Parade and "development"

Helsinki ASEM meeting ended. The press release of the hosting Finnish government stated that

"The Heads of State or Government adopted two declarations at the summit. The aim of the Declaration on Climate Change is to add momentum to efforts to reach agreement in international climate negotiations. It supports the objectives of the United Nations' Framework Convention on Climate Change and other measures to reduce greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere."

IS: Seems fantastic. Something very blunt and real. But I doubt wether that will be enough, in order to prevent the Climate change from happening, or the Carbon dioxide emissions from increasing. But I am happy you at least recognised the problem, PAT PAT PAT [I'm patting the heads of the Heads of State or Government]. Let's read further:

"In the other declaration, the Helsinki Declaration on the Future of ASEM, the leaders set the guidelines for future ASEM cooperation. It also contains recommendations for practical measures for the development of cooperation."

IS: "Contains RECOMMENDATIONS for practical measures for the DEVELOPMENT of COOPERATION!" Congratulations! The annual How-to-write-stuff-that-seems-important-but does-not-say-anything-but-just-crap Award has just found its home. But please, enlighten us:

"The summit agenda covered other important European and Asian affairs, too. The leaders discussed, for example, ways to prevent terrorism and organised crime and to prepare for global health risks. The meeting reconfirmed its support for the fair, UN-based international system."

IS: Blah blah blah. So good that you discussed. (Don't have time to do any harm then.) BUT, the UN will be back, won't it? Or is just that you could not support USA or NATO directly, because soem non-European representatives were present? Perhaps our minister of Foreign affairs, Erkki Tuomioja, had something (good) to do with that part of this statement. (I like that man, I must confess. See the blog of his: www.tuomioja.org. Summary in English included.)


"The leaders also discussed the state of the WTO talks. The ASEM countries underlined that the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) must be complemented and supported to allow the negotiations to resume."

IS: This is interesting. Now we just have to find out what the DDA is. This is what Wikipedia says:

"The Doha Development Round of World Trade Organization negotiations aims to lower trade barriers around the world, permitting free trade between countries of varying prosperity. Talks have been hung up over a divide between the European Union and the United States and the major developing countries (represented by the G20 developing nations), led and represented mainly, however, by the G4 bloc."

IS: BUT there could be something in here! The vastly expensive parade was not just for nothing. Please prove me right.

The press release as whole: www.valtioneuvosto.fi/ajankohtaista/tiedotteet/tiedote/en.jsp?oid=167537


Ps: The second picture is "Helsinki By Night" from our bedroom window. The TV picture is about the show stopper of tonight: PSV Eindhoven - Liverpool. (Listen. You never walk alone!)