The little Uzbek dictator received by a back door at NATO and the European Commission
The European Commission is beginning to be embarrassed by Uzbek President Islam Karimov's visit to Brussels. The "little dictator" of Central Asia is to be received on Monday at the European Commission by José-Manuel Barroso, the President, and Günther Oettinger, the Commissioner for Energy, as well as at NATO, by AF Rasmussen .
A visit that has strategic and economic overtones
In the'NATO, the goal is to secure an ally that participates in the Partnership for Peace (PfP) and Partnership Planning and Review Process (PARP) in the war in Afghanistan. At the European Commission, the question will mainly concern " regional security, economic issues, energy » but also the « human rights we hasten to clarify when I asked the question at the Commission's briefing.
A Memorandum of Understanding will also be signed by the Energy Commissioner, Gunther Oettinger and his Uzbek counterpart. This agreement covers several energy aspects, including infrastructure and cooperation. " Uzbekistan is the last country in this region with which we do not yet have such an agreement. ” one specifies to the Commission.
A leader of the old Soviet school
Only here ... Karimov is not just any head of state. Having climbed all the ranks of the PC under the Soviet Union and in power without interruption for 21 years in Tashkent, he is in particular the author of a savage repression in 2005 of a demonstration in Andijan killing nearly 1000 people according to NGOs. . Human rights defenders and opponents are regularly imprisoned, when they are not tortured or raped, journalists threatened and international NGOs often hampered in their work, or even expelled. In short, he is not a paragon of virtue. And we are closer to the "small dictatorship" than to the "great democracy". But the sanctions imposed have gradually been lifted.
A policy of critical and conditional engagement
But the country harbors energy. And Germany, very present in the country, is pushing for a normalization of European relations. So the Europeans loosened the screw. According to a strategy decided in 2007 by the Member States, confirmed in October 2010, a " critical and conditional engagement policy was decided. " The EU has opted for this strategy rather than isolation to achieve progress through dialogue and constant pressure. we explain. A policy that has had some success according to the Commission. " Progress has been observed and achieved in recent years, including the abolition of the death penalty ". It is therefore not insignificant that the German commissioner is present at this meeting. Berlin is pushing...
President Van Rompuy shuns the meeting
But the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, usually associated with visits by Heads of State, did not wish to be present this time. "Calendar problem" his spokesperson told me, very diplomatically, probably not wanting to embarrass his European neighbors with more political considerations. We will not be fooled. Van Rompuy does not want to appear in a somewhat compromising photo .
Media not welcome
About photos, the spokesperson services of the Commission are largely annoyed. Questioned by journalistic colleagues, this Friday noon, it was specified that the press would be kept informed. At 20:30 p.m., still nothing. I inquired. But we still refused to indicate what device (family photo, VIP corner, press conference) was planned. The visit begins to smell of sulfur. And we would do without this usual exercise in the event of a visit from a prominent personality. At NATO, we have no such modesty, and it has just been specified that there will be "no media opportunity". In other words: circulate there is nothing to see...