Sweden opens EU presidency with focus on Iran, climate (Roundup)

Jul 1, 2009, 13:08 GMT

Stockholm - The European Union is closely following events in Iran but has no immediate plans to recall diplomats from Tehran, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said Wednesday as his country took over the rotating presidency of the bloc.

Street protests in Iran were 'a clear message' that the Iranian people were calling for reforms and freedom, Reinfeldt said at a joint news conference with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

Barroso and other members of the executive European Commission visited the Swedish capital, Stockholm, as part of events marking the launch of the six-month presidency.

Sweden succeeds the Czech Republic, widely-considered to have held a rather shambolic presidency. It is the second time Sweden has held the presidency since joining in 1995.

The Swedish presidency takes place against the backdrop of the ongoing financial crisis and the threat of rising unemployment in the 27-nation bloc.

Complicating matters is also that the current commission's term expires in October. Barroso - recently endorsed by heads of European governments - is seeking a second term but needs approval from the freshly-elected European Parliament.

Both Barroso and Reinfeldt said they were in contact with leaders of the various factions in the pan-European legislature.

The commissioners met with Reinfeldt and other cabinet members at Stockholm City Hall, the venue used for the annual banquet held in honour of the Nobel Prize winners.

The Swedish premier later told reporters he and Barroso had discussed 'positions on climate and how to handle the financial crisis' with regard to a European process and a global process.

The global processes include an upcoming meeting in Pittsburgh, United States, of the G20 - the Group of 20 richest nations.

During their visit, Barroso and other commissioners were also to meet Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf.

Sweden also hopes to help forge a unified EU stance at the upcoming UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December, when participating countries will be asked to agree on substantial cuts in the emission of dangerous greenhouse gases, as of 2012.

Reinfeldt underlined the need 'to move from a coalition of willing countries' under the terms of the Kyoto protocol to a solution that in principle covers all major emitters.