Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 25 OctOber 2017
Europe should preserve its cultural heritage, EU’s Tusk says

BRUSSELS (AP) — The Euro- with leaders like German
pean Union must do more Chancellor Angela Merkel
to defend its external bor- who initially called for rela-
ders against migrants, EU tively welcoming policies
chief Donald Tusk said now retreating from those
Tuesday, describing Europe positions, and right-wing
as a “cultural community” populists warning that
whose heritage must be large Muslim communities
preserved. threaten to erode Europe’s
While the president of the Christian profile. The lead-
European Council insisted ing proponent of that view
that Europeans are not su- has been Hungarian Prime
perior to other peoples, his Minister Viktor Orban, who
rhetoric of cultural pres- erected razor wire fences
ervation echoed in some in 2015 at a time when the
ways the language of largest numbers of people
populist politicians winning fleeing war and poverty in
support across Europe with the Middle East and Africa
calls to keep migrants from poured into Europe. He has
settling on the continent. often described Muslim
“We are a cultural commu- migrants as invaders who
nity, which doesn’t mean threaten Europe’s cultural
that we are better or worse identity. That view has reso-
— we are simply different European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, left, and European Council President nated in many places in-
Donald Tusk participate in a media conference at the conclusion of an EU summit in Brussels on
from the outside world,” Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. The European Union must do more to defend its external borders against cluding Tusk’s homeland,
Tusk said in an address to migrants, Tusk said Tuesday, describing Europe as a “cultural community.” Poland, where he was pre-
the European Parliament in (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) viously prime minister. Re-
Strasbourg, France. our heritage,” Tusk added. cultures — not in order to with a feeling of justified cent elections in Germany
“Our openness and toler- “We have the right and be against someone, but pride.” and Austria have reflected
ance cannot mean walk- obligation to care for what to be ourselves. Without a Europe is deeply divided rising support for anti-mi-
ing away from protecting distinguishes us from other feeling of superiority, but over the issue of migration, grant parties.q

France, Egypt leaders meet amid concerns over extremism

By SYLVIE CORBET dent Emmanuel Macron said Macron specifically
Associated Press offered his support Tues- evoked the cases of 15 hu-
PARIS (AP) — French Presi- day to Egyptian counter- man right activists and jour-
nalists, all Egyptians, during
his talks with el-Sissi. The of-
ficial was speaking anony-
mously because of the sen-
sitive nature of the talks.
El-Sissi has presided over a
large-scale crackdown on
dissent. Egyptian authori-
ties have jailed several hu-
man rights activists and
banned others from travel
over allegations of harm-
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, welcomes Egyptian
President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on the steps of the Elysee Palace ing national security. El-Sissi
in Paris, Tuesday Oct. 24, 2017. said he is “convinced” that
(AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu) Tuesday’s meeting is a new
part Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in the troubled region. Both starting point to “strength-
the fight against terrorism, leaders have discussed at en cooperation between
but said that needs to be length the crisis in Libya, our two countries.”
led with respect to human Egypt’s chaotic North Af- Answering a question
rights. rican neighbor, and the about human rights abus-
Macron and el-Sissi met war in Syria. Macron urged es, El-Sissi denied that Egyp-
for over two hours at the el-Sissi to lead Egypt on an tian security forces used
presidential Elysee Pal- “indispensable democratic torture and said human
ace in Paris. In a joint news path.” He said a dynamic rights issues should be set
conference, Macron said civil society and a diverse in the broader context of a
“our first common combat non-governmental group troubled region with the risk
is the fight against terror- network must act as “shields of Islamic extremism.
ism ... France is standing against the terrorists’ killing He pledged to establish a
by Egypt’s side because frenzy.” Yet Macron also “democratic, modern gov-
the security of this friendly said he wouldn’t “give les- ernment in Egypt” but said
country is also our own se- sons” to other countries the troubles in the region
curity.” French authorities about their domestic poli- and the growing Islamic ex-
see Egypt as a key coun- cies. A diplomatic official tremism must be taken into
try in efforts to stabilize at the French presidency account. q