Solana reiterates EU commitment to Mideast peace process

Javier Solana, high representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union, reiterated Tuesday the EU's commitments to the peace process between Israel and the Palestinian and reaffirmed EU's support to the Palestinian people.

At a press conference following his meeting here with Ziad Abu Amr, minister of foreign affairs of the Palestinian National Authority, Solana also stressed the importance of national unity among the Palestinians.

"Today, we talked more on the Palestinian situation, how we can help, how we can cooperate on the security situation, how we can cooperate economically," said Solana.

The two men discussed the latest developments in the Palestinian territories as well as the Arab Peace Initiative.

The initiative, first approved by the Arab League in its 2002 Beirut summit, calls for Israel's pullout from Arab land occupied in the 1967 Middle East War and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in return for the normalization of ties with Arab states.

Israel had rejected the initiative after it was first launched in 2002, but the Jewish state has recently said it could provide a basis for talks though there are amendments to the refugee issue.

Solana, who had already talked to Abu Amr on Monday during the meeting of EU and Arab League foreign ministers, promised that the talks between the EU and the Palestinian would continue as he planned to visit the Mideast in the near future.

Meanwhile, he stressed the EU's continuing "deep engagement" with the Israeli-Palestinians peace process, with the Palestinian people and with the region.

"We would like to see something happening in the foreseeable future and not to have to wait again for a long period of time until some positive news may come on the peace process," he said.

He also urged the Palestinian leaders to do everything possible to bring the security situation under control and to make every effort to secure the release of the captured Israeli soldier, Corporal Gilad Shalit, and BBC journalist Alan Johnston.

Abu Amr thanked Solana for his "persistent effort" to convene the Arab League-EU foreign ministers' meeting on Monday, which had been very successful. "I would like to also stress the role of Mr. Solana in reviving Arab-European relations and opening new horizons for Arab-European relations," he said.

Turning to the dismal security situation in Gaza, Solana said " it would clearly be very difficult to move forward politically if the situation internally among Palestinians is not guaranteed."

He said the EU did not feel that the situation could be blamed on the economy because the EU had given more aid to the Palestinian people since 2005 than in previous years.

However, he acknowledged that living conditions were very difficult for Palestinians and led to much frustration.

Abu Amr urged Israel to release the taxes they collected from Palestinians to the Palestinian National Authority. "This would alleviate the social, economic and security problems," he added.

He also called on the international community to end the political and financial siege on the Hamas-led Palestinian government and the Palestinian people.

Source: Xinhua