Welcome to our new European Council President .... Herman Van Rompuy :D
President Christofias was part of the unanimous appointment:
Statement by the President of the Republic yesterday in Brussels on the Informal European Council
20/11/2009
“I participated today at the Informal European Council, during which we reached a unanimous agreement on the appointment of Herman Van Rompuy to the post of President of the European Council, of Catherine Ashton to the post of EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy and of Pierre de Boissieu to the post of Secretary General of the Council of the European Union. This agreement will be made official on the day that the Treaty of Lisbon takes effect.
I would like to express my congratulations to Mrs Ashton and to Messrs van Rompuy and de Boissieu and to note that we look forward to a close and constructive cooperation.
With this decision, the EU is now ready to undertake action based on the Treaty of Lisbon which, as you know, will come into effect on 1st December. We hope that with its implementation, the EU will become more effective and powerful so that it can play a more active role in international relations and promote the principles and values on which it is based.
We also hope and we will work so that this course will lead to a Europe with greater cohesion and a more social face; a Europe that will be closer to its citizens, will be more democratic, will be fairer and will be a factor of progress, welfare and stability. We also expect that it will be able to decisively contribute in the solution of problems and the consolidation of peace and security, with full respect for and in cooperation with the wider international community”.
Source: isria.com
What the new President of the EC has said about Turkey in the past ...
President Van Rompuy shares similar views to German Chancellor Merkel and French President Sarkozy ... opposing Turkey joining the EU.
President Van Rompuy has famously said:
"Turkey is not a part of Europe and will never be part of Europe. An expansion of the EU to include Turkey cannot be considered as just another expansion as in the past..."
"The universal values which are in force in Europe, and which are fundamental values of Christianity, will lose vigour with the entry of a large Islamic country such as Turkey."
This is the President who will set into motion the complete expulsion of Turkey from EU territory ...