Zone 3- Euro-Americas Summary, Week # 96

Week # 96- Dated 29th Nov.- 5th Dec. 09’

WESTERN EUROPE
Top European Union officials attended a ceremony Tuesday to mark the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty, designed to ensure the bloc has a more influential say in world affairs. Meanwhile according to official data Europe crawled out of recession in the third quarter with the 16-nation Euro zone posting 0.4 percent growth.
Britain's High Court dealt a blow to the government last week by ruling that terror suspects cannot be denied bail on the basis of secret evidence. Meanwhile Italy is considering taking in other prisoners from Guantanamo to help close down the prison. Also European leaders and top diplomats hailed President Barack Obama's speech defining the new U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, but few countries were forthcoming with pledges of fresh troops.
The United Nations has called Switzerland's ban on new minarets "clearly discriminatory" and deeply divisive, and the Swiss foreign minister acknowledged last week that the government was very concerned about how the vote would affect the country's image.

SOUTH-EAST EUROPE
The EU Justice and Home Affairs Council decided on Nov. 30th to abolish the visa regime for Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia. Meanwhile Albania says it has agreed to accept more former Guantanamo detainees, but not members of China's ethnic Uighur Muslim minority, for fear of prejudicing Albania's relations with China.
Macedonian President Gjorgje Ivanov has promised to deploy an extra 80 soldiers in Afghanistan, raising the strength of its contingent 250. Meanwhile the hearings on the legality of Kosovo's declaration of independence began on Tuesday (December 1st) at The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ).

US/CANADA
In the US, Despite expressing uneasiness about the details, lawmakers are poised to back Obama's plan to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan after being assured that forces will begin withdrawing in July 2011. Also the White House has authorized an expansion of the C.I.A.’s drone program in Pakistan’s tribal areas. Meanwhile the US ambassador to the United Nations has said the United States is not seeking a civilian coordinator for Afghanistan, a statement that apparently contradicts the State Department.
The United States on Monday recognized the results of a controversial election in Honduras but said the vote was only a partial step toward restoring democracy.
At the climate front- the announcement last week that Obama is pushing back his appearance at the Copenhagen summit to its final weekend, the critical negotiating period, signals a willingness to pour significant political capital into his climate agenda – and has raised expectations that the White House will reach agreements both internationally and at home.
In Canada opposition Liberal Party, softening its position on toppling the minority Conservative government, is to side with the Conservatives next week on a key financial vote and thus avert an election.

LATIN AMERICA
Honduras' Congress ended hopes of reversing a coup that has isolated the Latin American nation, voting against reinstating ousted President Manuel Zelaya despite intense international pressure to do so. The deposed leftist president said last week that democracy in the country was "dead" after lawmakers voted to block his return to power.
Meanwhile the Union of South American Nations, in which Brazil is the leading member, announced that it will not recognize Honduran presidential election organized by the de-facto regime. President Barack Obama's government suspended development aid and anti-narcotic cooperation with Honduras over the coup. But U.S. diplomats say Hondurans have the right to choose their next leader in regular elections that were scheduled well before President Manuel Zelaya's ouster.
In Nicaragua lawmakers are refusing to recognize a Supreme Court decision that would allow Ortega to run again in 2011 by overturning bans on consecutive re-election and serving more than two terms.
Meanwhile Cuba hit back last week at 60 prominent U.S. black leaders who challenged its race record, with a signed statement from island writers, artists and official journalists calling the criticism an attack on their country's national identity.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on has said his government may target more banks for state intervention, sparking investor jitters. Meanwhile Colombia accused Venezuelan troops of blowing up another makeshift bridge across their frontier. The holding of a Colombian soldier who crossed the border is also the latest incident to test fraying ties.
The U.S. ambassador to Mexico said last week that programs to provide more than $1.1 billion in equipment and training to help Mexico fight organized crime are on track.

AUSTRALASIA
Australia's plans for an emissions trading system to combat global warming were scuttled last week in Parliament, handing a defeat to a government that had hoped to set an example at international climate change talks next week.

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