The EU's new top diplomat Catherine Ashton has only been in office for 100 days, but she is already running into stiff criticism. Her detractors claim she doesn't have enough dedication, stature or independence. But the EU's leaders chose her precisely because she lacked those qualities. It was a week in which she was finally hoping to do everything right, for a change. She met with the new president of Ukraine on Monday and flew to Haiti the next day to visit earthquake victims. She had hardly recovered from jetlag after returning from the Caribbean before jetting to the Spanish city of Cordoba for a meeting of EU foreign ministers. And what did Catherine Ashton, 53, the EU's chief diplomat, come home to at the end of this busy week? More grumbling.
It was a week in which she was finally hoping to do everything right, for a change. She met with the new president of Ukraine on Monday and flew to Haiti the next day to visit earthquake victims. She had hardly recovered from jetlag after returning from the Caribbean before jetting to the Spanish city of Cordoba for a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
And what did Catherine Ashton, 53, the EU's chief diplomat, come home to at the end of this busy week? More grumbling.
Trip could run into opposition from Israeli government Catherine Ashton, the European Union's foreign policy chief, wants to visit the Gaza strip during a trip to the Middle East later this month, a move which could run into opposition from the Israeli government. "I have asked to go to Gaza," she told reporters on Saturday during an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Cordoba (Spain) at which the ministers discussed the Middle East. "We are providing a huge amount of aid into Gaza and I'm very interested to make sure that we are seeing the benefits of that aid going in," Ashton said. On Monday, a spokesperson said that the precise arrangements for Ashton's visit remained to be agreed and that there was no schedule yet. Her visit to the Middle East is to begin on 17 March.
Catherine Ashton, the European Union's foreign policy chief, wants to visit the Gaza strip during a trip to the Middle East later this month, a move which could run into opposition from the Israeli government. "I have asked to go to Gaza," she told reporters on Saturday during an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Cordoba (Spain) at which the ministers discussed the Middle East. "We are providing a huge amount of aid into Gaza and I'm very interested to make sure that we are seeing the benefits of that aid going in," Ashton said.
On Monday, a spokesperson said that the precise arrangements for Ashton's visit remained to be agreed and that there was no schedule yet. Her visit to the Middle East is to begin on 17 March.
