On Friday, as the World Leaders Forum neared its final days, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark spoke about the economic and environmental challenges of global climate change while President Danilo Türk of Slovenia talked about cooperation between the European Union and the United States.
Rasmussen, prime minister of Denmark since 2001, addressed a packed crowd in Low Library. Recognizing the challenge of global climate change, Rasmussen called for an economy that creates less carbon emissions, achieved through a new global climate agreement. But he emphasized that solutions to environmental and economic problems are not mutually exclusive.
“There is no doubt that the basis for future growth in jobs and wealth lies within the growing global market for green technology,” Rasmussen said.
He affirmed America’s importance in that scheme.
“American businesses have a genius for solving problems and inventing new and better ways to reach their goals,” Rasmussen said. “We need the United States to be part of a market-oriented, cost-efficient system to reduce emissions and spur the development of new technologies.”
He called on all nations to forge a new global climate accord at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.
Stephen Chan, CC ’12, praised Rasmussen’s ideas.
“He was a very intelligent man with a very bold vision that holds lots of promise for the future, seeing as he’ll be the host of the 2009 Copenhagen Conference,” Chan said. “So the prospect of a global, green economy is all the more promising.”
Later on Friday, Slovenian President Danilo Türk called for cooperation between the European Union, of which Slovenia is a member, and the U.S. The event was cosponsored by Columbia and the Harriman Institute of Russian, Eurasian, and Eastern European Studies.
Türk cited the current conflict between Russia and Georgia as evidence that power relationships can spark military action, as during the Cold War.
“Strategic stability is a little bit like air,” Türk said. “When you have it you don’t feel it, but when it starts to disappear you realize quickly that there is a problem.”
Türk voiced opposition to the extension of NATO membership to Georgia, citing concern for the organization’s cohesiveness. Instead, he advocated Georgia’s integration into the European Union.
Encouraging global unity on global warming and economic development, Türk said the EU, whose members “often speak for themselves” and not for the union as a whole, must achieve greater coherence.
In addition to increased cooperation within the EU, Türk called for “stronger partnerships” between the EU and the United States on human rights issues.
Students were impressed with Türk’s knowledge of international affairs and the economic and political actors in Eastern Europe, but some expressed disappointment at what they felt was a cursory evaluation of Slovenian domestic politics.
Kate Marple-Cantrell, CC ’09, said she expected Türk’s remarks to center on the European Union and was happy to hear Slovenia’s perspective on Kosovo’s independence, but he had hoped to hear more about internal policy, specifically Slovenia’s approach to “queer rights issues.”
After his speech, Türk characterized the issue of queer rights in Slovenia as a work in progress. “We have laws which protect the rights of ... single-sex couples who are made equal with marriages in many respects,” he told Spectator.
Türk said such issues are not widely discussed in Slovenia and stressed that further equalization is possible, but “not anytime soon.”
news@columbiaspectator.com
COMMENTS
Comments will be moderated in accordance with our comment policy