- Title: NORWAY: EU leaders meet for lunch after Nobel Peace Prize ceremony
- Date: 10th December 2012
- Summary: OSLO, NORWAY (DECEMBER 10, 2012) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) VARIOUS OF ROUND TABLE LUNCH MEETING ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER MARIO MONTI SITTING AT TABLE GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL SITTING AT TABLE FRENCH PRESIDENT FRANCOIS HOLLANDE SITTING AT TABLE VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LEAVING LUNCH/ ROMANIAN PRESIDENT TRAIAN BASESCU AND PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL HERMAN VAN ROMPUY LEAVING LUNCH (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: "To change the world from a time of war to a time of peace and perhaps our council president Herman van Rompuy put it best when he said, using an old Greek saying that it's a time of war when fathers have to bury their sons and a time of peace when sons bury their fathers. I found that very moving and it will help me overcome the many economic issues which we have to solve in Europe now." NORWEGIAN PRIME MINISTER JENS STOLTENBERG TALKING TO JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Norwegian) NORWEGIAN PRIME MINISTER, JENS STOLTENBERG, SAYING: "It was powerful and moving to see these heads of states be so thankful and happy for receiving this award. They don't think this award in itself will solve all Europe's problems but it is acknowledgement of what Europe has done to maintain its peace and a union between countries that used to be enemies and have fought many battles." FRENCH PRESIDENT FRANCOIS HOLLANDE TALKING TO JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, SAYING: "You will have noticed that those who spoke expressed recognition of the fact that France and Germany, in their history, were capable of finding one another again, of reconciliation, of reuniting one with the other. And so Angela Merkel and me, we are the inheritors of that which allowed Europe to be what it is today - a Europe of peace." DANISH PRIME MINISTER HELLE THORNING-SCHMIDT LEAVING WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER, MARIO MONTI, SAYING: "I'm very confident that the Italian elections, when they come, will give room to whatever coalition or the government will , in my view, be a highly responsible EU-orientated government, which will be in line with the huge efforts that have already pursued by Italy recently in terms of budgetary discipline, structural reforms and let me also remind the markets that the current government has not left. It's fully in charge and will be so until a new government comes up after the elections." WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 25th December 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Norway
- Country: Norway
- Topics: International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA4OH1OIXP2KUHNTEE515JX5LBG
- Story Text: European Union leaders met for a lunch hosted by Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, on Monday (December 10) shortly after attending the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony where the 55-year-old organisation was awarded for helping to transform Europe "from a continent of wars to a continent of peace" in the decades since World War Two.
During the ceremony, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande sat next to each other in the front row, occasionally smiling and chatting, as if to underline how enmities of old can be transformed into alliances.
Merkel said: "Perhaps our council president Herman van Rompuy put it best when he said, using an old Greek saying that it's a time of war when fathers have to bury their sons and a time of peace when sons bury their fathers. I found that very moving and it will help me overcome the many economic issues which we have to solve in Europe now."
Stoltenberg said the award would not solve any problems but should be seen as an acknowledgement of its success in keeping the peace.
Norway itself is not a member of the 27-member block.
"It was powerful and moving to see these heads of states be so thankful and happy for receiving this award. They don't think this award in itself will solve all Europe's problems but it is acknowledgement of what Europe has done to maintain its peace and a union between countries that used to be enemies and have fought many battles," he said.
Hollande said: "You will have notice that those who spoke expressed recognition of the fact that France and Germany, in their history, were capable of finding one another again, of reconciliation, of reuniting one with the other. And so Angela Merkel and me, we are the inheritors of that which allowed Europe to be what it is today - a Europe of peace."
After the lunch, Stoltenberg held a bilateral meeting with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti who on Saturday (December 8) announced his resignation after the 2013 budget is approved.
Monti said he wasn't currently considering whether to stand in elections early next year and that the market reaction to his plan to quit early should not be dramatised.
"I'm very confident that the Italian elections, when they come, will give room to whatever coalition or the government will be, in my view, be a highly responsible EU-orientated government, which will be in line with the huge efforts that have already pursued by Italy recently in terms of budgetary discipline, structural reforms and let me also remind the markets that the current government has not left. It's fully in charge and will be so until a new government comes up after the elections," he told a news conference.
The day will end with a banquet at the Grand Hotel in central Oslo. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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