Rompuy chosen as EU president, Ashton as foreign policy chief

·Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy was elected as EU's first full-time president. ·Britain's EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton was chosen as foreign policy chief. ·The two new top posts are regulated by the Lisbon Treaty.

    BRUSSELS, Nov. 19, 2009, (Xinhua) --

Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy Thursday was unanimously elected as the first full-time president of the European Union and Britain's EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton as foreign policy chief of the 27-nation bloc.

    Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, announced the appointment at a press conference held after a working dinner of leaders of the 27 member states.

    "Today, we decided the people who will lead Europe to the future," said Reinfeldt, with Van Rompuy, Ashton and President of European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso sitting beside him.

    At the press conference, Van Rompuy said that the appointment "marks a recognition of my country as a founding member of the EU," adding he will assume his duty as EU's first permanent president on January 1, 2010.

    "Even if it is particularly hard to abandon the post I hold in my country, I have accepted the decision," said the low-profile politician who became Belgian Prime Minister in December 2008.

    Ashton termed herself as a good negotiator, citing merits of striking a trade agreement with South Korea and settling decade-long trade disputes with the U.S.

    "Judge me by what I do, you will feel proud of me," said Ashton at the same occasion, adding that "I now turn to European Parliament to hopefully endorse what has been put forward by the Council."

    The two new top posts are regulated by the Lisbon Treaty, which is due to come into force on December 1, 2009. The role of the EU president is to chair the EU's summit, while the foreign policy supremo is to head the EU's foreign policy arm.

    The foreign policy chief -- who is also to be a member of the executive European Commission -- needs approval from European Commission President Barroso and the European Parliament.

    "The Kissinger issue is now solved," said Barroso, referring to the question put forward by U.S. former secretary of state Henry Kissinger. Kissinger said earlier, "Who do I call when I want to speak to Europe? "

    Barroso said that U.S. President Barack Obama could call Ashtonnow because she would be in charge of European foreign affairs.

Medvedev pins hopes on new EU president to boost ties

22:5320/11/2009

MOSCOW, November 20, 2009 (RIA Novosti) -

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev expressed hope on Friday that the appointment of Herman Van Rompuy as European Council President could boost Russia-EU ties.

Medvedev sent on Friday a message of congratulations to Van Rompuy and the EU's new foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, according to a Kremlin spokesman.

"I hope your activity on this job will help boost cooperation between Russia and the European Union," Medvedev said.

The Russian leader attended on Wednesday the EU-Russia summit in Stockholm, where agreement was reached on key issues of energy cooperation and security. However, the summit produced no breakthrough in signing a new comprehensive partnership pact to replace a treaty that expired last year.

"The EU-Russia summit in Stockholm showed that as natural partners and closest neighbors we can solve all current problems constructively. A new important step has been taken towards building a truly equal strategic partnership for the benefit of peoples of Greater Europe," Medvedev said.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso called the talks "one of the best meetings we have had."

Van Rompuy, Belgium's prime minister, was elected president of the European Council by the 27-nation bloc's leaders at a meeting on Thursday evening, while Britain's Baroness Catherine Ashton was elected foreign policy supremo.

Key facts about EU's new president

    Brussels, Nov. 19, 2009 (Xinhua) --

Belgium Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy was chosen as EU's first full-time president at a special summit Thursday night in Brussels.

    Born in October 1947 in Brussels, Van Rompuy was educated at the Jesuit Sint-Jan Berchmans College in central Brussels, then studied philosophy and economics at the Catholic University of Leuven.

    Before entering politics, Van Rompuy worked at the Belgian central bank from 1972 to 1975. He served as deputy prime minister and minister of budget from 1993 to 1999. He won high reputation for his work on dramatically driving down the country's pubic debt.

    After his party's defeat in the 1999 Belgian general election, he became a member of the Chamber of Representatives. In 2004, he was designated Minister of State. As a senior member of the Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V, previously called CVP), Van Rompuy was elected as the president of the Chamber of Representatives in July 2007. In December 2008, he was appointed prime minister of Belgium, succeeding Yves Leterme.

    Since taking office last year, the prime minister has showed great skills in resolving conflicts and brought political stability to the linguistically divided country.

Editor: Yan

Key facts about EU new foreign chief

    BRUSSELS, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) --

EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton from Britain was chosen as EU foreign chief at a special summit held in Brussels Thursday night.

    Ashton was born on March 20, 1956 in Upholland in Lancashire, from where she takes her title, Baroness Ashton of Upholland.

    From 1983-89 she was Director of Business in the Community, and established the Employers' Forum on Disability, Opportunity Now, and the Windsor Fellowship.

    She chaired the Health Authority in Hertfordshire from 1998 to 2001, and became a Vice President of the National Council for One Parent Families.

    In 1999, she became a life peer. She was made Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Education and Skills in 2001, and then Parliamentary Under-Secretary in the Department for Constitutional Affairs and subsequently Ministry of Justice with responsibilities for human rights, freedom of information and equalities. She became a Privy Councilor in May 2006.

    She was appointed Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council in Gordon Brown's first Cabinet in June 2007. As well as Leader of the Lords, she took responsibility in the House of Lords for equalities issues.

    In October, 2008, she was nominated to replace Peter Mandelson as the Britain's European Commissioner in Brussels, and was approved by the European Parliament.

Editor: Yan