EC President Barroso on ERR: Europe Has Shown 'Considerable, Positive Convergence' in Ukraine Crisis
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, on a visit to Tallinn, said in an interview with Priit Kuusk, an anchorman with ETV's evening news, that the most important thing in the context of events in Ukraine is that the EU has shown unity.
Although Estonians may be dissatisfied with the community's seemingly toothless stance toward France and Germany honoring military deals with Russia after the latter's invasion of an Eastern Partnership country, Barroso emphasized: "The worst thing that could happen is that some countries are in favor of sanctions and others not. We have to have a common position.
"The sanctions are not an end in themselves. We have to have a dialogue. It is in the first interest in Ukraine and all of us in Europe."
During his visit, Barroso held a press conference with the three Baltic premiers. He also visited the e-Estonia demo center, and checked in with Arvo Pärt, who recently returned from a successful tour of the US. On his way back to Tallinn from the meeting with the famous composer, in Laulasmaa west of the capital - the site of the future Pärt center - Barroso rode one of the new Swiss-made trains operated by Elron, a state rail company.
Barroso commented on the Rail Baltic project to connect Baltic capitals to other European capitals by train, telling Eesti Päevaleht daily it was "absolutely vital" for the Baltics to agree on the principles and vision of the 3.6 billion euro project.
He said the project was unique in that no other Baltic project could boast of the same pan-EU value-added.
