EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering expressed his indignation at the “co-ordinated series of terrorist attacks” in Mumbai, and extended his sympathy to the family of victims who had lost their lives and those who were seriously injured through these crimes “that cannot be accepted”.
EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering expressed his indignation at the “co-ordinated series of terrorist attacks” in Mumbai, and extended his sympathy to the family of victims who had lost their lives and those who were seriously injured through these crimes “that cannot be accepted”.
According to the Indian Ministry of Interior, the attack caused the death of 190 people, 22 of whom were foreign citizens, and left over 200 people injured and many in a critical situation.
Hans-Gert Pöttering said, “Today we are all Indians. Terrorism is a direct attack on freedom, human rights and democracy. Terrorism is an attempt to use blind violence to destroy our values, values which bind us in the European Union and our Member States.”
Relief for MEPs and staff who came home amongst great sadness
Noting that the EP Committee on International Trade was present in Mumbai at the time of the attacks, Mr Pöttering expressed his relief “amongst the great sadness” that all “participants of the EU delegation arrived back home safe and sound”. He welcomed home MEPs Sajjad Karim, Ignasi Guardans, Erika Mann, Syed Kamall, Bela Glatterfelder, Daniel Caspery, Jan Tadeusz Masiel and staff of the European Parliament, all of whom were in Mumbai at the time of the attacks.
Pottering also stressed that “at a time of events like this, citizens of Bombay can turn to any member of the EU State. This is the kind of solidarity that the EU is all about”.
A minute's silence for businessman killed by ETA
MEPs also observed a minute of silence in tribute to the victims of terrorism in Mumbai and Mr Ignacio Uría Mendizabal, a 70-year old business man killed by the illegal Basque separatist group ETA in Azpeita, Spain.
World AIDS Day - 1 December
EP President Pöttering also drew attention to World AIDS Day on 1 December. He stated that according to the World Health Organisation from 1999-2006, there had been 800 000 new cases in Europe. One in ten of the infections were in people under 25. President Pöttering called for better information and early treatment and underlined the importance of people having the infection not being stigmatised by society.
Change to the agenda - vote on Israel's participation in EC programmes postponed
At the request of the GUE/NGL group and supported by the Greens/EFA, Parliament voted in favour - 194 votes in favour to 173 against - of postponing the debate and vote on Israel's participation in EC programmes to a later date.
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