Stockholm - The European Union is closely following events
in Iran but has no immediate plans to recall diplomats from Tehran,
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said Wednesday as his
country took over the rotating presidency of the bloc.
Street protests in Iran were 'a clear message' that the Iranian
people were calling for reforms and freedom, Reinfeldt said at a
joint news conference with European Commission President Jose Manuel
Barroso.
Barroso and other members of the executive European Commission
visited the Swedish capital, Stockholm, as part of events marking the
launch of the six-month presidency.
Sweden succeeds the Czech Republic, widely-considered to have held
a rather shambolic presidency. It is the second time Sweden has held
the presidency since joining in 1995.
The Swedish presidency takes place against the backdrop of the
ongoing financial crisis and the threat of rising unemployment in the
27-nation bloc.
Complicating matters is also that the current commission's term
expires in October. Barroso - recently endorsed by heads of European
governments - is seeking a second term but needs approval from the
freshly-elected European Parliament.
Both Barroso and Reinfeldt said they were in contact with leaders
of the various factions in the pan-European legislature.
The commissioners met with Reinfeldt and other cabinet members at
Stockholm City Hall, the venue used for the annual banquet held in
honour of the Nobel Prize winners.
The Swedish premier later told reporters he and Barroso had
discussed 'positions on climate and how to handle the financial
crisis' with regard to a European process and a global process.
The global processes include an upcoming meeting in Pittsburgh,
United States, of the G20 - the Group of 20 richest nations.
During their visit, Barroso and other commissioners were also to
meet Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf.
Sweden also hopes to help forge a unified EU stance at the
upcoming UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December, when
participating countries will be asked to agree on substantial cuts in
the emission of dangerous greenhouse gases, as of 2012.
Reinfeldt underlined the need 'to move from a coalition of willing
countries' under the terms of the Kyoto protocol to a solution that
in principle covers all major emitters.
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