Brussels, Nov 20 (EuAsiaNews): European Union leaders have agreed to appoint Herman Van Rompuy, the current Belgian Prime Minister as the European Union's first president and Catherine Ashton, the current EU trade commissioner from the UK, as its first-ever foreign policy chief.
The appointments were announced following a short EU summit in Brussels Thursday night.
The new posts were created by the Lisbon Treaty, which comes into force on December 1.
The post of the foreign minister, officially called High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy , is meant to help give the EU a higher profile abroad and to make its foreign policy more coherent.
Catherine Margaret Ashton was born 20 March 1956. She is a British Labour politician who is currently serving as the EU Trade Commissioner.
She is the first woman to take such a senior post in the European Union.
"I was the first woman British Commissioner, the first woman Trade Commissioner, so I am also proud to be the first woman High Representative of Europe. But I take those responsibilities forward and very seriously, " she told reporters after her appointment was announced.
On his part, Van Rompuy, 62, told reporters that "though I find it especially difficult to relinquish the direction of my country, I accept your decision and would like to thank you for this honour. I take it as a mark of recognition towards Belgium."
He will take up his new job from 1 January 2010 for a two-and-a-half year term which is renewable once.
The High Representative must commence her work as soon as the Lisbon Treaty comes into force, which will be on 1 December this year. She will also be Vice-President of the European Commission and have a portfolio similar to that of a foreign minister.
Posted on 20 Nov 2009 by
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