Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), called today for political negotiations to be launched between Israelis and Palestinians, in order to reach an agreement on the basis of the "two-state solution" to the Middle East conflict. "We have been talking for a long time of the two state-solution. I think that the situation is ripe now to apply it and to launch the negotiations to achieve that dream", said Mr Solana at a joint press conference with the Palestinian President Mahmoud ABBAS. He again stressed that the European Union would keep the aid flowing to the Palestinians in Gaza.
Mr Solana was speaking during a two-day trip to the Palestinian Territories and Israel, ahead of the Quartet meeting to take place tomorrow in Lisbon in order to assess the latest developments in the region and mark the way ahead. During his visit to Ramallah, Mr SOLANA held meetings with Prime Minister Salam FAYYAD and Saeb EREKAT, Head of the Palestinian Negotiating Team.
The following is an edited summary of remarks by Mr SOLANA at a joint press conference with President ABBAS, who took the opportunity to announce his intention to call soon for new elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council. Mr SOLANA confirmed, once again, the determination of the EU "to maintain at its highest levels the EU aid flowing to the people in Gaza. We are fully committed to maintaining all the help flowing to Gaza, in particular in the current difficult circumstances", he said.
"I am very pleased to be here in Ramallah. I wanted to come to be with you at this moment. I wanted to show the support of the European Union to President ABBAS and the Government led by Prime Minister FAYYAD. I am very encouraged by the dialogue that President ABBAS and Prime Minister OLMERT are conducting and the positive developments taking place with the implementation of the agreements reached in these contacts", he said in connection with the agreement to free a large number of Palestinian prisoners and the deal on "fugitives" concluded a few days before.
"This is the best way to improve the life of all the Palestinians and the best manner to move to a political process. For a long time we have been talking about the 'two-state solution' and I sincerely think that the situation now is ripe to apply it and to launch the necessary process to achieve that dream. I sense that the current moment is of moderate optimism and I shared with the President the hope that we all perceive now", he added.
"With the President we have discussed how best the EU can assist in this process. The EU supports the initiatives proposed by President BUSH to for a conference to address the issues related to the region and we expect it can be an important contribution that moves the parties towards peace", he said, adding that the issue was going to be discussed as well in the meeting on Thursday of the Quartet principals (the EU, the US, the UN and Russia).
Mr SOLANA confirmed, once again, the determination of the EU "to maintain at its highest levels the EU aid flowing to the people in Gaza. We are fully committed to maintaining all the help flowing to Gaza, in particular in the current difficult circumstances", he said.
In response to questions, Mr SOLANA explained that in his conversations with President ABBAS, they discussed the situation at the Rafah border-crossing point and the possibility of an international deployment in the Palestinian Territories: "The position of the EU is positive, but nothing has been discussed in detail and this is an issue that will eventually have to be discussed in New York, at the UN".