THE EU-LATIN AMERICA-CARIBBEAN (EULAC) SUMMIT NEXT FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WILL COVER AN ENTIRE BREADTH OF ISSUES IN THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL AREAS, AUSTRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER URSULA PLASSNIK SAID SUNDAY, ACCORDING TO DPA. THE AUSTRIAN EU COUNCIL PRESIDENCY WAS KEEN TO HAVE ISSUES RAISED INCLUDING THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY, SOCIAL COHESION, HUMAN RIGHTS, ECONOMIC RELATIONS, CULTURAL COOPERATION, AND MULTILATERAL COOPERATION IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE UNITED NATIONS. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUSTRIA PRESS AGENCY, PLASSNIK REJECTED ANY SUGGESTION THAT THE EU WAS NOT SHOWING ENOUGH INTEREST IN LATIN AMERICA. SHE POINTED OUT THAT THE UNION ITSELF HAD BEEN ENLARGED AND TAKEN ON "A NEW FORM." THE NEW EUROPE WAS "AWARE THAT IT NEEDS PARTNERS IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD." THE EU WAS THE BIGGEST DEVELOPMENT AID DONOR IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN. PLASSNIK ALSO REJECTED SUGGESTIONS OF RIVALRIES BETWEEN THE EU AND UNITED STATES IF THE EUROPEANS BECAME INVOLVED IN THE AMERICANS' "BACK YARD." --MORE 2255 Local Time 1955 GMT
