Reform needed

  • 2011-05-25
  • From wire reports

TALLINN - The recent developments in North Africa and the Middle East have brought heightened attention to the events going on in the region, as Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet noted when speaking at the High National Defense Course in Roosta, reports news agency LETA. “The ‘Arab Spring’ has caused the European Union to focus its foreign policy priorities on this southern area more than before,” he said.

According to Paet, various reforms need to be carried out to resolve the challenges standing before the Middle Eastern region and its societies. “The European Union can help to shape the future of countries going through the transition process by reviewing its Neighborhood Policy, as a result of which a new approach to our southern neighborhood addressing the actions and accomplishments of specific countries could be created,” he added.

The foreign minister also spoke on developments in Libya and the European Union’s activities to resolve the conflicts.
“In Libya’s case, we must continue to place economic, political, and military pressure on the Gadhafi regime,” he said Paet.
“The humanitarian situation in Libya is also cause for concern. According to the World Food Organization, there is only enough food in the eastern part of the country to last for a few weeks,” warned Paet.