Inner City Press

 

In Other Media-e.g. Somalia, Ghana, Azerbaijan, The Gambia   For further information, click here to contact us          .

Home -

Search is just below this first article

 
 
How to Contact Us

 

Support this work by buying this book

Click on cover for secure site orders

also includes "Toxic Credit in the Global Inner City"

Inner City Press Podcast --



At the UN, Belgium's Karel De Gucht Is Asked Of Dalai Lama's Cancelled Visit

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN

UNITED NATIONS, May 14 -- Belgian foreign minister Karel De Gucht came to UN Headquarters on Monday, to speak he said of Darfur, of Kosovo and the Congo. Only days before, the Dalai Lama had cancelled a planned trip to Belgium after begin told by Karel De Gucht that China was opposed to the trip.

            Inner City Press asked Karel De Gucht four questions on Monday, including the relation if any to Belgian Prince Filip's upcoming trade trip to China. Video here, from Minute 18:11.

            Karel De Gucht said that the Dalai Lama had been "perfectly free to come to Belgium," that "he decided not to because he doesn't want to be implicated in bilateral relations."

            But is it Belgian policy to inform third parties of other people's applications for visas to visit Belgium?

            "We have regular meetings with China in Brussels," Karel De Gucht said.

            What is the relation to the trade trip of Prince Filip?

            Karel De Gucht, after first asking, "what is your question?" went on to advise Inner City Press to "ask my Chinese counterpart... what you can ask me is if we gave the visa, and we did."

            Then Karel De Gucht walked away from the UN microphone. Other media reported on the exchange, click here for one example.

     But still unanswered: was the understanding on April 14, with the visa was issued in Delhi, that Belgium would let the Dalai Lama know that to actually use the visa would cause bilateral problems between Belgium and China?

Belgium's King Albert II, Ban Ki-moon and Karel De Gucht, over Mr. Ban's left shoulder, Dalai Lama not shown

            AP reports that "Russia and South Korea have prohibited the Dalai Lama from even transiting their countries in deference to Beijing." Other countries have recently been advised by Beijing to be on alert to visits from the Dalai Lama, or presumably any other "splittist." While the U.S., for example, once blocked and thereafter discouraged any visa application from officials of the de facto republic of Akbhazia, Georgia, there is a recognition that as the host country of the UN, the U.S. often has a visa-granting duty. What are Belgium's duties, as seat of the UN?

            . This is an issue we will follow. Karel De Gucht made a point of denying that Rwanda or Burundi were ever Belgian colonies; rather they were awarded as trusteeships under the League of Nations. Belgium owns no moral debt, but chooses to help, he said. Asked about Kosovo, Karel De Gucht predicted that the issue will be acted on by the Security Council during Belgium's upcoming Council presidency. Watch this site.

   One UN diplomat asked after the exchange, given Belgium's recent actions, how much weight can what is says of its commitment to Darfur be given? Time will tell.

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

UN Office: S-453A, UN, NY 10017 USA Tel: 212-963-1439

Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540

Google
Search WWW Search innercitypress.com

Other Inner City Press reports are available in the ProQuest service and some are archived on www.InnerCityPress.com --

            Copyright 2006 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com - phone: (718) 716-3540