Europe Denounced MD Plan

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit meeting was held yesterday in Brussels with the controversial issues such as the Missile Defense plan, the independent contingency forces of the Europe, and the expansion of member countries. The U.S. President Bush, the recently re-elected British Prime Minister Tony Blair, President Jacques Chirac of France and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany participated in this summit meeting.

This summit meeting has generated the substantial controversy from the beginning, because of the difference between the opinions of the U.S. and the other members.

President Bush strongly expressed to the members of NATO that the MD plan is necessary for the security of the Europe.

But France and Germany expressed the opposition against the Bush`s policy to abolish the Antiballistic Missile Treaty and to take a go-it-alone approach to the MD plan, disregarding the opinions of the NATO member countries, because Bush`s unilateral approach would create new tensions in the world, reported AFP.

President Bush and other NATO leaders held a different view on the policy to expand NATO to the Eastern Europe, containing the establishment of the contingency forces and the expansion of the member nation such as Yugoslavia.

At his first visit to Europe, President Bush said in a press meeting in Madrid before the NATO summit meeting that ``The ABM treaty is a relic of the past. It is inevitable to abolish the treaty in order to pursue the MD plan``.

President Bush plans to declare that Russia is no longer the enemy of the U.S., in the meeting with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin which will be held in Slovenia on 16th. And he maintained that President Putin will also be interested in the MD plan.

Since the other NATO leaders have expressed strong opposition to the U.S.`s unilateral pursuit of the MD plan and its refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, Mr. Bush had to face harsh skepticism at his first visit to Europe in order to prove his diplomatic ability since becoming President, reported the foreign press.

President Bush will have a meeting with the EU leaders such as Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson and European Commission President Romano Prodi on 14th in Yetebori, Sweden.

Paik Kyung-Hak stern100@donga.com