LJUBLJANA: EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT ON IRAQI CRISIS

LJUBLJANA, March 24 (Hina) - European Parliament President Pat Cox on Monday congratulated Slovene MPs on the outcome of a referendum on Slovenia's joining the European Union and NATO. In his speech in parliament Cox said the Iraqi crisis negatively affected the European Union and the transatlantic alliance, but that the EU and NATO must draw a lesson from it. #L# This is not a catastrophe in our relations, but it is a step back from which the EU and NATO must draw a lesson, Cox said and expressed regret that a multilateral initiative aimed at solving the crisis by diplomatic means had failed. Cox advocated the strengthening of Europe's security, defence and foreign policy in order to increase its influence on the events and announced that the EU would as soon as this year enable countries in the process of joining the organisation to have their representatives in the status of observers. (hina) it sb