Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-09-04-Speech-2-017"
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"en.20010904.2.2-017"2
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"Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, with regard to efforts made by the European Union, I would like to stress that the Belgian Presidency set itself three objectives with a view to helping resolve the crisis in the Middle East. The first is to promote a policy of impartiality, which is absolutely necessary if the European Union wishes to gain Israel’s trust. The second is to enhance the role of the European Union in the region, in particular by making optimum use of the trust which the High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, has earned since taking part in the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit and in the drafting of the Mitchell Commission report. The third is enhanced consultation between the European Union and the United States, given the key role that the Americans will be playing in resolving the Middle East issue.
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, I would like to say in conclusion that this insane cycle of killings – and there is no other way to describe it – carried out by the continuing violence and terrorism is proving with each passing day to be totally ineffectual as a way of resolving the crisis. The serious deterioration in the security situation and the complete lack of trust between the two parties probably render unlikely any prospect of seeing the protagonists putting an end to their conflict by themselves. Outside help now appears essential.
With this background, an impartial monitoring mechanism, even on a small-scale, would be in the interests of both parties as a means of ensuring full implementation of the Tenet plan and the full and immediate application of the recommendations of the Mitchell Commission, respecting its deadlines and the planned order of events.
Let us return for a moment to impartiality, whose principle and justifications are not always correctly understood. Some go so far as to claim that the European Union must henceforth align itself with the Palestinian and Arab positions. In my view, this is an aberration. First of all, we should remember that one of the difficulties is precisely due to the fact that Israel is opposed to any UN involvement in resolving this conflict, as it believes that the organisation would be biased against it, because the 22 countries of the Arab League and the 55 members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference would outnumber Israel and abuse its numerical strength. Attempts – and now it is a question of more than mere attempts – to compare Zionism with racism, as at the Durban Conference and, therefore, to transform the Israeli-Arab conflict into a racial and religious conflict, when in fact it is a political conflict requiring a political solution, will certainly not have helped matters. Fortunately, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has personally been able to win the respect and trust of Israel, with his much more measured approach.
Next, still on the subject of impartiality, how could the European Union justify its preference for one of the parties in the conflict, when it is involved in a partnership with both Israel and with the Palestinian authorities? The European Union is, in addition, working with Syria and Lebanon within the Barcelona process, one of the aims of which is precisely to establish an area of stability, peace and prosperity in the Euro-Mediterranean region.
Lastly, ladies and gentlemen, the principle of impartiality is wholly in line with the Oslo accords. These accords rule out any action that could prejudice the outcome of the final negotiations in which the parties will negotiate directly with each other for the permanent settlement of the Palestinian question.
Having mentioned the aims of the Belgian Presidency, let us now consider progress in the recent efforts made by the European Union. The European Union backed the report of the ‘fact-finding commission’, widely referred to as the Mitchell Commission, whose recommendations were published in New York on 21 May 2001 and accepted by both parties. The European Union also lent its support for the Tenet cease-fire plan that came into force on 13 June 2001 with the agreement of both parties. We are aware of our progress with regard to observing this agreement. In spite of this, the plan aims to increase security cooperation between the Israeli and Palestinian security services.
In order to fill the vacuum created by the absence of any direct dialogue, the European Union agreed upon a strategy of ensuring a presence in the region through an uninterrupted string of visits by prominent political leaders. In the run-up to the Belgian Presidency, Foreign Affairs Minister Louis Michel personally visited the six countries most directly concerned, during a six-day tour from 18 to 25 April 2001.
Since then, there has been a steady stream of foreign ministers, as well as the Prime Minister and Mr Solana, visiting the region. Most recently it was the turn of our German and Italian colleagues, and visits by the Irish Foreign Affairs Minister and Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, will soon take place. Despite having a very busy agenda, the Belgian Presidency hopes to be able to return to the region shortly, in early November, for example, if circumstances allow.
Madam President, I would have failed in my duty to acknowledge the efforts made by several institutions and key figures within the European Union if I also failed to highlight the extremely active role played by Commissioner Patten to ensure not only the financial survival of the Palestinian authorities but much more besides. Of course, he does much more than that. Clearly – and I cannot stress this enough – the European Union has hereto been the most important donor for the region and the Palestinian Authority and, without our financial assistance, without the imagination and ingeniousness that we have to use to continue to supply the authorities with adequate funding to enable it to function, the situation would be infinitely more difficult.
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, at the General Affairs Council meeting of 16 July 2001, the European Union clearly set out what it expects of the parties involved. So as to ensure that peace returns to the region, the European Union said that it was particularly in favour of the principle of establishing an impartial monitoring mechanism, considering that such a mechanism would be in the interests of both parties. This proposal was included in the brief statement made by the Heads of State on 21 July 2001, at the end of the G8 Summit in Genoa, which I should mention at this point. The Fifteen are continuing to reflect on the means of implementing this mechanism. Lastly, the Presidency, on behalf of the Council, has of course issued statements whenever it was deemed to be necessary."@en1
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