EU seeks May date for summit with China: diplomats

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

AFP
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BEIJING, 25 February 2009 - The European Union is seeking a summit with China in May, after last year's meeting was postponed due to a row over Tibet, European diplomats told AFP on Wednesday.

The Czech Republic, current holders of the EU presidency, have proposed the May meeting in their capital of Prague but have yet to receive agreement from the Chinese side, the Czech embassy said in a statement released to AFP.

"During the (January) visit of Premier Wen Jiabao to Brussels... they agreed the postponed summit would be held under the Czech presidency in Prague, most likely in May," said the statement by the Czech ambassador to China, Vitezslav Grepl.

The summit was originally set for early December but China postponed it in protest at a meeting between Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Poland.

France held the rotating presidency of the 27-nation bloc at the time.

China strongly opposes any contact between foreign officials and the Dalai Lama, whom it accuses of seeking independence for his Himalayan homeland.

EU ambassador to China, Serge Abou, told AFP on Tuesday the exact dates of the summit were still being worked on.

"As far as I know there is still no agreement on the dates. The Czechs have proposed something, but the Chinese have still not given an answer," he said.

"The dates of the summit are up to the holder of the EU presidency. As far as I know the dates are still not confirmed by all sides."

China's foreign ministry had no comment on the summit, when contacted by AFP.