EU nations in disarray over Tibet stance[fr][de] 

On Tuesday (25 March), French President Nicolas Sarkozy followed European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering in saying he would not rule out a boycott of the Olympic Games' opening ceremony, due to take place in Beijing this summer.

"All options are open and I appeal to the Chinese leaders' sense of responsibility," Sarkozy said. "I want a dialogue to start and I will step up my response according to the response given by the Chinese authorities."

France did not, however, follow Great Britain and Germany, which have so far taken the boldest steps by arranging official meetings with the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual and political leader. A similar meeting is also planned in Poland, according to press reports.

Meanwhile in Brussels, the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee has invited the speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, Karma Chophel, to make a presentation today (26 March). Prior to this, from 4-5 p.m., a mini-plenary session will hear statements from Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering and Janez Lenarčič, Slovenia's State Secretary for European Affairs, representing the current holders of the rotating EU Presidency. EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner Benita-Ferrero Waldner has also been invited to take the floor.

On Tuesday, the Commission reiterated calls for both sides to show restraint but said it had not planned to meet with Chophel. "We are very concerned about the situation and the events in Tibet and also the neighbouring provinces in China," said Commission spokeswoman Christiane Hofmann at a regular press briefing. 

"Of course we deplore the loss of human lives and the fact that many more were injured."

"We are calling on all sides to use restraint and we urge especially the Chinese authorities to show restraint in their actions against those who are demonstrating."

An informal meeting of the EU's foreign ministers is scheduled to take place in Brdo, Slovenia, on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 March. The current agenda includes discussions on the Middle East, relations with Russia after the presidential elections and the situation in the Western Balkans.