EU Presidency statement on the unrest in Thailand
The Presidency of the European Union expresses its regrets that the Government of Thailand had to postpone the ASEAN Summit in Pattaya due to political protests that threatened to disrupt the meeting.
It expresses the hope that the functioning of ASEAN, an increasingly important partner for the EU, will not suffer from this event, and looks forward to further cooperation between our organizations.
The Presidency notes with great concern the ongoing violent disturbances in Thailand, including attacks on ministries, which led the Government to declare the state of emergency. The Presidency strongly calls on the protesters to refrain from further violent action in the street, which can only deepen the tensions and risk to increase the harm to the stability and the reputation of their country. The Presidency hopes that the political divide will be solved through dialogue and by democratic, parliamentary means, within the framework of the Constitution.
The Presidency recalls that the Thai Government has a responsibility to protect both Thai citizens and foreigners, including EU citizens.
Contact:
- Zuzana Opletalová, Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Tel.: +420 224 182 052, GSM: +420 724 034 154, E-mail: press@mzv.cz
Last update: 13.4.2009 20:54
