The United Arab Emirates on Monday accused the European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell of making “racist” remarks last week and summoned the boss of the EU delegation to the UAE.
The UAE foreign ministry condemned Borrell’s controversial remarks, in which he compared Europe to a garden and the rest of the world to a jungle, saying they were “inappropriate and discriminatory” and “contribute to a worsening climate of intolerance and discrimination worldwide.”
It asked for a written explanation of Borrell’s comments and summoned Emil Paulsen, acting head of mission at the EU delegation to the UAE.
In a controversial speech addressing future diplomats at the opening of the European Diplomatic Academy in Bruges last week, Borrell said: “Yes, Europe is a garden, we have built a garden. Everything works,” citing the Continent’s political freedom, economic prosperity and social cohesion.
He then continued: “Most of the rest of the world is a jungle, and the jungle could invade the garden,” arguing that instead of building a wall, diplomats have to “go to the jungle.”
The remarks sparked criticism from politicians across the world, with Canada’s United Nations Ambassador Bob Rae calling it a “terrible analogy,” adding “surely history and our own lived experience teach us that no part of the world is free from violence.”
Borrell on Monday denied his message was racist or colonialist, saying that he intended to reject the idea of “fortress Europe” and to encourage students to engage with the world.
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