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14 March 2007
BRUSSELS – Defence Minister André Flahaut admits that he “made a mistake” by chartering a helicopter to attend Al Gore’s film on climate change, La Libre Belgique reports.
The minister stated that “an error may have been made.” “But I acted out of practical considerations,” he added.
Flahaut also said that it was “premature” to consider giving Joseph Kabila the title of honorary doctor. “We talked about the matter with Guy Verhofstadt and we knew there would be a negative reaction from the opposition,” he said.
Flahaut thought that “the path that Congo had taken since 2003 deserved recognition.”
La Libre Belgique published on Tuesday the report of a meeting of the administration of the Royal Military Academy. The report shows clearly that it was Flahaut himself who asked that the Congolese president be awarded an honorary doctorate. When the minister came under fire about the decision he claimed repeatedly that this decision was made by the academy’s administration.
[Copyright Expatica News 2007]
Subject: Belgian news