Chirac Sides with Aznar

Today at Berria:

Chirac shares Aznar’s opinion of the proposal

Aznar declares in the Carcassonne summit that Juan Jose Ibarretxe’s proposal has no possibility whatsoever of going ahead “in Spain and even less so in the European Union”

Agencies – CARCASSONNE

The statute proposal of the Government of the BAC (Basque Autonomous Community of Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa) was touched on during the Franco-Spanish summit yesterday, and President Chirac of France spoke about the matter for the first time. In Chirac’s view the proposal of the BAC President, Juan Jose Ibarretxe, was not a matter for the French State, but in a reply to a reporter’s question he backed what Aznar had said previously. “I have no answer for the question you have put, because it is an internal matter for Spain. Nevertheless, I share the view put forward by President Aznar and I give it my wholehearted support.”

The summit of the Governments of France and Spain took place in Carcassonne (France) yesterday. A number of ministers also met together apart from the two presidents. While Chirac and Aznar were having their own meeting, the ministers of the two states were holding parallel departmental meetings. The Foreign Affairs, Interior, Justice, Public Works and Transport ministers also attended the summit along with those responsible for European Affairs, Industry and Energy. The only thing Chirac said about Juan Jose Ibarretxe’s proposal is what is mentioned above, but Jose Maria Aznar, the Spanish President, spoke longer on the subject. Aznar had in fact brought up the topic during the previous press conference before Chirac spoke.

Aznar felt that the proposal of the BAC Government had no chance of going ahead “in Spain, and even less so in Europe.” He said that the possibilities were reduced even further due to the references made in the proposal to the Northern Basque Country (under French jurisdiction). “It is logical for the Spanish State not to accept proposals that lead to the secession of part of its territory. Neither is there any possibility of accepting this proposal which entails secession from one of the European Union’s member states; this is precisely because in Europe we are going in the opposite direction. So if this proposal means making demands about the territories belonging to another state, it has no chance of success, and moreover it is not worth even taking about it.”

Angel Acebes, the Spanish Interior Minister, had said before the summit that he would be discussing the BAC Government’s proposal with Nicolas Sarkozy, his French counterpart. Acebes said, “I will explain to him that it is detrimental to the struggle against terrorism”.

.... ... .