Post by Bozur on Feb 27, 2005 4:03:05 GMT -5
EU hopes pinned on preparing Palestinians for own state
(AFP)
27 February 2005
BRUSSELS - The European Union hopes that a conference on Palestinian reform and talks by the so-called Middle East quartet in London on Tuesday will help pave the way for the creation of a Palestinian state.
The European Union, along with Russia, the United Nations and the United States make up the quartet, which aims to “give momentum to the peace process”, just as the region is seeing important developments, said Cristina Gallach, spokeswoman for the EU’s foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
“There is a real opportunity for peace”, despite Friday’s suicide attack in Tel Aviv, which killed four Israelis, she added.
Tasked with advancing the peace process, the quartet sponsors the roadmap peace plan which targets the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.
However, it has made little progress since it was launched in June 2003.
The quartet is due to meet Tuesday afternoon on the margins of a day-long international conference on Palestinian reform, chaired by British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Since the November death of the Palestinian Authority’s historic and symbolic figurehead, Yasser Arafat, there has been a renewed international push to bring peace to the troubled region.
Two developments make the bid all the more urgent—Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s plan to pull out Jewish residents from the Gaza Strip in the summer and Palestinian local and legislative elections, scheduled before July.
US President George W. Bush, meanwhile, has shown a desire for the US to get strongly involved in the Middle East peace effort during his second term in office.
Both the US and Europeans made it known loud and clear during Bush’s visit to Brussels last week that they wanted to work together on resolving the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
While the Europeans have welcomed the US’ commitment to peace efforts, the US is mindful of the fact that the 25-strong European Union is the Palestinians’ main financial backer.
The bloc donates about 250 million euros (330 million dollars) a year.
The quartet meeting in London will not produce any new initiatives but rather will underscore what its members believe to be crucial for progress towards peace, Gallach said.
“The Palestinian Authority must consolidate, it has to be helped to structure itself, it has to be helped economically, financially as well as in the security aspect,” she said.
“And it’s necessary for this Palestinian Authority to have dialogue with the Israelis,” she added.
The quartet insists that the Israeli pullout from Gaza should be part of a global resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
For the Europeans, Palestinian structures must be reformed so they evolve from their current pre-state stage to that of genuine state structures, a diplomatic source said.
On politics, the Palestinians organised well their January presidential election, which saw Mahmud Abbas elected leader, Gallach said.
And in the economic and financial fields, Palestinian finance minister Salam Fayad is conducting “quite efficient modernisation work”, she added.
But it is the issue of security that is proving the “weakest” and which worries the Europeans, she said.
The EU is giving a helping hand in training a Palestinian police force, initially by helping give Palestinians confidence in the law and their police in combatting criminal activity.
And the EU also plans to provide vehicles and other equipment to make the Palestinian police force more operational.
(AFP)
27 February 2005
BRUSSELS - The European Union hopes that a conference on Palestinian reform and talks by the so-called Middle East quartet in London on Tuesday will help pave the way for the creation of a Palestinian state.
The European Union, along with Russia, the United Nations and the United States make up the quartet, which aims to “give momentum to the peace process”, just as the region is seeing important developments, said Cristina Gallach, spokeswoman for the EU’s foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
“There is a real opportunity for peace”, despite Friday’s suicide attack in Tel Aviv, which killed four Israelis, she added.
Tasked with advancing the peace process, the quartet sponsors the roadmap peace plan which targets the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.
However, it has made little progress since it was launched in June 2003.
The quartet is due to meet Tuesday afternoon on the margins of a day-long international conference on Palestinian reform, chaired by British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Since the November death of the Palestinian Authority’s historic and symbolic figurehead, Yasser Arafat, there has been a renewed international push to bring peace to the troubled region.
Two developments make the bid all the more urgent—Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s plan to pull out Jewish residents from the Gaza Strip in the summer and Palestinian local and legislative elections, scheduled before July.
US President George W. Bush, meanwhile, has shown a desire for the US to get strongly involved in the Middle East peace effort during his second term in office.
Both the US and Europeans made it known loud and clear during Bush’s visit to Brussels last week that they wanted to work together on resolving the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
While the Europeans have welcomed the US’ commitment to peace efforts, the US is mindful of the fact that the 25-strong European Union is the Palestinians’ main financial backer.
The bloc donates about 250 million euros (330 million dollars) a year.
The quartet meeting in London will not produce any new initiatives but rather will underscore what its members believe to be crucial for progress towards peace, Gallach said.
“The Palestinian Authority must consolidate, it has to be helped to structure itself, it has to be helped economically, financially as well as in the security aspect,” she said.
“And it’s necessary for this Palestinian Authority to have dialogue with the Israelis,” she added.
The quartet insists that the Israeli pullout from Gaza should be part of a global resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
For the Europeans, Palestinian structures must be reformed so they evolve from their current pre-state stage to that of genuine state structures, a diplomatic source said.
On politics, the Palestinians organised well their January presidential election, which saw Mahmud Abbas elected leader, Gallach said.
And in the economic and financial fields, Palestinian finance minister Salam Fayad is conducting “quite efficient modernisation work”, she added.
But it is the issue of security that is proving the “weakest” and which worries the Europeans, she said.
The EU is giving a helping hand in training a Palestinian police force, initially by helping give Palestinians confidence in the law and their police in combatting criminal activity.
And the EU also plans to provide vehicles and other equipment to make the Palestinian police force more operational.