Javier Solana

Dr Francisco Javier Solana Madariaga (born July 14 1942 in Madrid, Spain) is the High Representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the Secretary-General of both the Council of the European Union (EU) and the Western European Union (WEU). He was a physicist who became a political minister for 13 years before serving as NATO Secretary-General 1995–99. Dr. Solana was designated to become EU Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2006, but is likely to continue in his present role while the future of the EU is decided.

EU foreign policy chief

On June 3–4 1999 Solana was appointed by the Cologne European Council as foreign policy chief of the newly-created CFSP, which had been established as the second of the three pillars of the EU in the Maastricht Treaty. It has a budget of ?40 million, most of which goes to Balkan operations.

Related Topics:
June 3 - 4 - 1999 - Cologne European Council - CFSP - Pillars - EU - Maastricht Treaty - ?

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He also became Secretary-General of the Council of the EU, presiding over their Political and Security Committee (PSC) and giving a continuity between the rotating presidents.

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He helps both construct and actualise the decisions of the Council. He is also empowered to negotiate on the EU's behalf with other countries, always with the permission of the current president. These posts began on October 18.

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A major element of the CFSP is the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) and initiated by the Amsterdam Treaty. At the Cologne and Helsinki (December, 1999) European Council meetings it was agreed to set up a 60,000 strong European Rapid Reaction Force in order to fulfil the Petersberg tasks.

Related Topics:
European Security and Defence Policy - Amsterdam Treaty - Cologne - Helsinki - European Council - European Rapid Reaction Force

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On November 20 he also became Secretary-General of the WEU, a partially dormant European defence and security organisation. He thus oversees the ongoing transfer of functions from the WEU to the EU, with this latter appointment being a part of the partial merger of the WEU into the CFSP, though some have claimed that the WEU is now more active under Solana's leadership. Both the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) and the European Union Satellite Centre (EUSC) are organisations that were under the WEU but are now under the CFSP.

Related Topics:
November 20 - WEU - European Union Institute for Security Studies - European Union Satellite Centre

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The Clinton administration claimed in May 2000 that Solana was the fulfilment of Henry Kissinger's desire to have a phone number to talk to Europe. In December 2003 Solana released the European Security Strategy which sets out the main priorities and identifying the main threats to the security of the EU, including terrorism. On March 25 2004 Solana appointed Gijs de Vries as the anti-terrorist co-ordinator for the CFSP, and outlined his duties as being to streamline, organise and co-ordinate the EU and its members fight against terrorism.

Related Topics:
Clinton - 2000 - Henry Kissinger - December 2003 - Terrorism - March 25 - 2004 - Gijs de Vries

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Solana's posts were extended on June 29 2004 when he was also designated the EU's first Minister for Foreign Affairs, a job combining the head of the CFSP with the European Commissioner for Foreign Relations (in May 2000 Chris Patten, then Commissioner for Foreign Relations claimed that Solana was encroaching on his activities) and Vice President of the Council of the EU in 2006 (if the new EU constitution is ratified).

Related Topics:
June 29 - 2004 - Minister for Foreign Affairs - European Commissioner - 2000 - Chris Patten - 2006 - EU constitution

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On July 12 2004 he was named head of a new European Defence Agency that provides political guidance to ensure greater efficiency in EU members military spending.

Related Topics:
July 12 - 2004 - European Defence Agency

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Solana has received both criticism and praise for the extent of the new powers outlined in the new Constitution.

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He has said that even under the new constitution the minister can only act when there is unanimity amongst member states.

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On April 18, 2005 he told French students while electioneering for the May 29 referendum held there over ratifying the constitution that there is hostility towards the EU constitution from some American neoconservatives because they believe it represents a new rise in Europe's power. On May 4 he said the constitution would not undermine NATO. He has emphasised how important the ratification is to the security of the EU members. Ratification depends upon the complete assent of all constituent countries. On May 29, 2005, the French voters clearly rejected ratification. Javier Solana has said that despite this the EU will remain an actor on the world stage and would forge ahead with plans for a new diplomatic service.

Related Topics:
April 18 - 2005 - May 29 - May 4

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Foreign affairs

He has negotiated numerous Treaties of Association between the European Union and various Middle Eastern and Latin American countries, including Bolivia and Colombia. Solana played a pivotal role in unifying the remainder of the former Yugoslavian federation. He proposed that Montenegro formed a union with Serbia instead of having full independence, stating that this was done to avoid a domino effect from Kosovo and Vojvodina independence demands. Local media sarcastically named the new country "Solania".

Related Topics:
Middle Eastern - Latin American - Bolivia - Colombia - Montenegro - Serbia - Kosovo - Vojvodina

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On January 21 2002 Solana said that the detainees at Guantanamo Bay should be treated as prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention. The EU has stated that it hopes to avoid another war like the Iraqi invasion through this and future negotiations, and Solana has said the most difficult moments of his job were when the United Kingdom and France, the two permanent EU Security Council members, were in disagreement.

Related Topics:
January 21 - 2002 - Guantanamo Bay - Geneva Convention - Iraqi invasion - United Kingdom - France - Security Council - Disagreement

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The so-called Vilnius letter, a declaration of support by eastern european countries for the United States' aim of régime change in Iraq, and the letter of the eight, a similar letter from predominantly western european countries, are generally seen as a low-water mark of the CFSP. Solana has played an important role working with the UN, Russia, and the USA quartet in the Middle East and continues to be a primary architect of "The Roadmap" to work towards peaceful end to the conflict in Palestine.

Related Topics:
Vilnius letter - The letter of the eight - UN - Russia - USA - Palestine

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On July 22 2004 he met Ariel Sharon in Israel. Sharon had originally refused to meet Solana, but eventually accepted that, whether he liked it or not, the EU was involved in the Roadmap. He criticised Israel for obstructing the Palestinian presidential election of January 9, 2005, but then met Sharon again on January 13. In November 2004 he assisted the United Kingdom, France, and Germany in negotiating a nuclear material enrichment freeze with Iran.

Related Topics:
July 22 - 2004 - Ariel Sharon - Israel - Palestinian presidential election - January 9 - 2005 - January 13 - November 2004 - United Kingdom - France - Germany - Iran

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In the same month he was involved in mediating between the two presidential candidates in the post-election developments in Ukraine, and on 21 January 2005 he invited Ukraine's new President Viktor Yushchenko to discuss future EU membership.

Related Topics:
Post-election developments - Ukraine - 21 January - 2005 - President - Viktor Yushchenko

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