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Euroasian Jewish News
World Jewish Congress Livens Up Dialogue With European Union.
23.11.2006
 The World Jewish Congress (WJC) Steering Committee and Governing Board have ended the working session in Paris reports the press secretary for the continental branch of the WJC - Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC).
Russian web-site Lenta.Ru reports that the session's agenda comprised of such issues as the Jewry's role in global security and countering international terrorism, results and perspectives of the Israel solidarity campaigns, coordination of the fight against anti-Semitism and other manifestations of racial and religious hatred. The session also agreed on the dates and agenda of the WJC General Assembly session that will adopt the organization's new charter.
In his comments on the results of the forum that was chaired by WJC President Edgar Bronfman member of the WJC Steering Committee and EAJC President Alexander Machkevitch noted that the majority of issues discussed at the sittings were considered primarily in the context of the modern politics of the European states and the EU as a whole.
"The latest session gathered delegations from Jewish communities from all parts of the World for the first time after the conflict in Lebanon and it was not by chance that it was held in Europe," Machkevitch said. "We have set ourselves a task to join our efforts in the sphere of the dialogue between peoples and religious confessions and we reached mutual understanding in that," he added.
Alexander Machkevitch said that in the course of the Paris session of the WJC the participants were greeted by the EU Commissioner for External Relations and Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe Thomas Hammarberg, as well as by Ambassador from Israel to the EU and NATO Oded Eran and European Jewish Congress (EJC) President Pierre Besnainou.
Machkevitch said that a special place was given in the program of events to meetings with French President Jacques Chirac, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, Minister of the Interior and Regional Development of France Nicolas Sarkozy, Archbishop of Paris Mgr. Andre Vingt-Trois, Rabbi-in-Chief of France Joseph Sitruk and the Rector of the Muslim Institute of the Paris Mosque, President of the French Council of the Muslim Religion Dalil Boubakeur.
"France was one of the first states in Europe where Jews were granted a status of citizens with equal rights," Machkevitch reminded. Now it is the center of European integration of primary importance and Paris could play a leading role in countering the growth of anti-Semitism in the countries that have recently joined the EU," the EAJC head added.
Machkevitch said that public representatives from EU non-member countries also must take part in such discussions. "I am convinced that no one needs new "iron curtains" in the middle of Eurasia. This is the reason why I take part in the Paris meeting not only on behalf of the WJC and EAJC but also as the leader of the Jewish Congress of Kazakhstan," he said. My colleagues, EAJC Secretary General Michael Chlenov and EAJC General Council Chairman Josef Zissels are doing the same thing, Machkevitch said.
MOSNEWS.COM
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