The European Union (EU) on Tuesday pledged joint efforts with the United States within the framework of the Mideast Quartet to push forward the Mideast peace process.
"The European Union will continue to work side by side with the United States in the Quartet in a determined effort to bring about an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict," said Javier Solana, EU high representative for the common foreign and security policy, in a statement.
Solana applauded the call by U.S. President George W. Bush for a new international conference on Mideast peace.
"I welcome the address by President Bush in which he stated the renewed commitment of the United States to a negotiated settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict on the basis of a two-state solution as the only way forward," said Solana.
The meeting, in which the Mideast Quartet (Russia, the European Union, the United States and the United Nations) could play a major role, will give substantial support to the parties in their negotiations toward a permanent settlement in the Mideast, he added.
Solana starts his three-day trip to the Mideast on Tuesday, where he will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.
Solana will fly to the Portuguese capital Lisbon on Thursday for the Mideast Quartet meeting.
Source: Xinhua
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