.
“The quest for integral human development extends beyond the limited scope of economic, social, technological and scientific progress – important as these are. It requires an authentic and untiring search for that which is truly constructive of the common good of humanity, which is an indispensable source and a continued companion of a real, lasting and sustainable peace among peoples and for future generations.”
The railway connected Raxaul in British India with Amlekhganj in the Kingdom of Nepal. This 39-kilometre-long (24 mi) line allowed people from different areas of the country to reach Amlekhganj, and helped move heavy vehicles to Bhimphedi. It was then possible to reach Kathmandu from Bhimphedi on foot. The railway possessed seven steam locomotives, 12 coaches and 82 wagons. It operated steam-powered Garrattlocomotives manufactured by Beyer, Peacock and Company of the United Kingdom.
India has sought permission from Nepal to conduct a detailed study of the Raxaul-Kathmandu rail link without any delays. A proposal sent by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu to the Nepal government has promised to follow health and safety protocols amid COVID-19 while carrying out the study. Konkan Railway Corporation, a union government company headquartered in Navi Mumbai will conduct a detailed study of the project. “The Indian team is ready to come to Nepal whenever we ask them to come. They even have sent us the details of machinery and other logistics they will be bringing along with them as they come for the study. We have asked them to send the names of the people along with their designation again,” Balram Mishra, the Director-General of Department of Railways, said. “Situation now is not favourable as before as there is a risk of COVID-19 infection. Despite the grim situation, the Indian side is ready to conduct the study. They will send us the details within a week in the format we have asked for,” Mishra added. The details received will be sent to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transportation, after which it will be forwarded to Home Ministry and then to COVID-19 Crisis Management Committee (CCMC), which will give the final decision about their arrival. “We are following the COVID-19 guidelines and have to follow the procedure,” Mishra said. A rail line is operational on the Indian side, reaching up to the dry port of Raxaul and India has planned to link it up to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. It will run from the side of the proposed second international airport at Nijgadh after getting through Bara’s Jitpur. The total length of the rail line is expected to be 136 kilometres, out of which 42 kilometres will pass through a tunnel. It is expected to cost about three trillion Nepali rupees. “After conducting the Detailed Project Report (DPR), the final cost will be known. It can increase or decrease by some per cent. It will take us at least a year to complete the study,” Mishra said. Nepal and India had signed a deal to conduct a feasibility study of the Kathmandu-Raxaul rail link during the 4th BIMSTEC Summit held at Kathmandu in 2018. The investment modality of the project is yet to be finalised.
BIMSTEC member states provide greater opportunity to advance regional cooperation, the summit underlined the importance of multidimensional connectivity for economic integration and shared prosperity.
The EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) has supported member states to save lives in the midst of earthquakes, hurricanes and floods. It has helped fighting forest fires and evacuating EU nationals – including more than 75.000 EU citizens during the current COVID-19 crisis – by coordinating and assisting in civil protection efforts. Medical equipment such as ventilators, personal protective equipment, vaccines and therapeutics and laboratory supplies have also been procured through rescEU to support national health services during the pandemic.
However, MEPs believe that while the EU Civil Protection Mechanismwas used successfully during the COVID-19 crisis, it also exposed limitations in the current crisis management set-up. When many member states are hit by the same emergency simultaneously they cannot rely on own assets and voluntary support. RescEU must therefore be strengthened to enable the EU to help quickly to fill these critical gaps so no one is left alone to deal with such emergencies.
To take these concerns into consideration, the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee today with 72 votes to 6 and 1 abstention, updated its position adopted on 5 March 2020.
Preparing for large-scale emergencies
The committee repeated its call from 5 March that a significantly larger amount should be allocated to preparedness, including for the purchase of necessary new rescEU equipment, materials and resources to be better able to assist member states when national capacities are overstretched. This would make it possible to respond swiftly and effectively to large-scale emergencies or to low probability events with a high impact including medical emergencies such as the COVID-19.
To be more transparent about the use of EU funding, MEPs also believe that it is necessary to specify how money is allocated across the three pillars of the mechanism “prevention, preparedness and response”.
Quote
After the vote the rapporteur, Nikos ANDROULAKIS (SD, Greece) said: “There is a need for more EU solidarity. With our proposals we better protect and assist European citizens, no matter in which member state they reside as we increase the co-financing rate to 100%, improve prevention actions and give the Commission the possibility to acquire, rent or lease the necessary capacities. Parliament is ready to start the negotiations. We want the Mechanism ready to address not only a possible second wave of the pandemic or forest fires but any other natural or man-made disaster in the future.”
Next steps
The full House will vote during the14-17 September session after which Parliament is ready to start negotiations with member states to allow for entry into force of the revamped mechanism by January 2021.
Background
The Civil Protection Mechanism was set-up in 2013 to help member states deal with increasingly frequent natural disasters. Until 2019, it was only based on a voluntary system. In 2017 alone, the Mechanism was used 18 times for forest fire emergencies in Europe. Portugal, Italy, Montenegro, France, and Albania all received assistance via the Mechanism to respond to forest fires.
Since 2019, when rescEU was created, the EU can now also directly assist member states hit by disasters when national capacities are overstretched.
European Commission Speech Brussels, 03 Sep 2020
For all of us, the coronavirus crisis has increased our reliance on technology. It was invaluable for work, for school, for staying informed or in touch with o…
