I would like, on behalf of the Liberal Democrat Group, to warmly congratulate the Finnish Presidency. You have completed a very successful first presidency for Finland but you have done it with a capacity that does enormous credit to the tasks which you addressed. The Summit has produced a result which is worthy of the times. We are at the end of a century, we are contemplating a new millennium and it is a time of review, a time of outlook and a time of new optimism. I believe, in a certain way, the Summit has captured that. I believe that the major decisions that have been made in respect of enlargement, reform and defence show that there is a sustained vitality in our common European vocation. That is an important message and the central message that has emerged from your successful presidency and on that you deserve rich and proper congratulation. I should like to say, in respect of enlargement, that my group, as the others too have expressed here today, is extremely pleased to see that negotiations will open soon with the six additional States of Central and Eastern Europe. It is important that we inject a new political dynamic into the enlargement process. The enlargement process itself is essentially a political process and we must not lose sight of that, notwithstanding the many technical dimensions that attend it. On the question of Turkey: my group welcomes the decision to extend candidate status to Turkey and regards it as positive. We hope that the modernising influences within Turkish politics and society will now take hold of this opportunity and build on it in a positive way. But in welcoming the decision as we do, we insist that those modernising forces must make determined progress towards European norms of respect for human rights and of the relationship between civil and military society; towards the abolition of the death penalty; towards a clear respect for minorities, especially the Kurdish minority in Turkey. The European Union has also made through your presidency a wise choice in insisting that the reform process in the Treaties must be over and operational by the year 2002 so that it will facilitate early accession because it is important to ensure that the reform process should not become the enemy of the enlargement process. The IGC has the opportunity to enhance efficiency and effectiveness and to deepen the democratic character of the European Union. However, we are disappointed that the IGC agenda which has been contemplated at Helsinki has been limited to what has been described as the Amsterdam leftovers. I accept that these are not merely crumbs on the table, they are significant slices of reform but we must grasp this opportunity to do more. My group, through this House, will work with other parliamentarians and with the Commission to try to convince the incoming Portuguese Presidency to be more ambitious in the reform, all the while respecting the timetable. I share the view of other colleagues that it is unfortunate to describe the role that this House can play as one merely of observer. I welcome the fact that we will participate but we participate as equals and not merely as observers. On the question of defence, we warmly welcome the establishment of the rapid reaction force and its significant and necessary progress – Kosovo has taught us dearly the need for that. My group, however, again wishes to stress the importance that this should be seen in the context of a strong Atlantic Alliance. We must not give any succour to the forces in US politics who show a tendency towards isolationism, many of whose voices are now raised in the current US Presidential election. In this regard, one suggestion is that we contemplate the establishment of a political and security committee and military committee. Could the Defence Minister of the incoming Presidency come to this House at an early date and make a statement to us? We need to clarify a number of things such as the role of EU non-NATO members in such a force and the role of non-EU NATO members in respect of such a force if they wish to participate. This and other issues should have a democratic airing and this is the place to do so at a European level. A final comment: I could not sit down without mentioning our deep concern about Chechnya. We welcome the fact that this is occupying the attention of Helsinki. We would urge the IMF also to act vigorously in this regard because, although each State has a right to defend itself against terrorism, what we observe in Chechnya is grossly disproportionate to the scale of the perceived threat and we have to deplore and condemn it at every opportunity.

Political group: ELDR