IRAQ: The President of the European Parliament, Mr Josep Borrell, said yesterday it was "regrettable" that a planned visit to the parliament this week by the Iraqi President, Mr Ghazi al-Yawar, had been cancelled, writes Deaglán de Bréadún, Foreign Affairs Correspondent, in Strasbourg
"It would have allowed us to launch a serious discussion with him but would also have marked the start of political relations with Iraq following the transfer of power to the interim Iraqi government in June," said Mr Borrell, a Spanish MEP who succeeded Mr Pat Cox in the presidency in July. MEPs are meeting in plenary session this week in Strasbourg.
In addition to meeting Mr Borrell, President Yawar was due to meet leaders of the various political groups in the parliament as well as members of the foreign affairs committee. He was not scheduled to address the full parliament but was due to give a press conference.
It was unclear last night whether the cancellation had anything to do with tensions over the kidnapping of two French journalists in Iraq. The European Parliament is due to debate the Iraqi situation tomorrow.
Mr Borrell's spokesman denied the cancellation had resulted from a request by either the French or Dutch governments. The Netherlands currently holds the rotating EU presidency. "I can't invent a reason that doesn't exist," the spokesman said. The Iraqi President was visiting Warsaw yesterday as part of a European tour.
Mr Borrell's office said "the French government did not intervene". A proposed visit to Paris by President Yawar was called off last week by the French government.
At noon today, the parliament will observe a minute's silence in memory of the victims of the Beslan school siege. In addition, Mr Borrell will outline his priorities for his term of office as president.
Meanwhile, speaking on environmental issues in the parliament last night, the Fine Gael MEP Ms Avril Doyle called for the European Commission to take action over what she described as the "devastation" caused in woodland areas throughout Europe by the American grey squirrel.
The issue has also been taken up by her party colleague, Ms Mairéad McGuinness, who said the grey squirrel was a threat to Europe's forests.
On Northern Ireland, the Labour MEP for Dublin, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, urged his colleagues in the parliament to press the European Commission to come forward "as a matter of urgency" with proposals for the continuation of the Peace II aid programme.
He said the programme had delivered €1,103 million to Northern Ireland and the Border counties of the Republic since its inception in 1995. But it was due to end in December.
In view of negotiations getting under way this week in Leeds Castle involving all the parties to the Belfast Agreement, it was important that a signal be given now that this programme would definitely continue until at least 2006, Mr De Rossa said.