Obama y Hollande revisan las raíces de la amistad franco-estadounidense Obama and Hollande review the roots of Franco-American friendship

Obama y Hollande revisan las raíces de la amistad franco-estadounidense

 

Washington (AFP)

 

Barack Obama y François Hollande efectuarán este lunes un peregrinaje a las fuentes de la amistad entre Washington y París, en el primero de los tres días de una visita de Estado del mandatario francés a EEUU.

 

Vuelo en el Air Force One, honores militares y cenas fastuosas: EEUU agasajará a Hollande en la primera visita en su primera etapa a Washington y en la primera de este género por parte de un jefe de Estado en 18 años, en la que Hollande viajará solo, tras su reciente separación de Valérie Trierweiler.

 

Antes de una jornada protocolaria el martes en la Casa Blanca, Obama y Hollande viajarán a la zona de Monticello, tierras del tercer presidente estadounidense, Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809), una referencia histórica para ambos países.

 

Esta escapada permitirá a ambos mandatarios encontrarse en un ambiente más informal para "charlar de las relaciones (franco-estadounidenses) en un entorno que evoca su historia y de las posibilidades que detentan", explicó un responsable del Gobierno de Obama a la AFP.

 

En el ámbito económico, Hollande cenará este lunes en la casa de Francia con la directora general del Fondo Monetario Internacional.

 

El martes, la jornada será mucho más solemne, con himnos nacionales, cañonazos y una entrevista en el Despacho Oval antes de una rueda de prensa en la que se tratarán seguramente cuestiones internacionales ( Irán, Ucrania, Sáhara y Libia) y económicas.

 

Tras una comida oficial con el secretario de Estado estadounidense, John Kerry, y un homenaje a los militares del país, Hollande será el martes por la noche el invitado de honor de una cena de Estado que reunirá a centenares de invitados selectamente escogidos por la Casa Blanca y donde será obligatorio el esmoquin y la etiqueta.

 

La visita concluirá el miércoles con una escala en San Francisco, región que alberga empresas punteras en materia informática.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 10 lunes febrero 2014 la Roman)

 

Obama and Hollande review the roots of Franco-American friendship

 

Washington (AFP)

 

François Hollande and Barack Obama on Monday made ​​a pilgrimage to the sources of the friendship between Washington and Paris in the first of three days of a state visit by French president to the United States.

 

Flight on Air Force One, military honors and lavish dinners : USA regale Hollande in the first visit in the first stage to Washington and the first of its kind by a head of state in 18 years, in which Hollande travel only, after his recent separation Valérie Trierweiler.

 

Before a protocol day on Tuesday at the White House, Obama and Hollande will travel to the Monticello, land of the third U.S. President Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809), a historical reference to both countries.

 

This package will enable the two leaders meet in a more informal setting for "chat relations (Franco-American) in a setting that evokes the history and the possibilities they hold," the Obama government official told AFP.

 

On the economic front, Hollande dine Monday in the House of France with the general director of the International Monetary Fund.

 

On Tuesday, the day will be much more solemn, national hymns, gunfire and an interview in the Oval Office before a press conference on international economic issues that will surely (Iran, Ukraine, Sahara, Libya) and treated.

 

After an official dinner with Secretary of State, John Kerry, and a tribute to the country's military, Hollande will be Tuesday night the guest of honor at a state dinner bringing together hundreds of guests selectamente chosen by the House white tuxedo and where the label is mandatory.

 

The visit will conclude on Wednesday with a stop in San Francisco, region harboring leading companies in IT field.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 10 Monday February 2014 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 10 Monday February 2014 The Roman)

 

First Sochi medals up for grabs after opening ceremony

First Sochi medals up for grabs after opening ceremony

 

[caption id="attachment_12087" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Norway's biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, seen during a training session at the Laura Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon Centre in Rosa Khutor, near Sochi, on 5 Wednesday February 2014 The Roman (AFP/File, Kirill Kudryavtsev))[/caption]

 

By Stuart Williams (AFP)

 

Sochi — Olympic athletes were on Saturday competing for the first medals of the Sochi Winter Games after Russia staged a thrilling opening ceremony that impressed even foreign sceptics.

 

President Vladimir Putin late Friday declared open the 22nd Winter Olympics in a ceremony that took 40,000 people in the Fisht Stadium and TV viewers around the world on a lightning tour through Russian history.

 

Thousands of fireworks exploded above the venue on the Black Sea coast in the ceremony.

 

"We missed this for so many years... a pride for our country, a feeling for her power, unity and greatness. Yesterday, we felt it," the Moskovsky Komsomolets daily said.

 

Five gold medals are up for grabs.

 

The first gold will likely come in the women's cross-country skiathlon, while Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, 40, will become the joint highest medal winner in Winter Olympics history if he makes the podium in the sprint.

 

Women will seek gold in the spectacular moguls freestyle event, the men's snowboard slopestyle will be decided after a succession of spectacular crashes while the endurance kings of speed skating will face off in the lung-busting men's 5,000 metres.

 

The high-octane ceremony, devised by the powerful boss of Russia's Channel One television Konstantin Ernst, got off to a rocky start when one of five illuminated artificial snowflakes that were supposed to morph into the Olympic rings failed to open, leaving just four rings.

 

But organisers brushed off the mishap, admitting that they covered up the glitch on Russian state television by quickly inserting footage of the segment they had recorded days earlier.

 

"There is a saying that you have to kick out the uneven part of a perfectly polished ball to understand how perfect it is," he said.

 

The Russian team won huge cheers as they entered to the song "Nas Ne Dogonyat" ("Not Gonna Get Us") by female pop duo Tatu.

 

In towards Russia's proud sporting past, the Olympic cauldron was lit by two triple gold-winning Soviet winter sports icons -- figure skater Irina Rodnina and ice hockey legend Vladislav Tretyak.

 

The flame had been brought into the stadium by US-based Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova and the final relay included Olympic rhythmic gymnastics champion Alina Kabayeva.

 

Even the foreign press, which have been hugely critical of Russia in the days up to the Games, heaped praised on the ceremony.

 

"For Russia last night it marked its revival as a post-Soviet powerhouse, confident of its seat at the top table after two decades of doubt and despondency," Britain's Daily Mail wrote.

 

'Keep politics out of Olympics'

 

But IOC President Thomas Bach made an impassioned call for politics to stay out of sport, saying "have the courage to address your disagreements in political dialogue and not on the back of your athletes".

 

The security concerns that have shadowed these Games were underlined when a Ukrainian man attempted to hijack an airliner en route from Ukraine to Turkey and divert it to Sochi.

 

But Turkish military jets forced the plane to land in Istanbul, where security teams overpowered the man, said to be drunk.

 

The United States has already announced a temporary ban on liquids and gels in hand luggage on Russia-bound flights, following a warning that militants could stuff explosives into toothpaste.

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France -Presse, 8 Saturday February 2014 The Roman)

 

 

 

US mulls sanctions against Ukraine

US mulls sanctions against Ukraine

 

White House "appalled" by Ukrainian government's crackdown on massive protests at Kiev's Independence Square.

 

The United States may impose sanctions against Ukraine if security forces intensify a crackdown on anti-government demonstrators in the capital's Independence Square.

 

US lawmakers said on Wednesday they were considering legislation to deny visas to Ukrainian officials or to freeze their American assets if violence escalates at the central protest camp.

 

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the US was "appalled" at how the government has handled the political crisis.

 

"The Ukrainian government's response to peaceful protests over the last two weeks has been completely unacceptable... The right to peaceful protest and assembly must be respected," Earnest said.

 

Kiev has been gripped by weeks of demonstrations by hundreds of thousands of people against President Viktor Yanukovich's decision to reject a European Union trade pact and steer Ukraine closer to Russia.

 

“

If he continues to use bulldozers and batons to break up peaceful demonstrations, there could be consequences.

Chris Murphy, Democratic Senator

“

 

Several dozen people were injured in the early hours of Wednesday when riot police and Interior Ministry special forces moved against the demonstrators' last stronghold in Independence Square.

 

Security forces initially tore down makeshift barricades but were eventually forced to retreat amid cheers from the demonstrators, whose ranks swelled through the night.

 

US Senate and House of Representatives aides cited discussions at the staff level about Congress responding to the unrest in Ukraine with legislation along the lines of the Magnitsky Act, which bars Russian officials believed to be involved in human-rights abuses from entering the United States.

 

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, who chairs the Senate's Europe subcommittee, said lawmakers would be closely monitoring Yanukovich's conduct in the days ahead.

 

"If he continues to use bulldozers and batons to break up peaceful demonstrations, there could be consequences, real consequences, from the Congress," Murphy said.

 

The US State Department said it was considering all options, including sanctions.

 

Talks rejected

 

Ukraine's police have been criticised by the West for heavy-handedness in dealing with protests even before the latest crackdown, with dozens of demonstrators injured in clashes last week.

 

Yanukovich has vowed that the authorities would never use force against peaceful protests, and urged the opposition to sit down for talks.

 

"For the sake of achieving compromise I am calling on the opposition not to reject [talks], not to follow the path of confrontation and ultimatums," Yanukovich said in a statement on Wednesday.

 

But the opposition, which earlier ruled out any negotiations until he dismissed the government and punished riot police for crushing a smaller protest on November 30, vowed to do everything to topple the president.

 

"With what happened last night, Yanukovich closed off the path to any kind of compromise," opposition leader Vitaly Klitschko told a news conference, adding they "had planned to have talks with Yanukovich. We understand that Yanukovich has no wish to talk to the people and only understands physical force, which he uses against the protesters."

 

An estimated 5,000 pro-EU demonstrators were camping out in Independence Square on Wednesday night, reinforcing barricades with snow and sand bags.

 

(Source: Al Jazeera and agencies)

 

(Al Jazeera, 12 Thursday December 2013 The Roman)

 

 

Grigol Vashadze: After that, the greatest threat is not against Ukraine, but against Georgia.

Grigol Vashadze: After that, the greatest threat is not against Ukraine, but against Georgia.

 

Tbilisi 20:46 - 22.11.13 «GHN»

 

GHN had the interview with the former minister of foreign affairs of Georgia_ Mr.Grigol Vashadze on the situation in Ukraine about signing the Association Agreement with EU and the possible threats for Georgia.

 

[caption id="attachment_10648" align="alignnone" width="320"] (Photo Georgia News Agency)[/caption]

 

-Mr. Grigol, it is clear, that the political leadership of Ukraine is under the heaviest pressure. After German Chancellor, Angela Merkel declared and addressed Russia to refrain from pressuring against Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova the situation became more complicated. How do you see the existing situation and can we consider Ukraine's refusal as Putin's victory and the failure of EU neighborhood policy?

 

-I can say clearly, that the decision of Ukraine about the termination or suspension of the signing process of the Agreement, I do not know what kind of formulation it has, is the defeat of EU neighborhood policy. This decision made by Ukraine government would threat the future of future generation and country's future development in general. Of course, it can be considered as the victory of Russia, because it is absolutely unacceptable for Russia not only NATO, but the enlargement of European Union as well. I do not like this word, but, enlargement of EU towards the post-Soviet direction. Russia has reached its aim.

 

I would also like to say, that in this situation both sides - Ukraine and the European Union have revealed extremely rigid and politically unprepared positions.

 

-If everything goes OK - I mean, initial and following procedures, it's very much probable that we would find ourselves in the position Ukraine is today It's obvious that the next year Russia will make pressure on Georgia...

 

Russia has successfully resolved its foreign policy objectives with respect to Ukraine. Let's recall that the current administration of Ukraine from the very beginning declared the decision that Ukraine would never join any military or political blocs and organizations.

 

Thus, Russia removed the threat of NATO expansion to Ukraine. And now, by refusal of Ukraine Russia has removed another its "danger" - expansion of EU - I mean, expansion of the European family based on democratic values towards Ukraine, the family, to whom Ukraine belongs by its history, culture and genetically.

 

After that, the greatest threat is not against Ukraine any more, but against Georgia. For Russia which successfully solved the most urgent task regarding Ukraine - suspension the expansion of NATO and the European Union, the next task will be Georgia, of course. From the Vilnius Summit, to the moment when Georgia and EU should sign extremely important documents - Association Agreement and very deep and comprehensive Free Trade Agreement - there is very realistic danger for us to become the victims of a series of political intrigues and provocations from Russia.

 

And I have to say- as unpleasant may be this inflexibility- the European Union, warned us by the President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė that selective justice for European Union is unacceptable. Our political government, the political elite, should understand that, these are not just the words. As in Ukraine the fate of one person had put under the question mark the region's most important expansion of the two organizations, the same could take place in Georgia as well - to put under the question mark the signing of this document.

 

- Whether there is likelihood, that EU, taking into consideration this situation, can take an extraordinary step and sign the Association Agreement with Georgia and Moldova in Vilnius Summit and by that, in fact, prevents Russia's future behavior towards these countries?

 

- No. Let's explain once again- European Union and Brussels have declared their position. They say, for all these to happen you need more to do and achieve, than we have now. You need more international legal documents, you need more democracy, human rights, the balanced government, unprejudiced court and economic perspective - rather than the European Union. That's all we bring, but we bring these with condition, that you share our values. And if Yanukovych has not done something, why should we give more to Georgia? -So, it is absolutely impossible for that to happen.

 

- What would you suggest in this situation to Georgian government?

 

- As an ordinary citizen of this country, I urge the government to take into account the fact that we are now in critical condition. No matter how much they say we are perfect and so on, we are in an extremely serious and dangerous condition. Next year, starting from the Vilnius summit to NATO summit and to the deadline of theoretical signing up,- is going to be very difficult in terms of foreign policy for Georgia. Therefore, every statement, every trip, every decision made should be seriously reviewed, studied and analyzed in the framework of international law.

 

A person who enters in "Georgian Dream", should know, that he has no right to make comments and statements about foreign policy automatically, while it has not been agreed with professionals. Otherwise we will come over even more disastrous results.

 

GHN, Gocha Mirtskhulava

 

(Georgia News Agency, 22 Friday November 2013 The Roman)