French President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged here on Sunday that France and the European Union (EU) will do everything possible to contribute to peace and promote mutual trust in the Middle East.
"The role of Europe and France is to contribute to peace, to economic development, to political initiatives, by providing military guarantee of security (of Israel and the Palestinians)," Sarkozy said at a press conference after hosting a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Elysee Palace.
France's President Nicolas Sarkozy (C) meets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) and Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (R) as they arrive at the Elysee Palace, July 13, 2008. He said that France supports Israel's will to restore security, and in the meantime, is committed to helping the Palestinians to have their own state.
"I'd like to repeat our friendship and our determination and our commitment that the Palestinians have their modern state, their own state, a democratic and viable state," said Sarkozy.
The French president, speaking alongside Olmert and Abbas, said France and the EU will take "every possible effort" to reinforce mutual trust between Israel and the Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Sarkozy said that as incumbent president of the European Council, he would do his utmost to "encourage relations between the EU and Israel" and "encourage the EU to invest more in the Palestinian territories."
Sarkozy, who visited Israel and the Palestinian territories last month, said he would revisit the region during the French presidency of the EU to promote peace prospects between the two sides.
He stressed French balanced approach to both sides.
Israel and the Palestinians are aimed at reaching a comprehensive peace agreement by 2009 after relaunching the peace process at a Mideast peace conference in Annapolis, the United States, last year.
Both delegations have met regularly since then, but talks have not shown much progress.
The Sarkozy-Abbas-Olmert meeting was held ahead of the Mediterranean summit to be held here Sunday afternoon, which will bring together 43 heads of state from the Mideast, north Africa and the EU member states.
Source:Xinhua
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