Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-11-06-Speech-3-078"
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"en.20021106.7.3-078"2
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".
Mr President, I will try to speak briefly on the two issues suggested to me by the Presidency of Parliament, bearing in mind that you have spent a good sitting debating such an important issue as the enlargement of the European Union, which is surely the most important issue on all of our agendas at the moment.
In relation to the Palestinians, however, three important things are happening. Firstly, the internal debate amongst the Palestinians about the strategic significance of the
. I believe that it is essential, from the point of view of Palestinian politics, to see the implementation of a positive, constructive and in-depth debate on the strategic sense of the
. The idea that politics rather than violence should return to the centre of gravity is extremely important. This will undoubtedly provide more security than all the policies and all the security structures which may be implemented on the ground. If in the minds of the citizens it seems that violence has disappeared, that is worth much more than all the security structures which could be implemented on the ground. We are assisting with this debate and let us hope that it yields the desired results, as it is already starting to do.
The second important issue in relation to the Palestinians is the change in the government of the Palestinian Authority carried out by President Arafat and which has the support of the Palestinian Legislative Authority. The two most important things, and the things I would most like to stress in relation to this change in government, are: firstly, the role of the Finance Minister, who has held his post since the first change in government. He is a man who has the agreement, the consensus and the support of the international community and of the international financial institutions. He is doing great work and let us hope that he can continue to work in that direction. Secondly, the change of Interior Minister, in other words, the Minister responsible for security. I believe that this change is also going to play a fundamental role in terms of the speedy development and resolution of the security issue, which is still one of the essential elements of the problem.
The third issue I would like to highlight relates to the humanitarian aspects. There is absolutely no doubt that the situation of the Palestinian citizens is still appalling from a humanitarian point of view. We have done everything we can within the European Union and within the Quartet so that the resources belonging to the Palestinian Authority, which are currently still in the hands of the Israeli Government, are returned to the Palestinian Authority immediately, and are returned month by month, so that the Finance Minister may have the capacity to produce a budget worthy of its name with knowledge of the resources available at the beginning of each month.
The final issue I would like to discuss in relation to Palestine is the settlements. Ladies and gentlemen, I believe this is a serious and grave issue and that, if the settlements are not frozen quickly, we may find that when the time comes to realise the dream of two States, the Palestinian State will not be a realistic proposition because its territory has been so reduced by the number of settlements, which is still increasing. Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the European Union, I therefore once again call on the Israeli Government to freeze the settlements as soon as possible.
In terms of what is taking place in Israel, I will tell you that this afternoon I had a telephone conversation with the new Foreign Minister, Mr Netanyahu. We will be in contact as soon as possible so that no process which can be kept active will be slowed down, even during the election campaign, for the sake of the peace process.
As you know, there are going to be primary elections in the two main parties, the Likud and the Labour Party, over the coming weeks. In the Likud, between Netanyahu and Sharon, and in the Labour Party, in the middle of November, between three candidates, the former Defence Minister, the Mayor of Haifa and the former trade unionist – who was a Minister in the Rabin government – Mr Haim Ramon. We will have to await the result of these primaries before we know which candidates will fight the elections to take place on 28 January. However, I would insist that the fact that elections have been called must not slow down our work towards our aspiration: a just peace in that region which is so dear to the citizens of Europe.
I would like to say that in relation to Iraq we have today entered the crucial phase. An hour ago the Security Council began to debate its Resolution. Since the first informal meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers during the Danish Presidency, the European Union has maintained a clear position with three essential elements: the objective of the operation on Iraq, the way it should be carried out and our great concerns over its consequences. I would like to make three comments on these three ideas.
I will comment on the objective. Our objective had to be – and still has to be – to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction. What has come to be known as regime change was not the European Union’s objective. The objective of the European Union, in any event, is for Iraq to comply with the Resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.
Secondly, what route should we take in order to achieve this aim? We have always said – we will continue to say it and, fortunately, this has been the case – that this debate should take place within the United Nations. Fortunately, on 12 September, even the President of the United States accepted that the debate on this extremely important problem should take place within the United Nations, and I can say that we are pleased that, from 12 September until now, there have been very serious negotiations between all the members of the Security Council in order to achieve a resolution which we hope can be unanimously approved as soon as possible. This would be the greatest victory for the legitimacy of the United Nations and therefore a victory for those who believe in multilateralism and also in the important role of the United Nations Security Council.
As the honourable Members know, the resolution on which a debate is starting at the moment is a long resolution, but its fundamental elements are as follows: the recognition that Iraq is currently failing to comply with the resolutions of the Security Council; the second essential element is that Iraq should be given an opportunity to comply with all the resolutions; thirdly, that at the moment in the resolution there should be no possibility of an automatic resort to military action; and fourthly, that Iraq is going to be asked to produce a report within 30 days on the weapons of mass destruction in its possession and allow the inspectors led by Mr Blix to be deployed immediately on the ground to verify President Saddam Hussein’s claims.
It has been suggested to me that I speak today on two fundamental issues: the situation in the Middle East and the policy on Iraq.
Therefore, from the European Union’s point of view, I believe we can take pleasure from the fact that the multilateral context of the United Nations has worked, or is working, well. That is what we, the countries and the citizens of the European Union, have all wanted to see.
Ladies and gentlemen, there is little more I can say at the moment while we wait to see what might happen in relation to Iraq in the coming hours. It is possible that the debate on the resolution will end today and that the vote will be taken either today or tomorrow.
In relation to the Middle East, I would still insist that for us, as Europeans, the Middle East peace process and the problem there will remain amongst the priorities of our foreign and security policy.
I would like to say to you that, to a certain extent, the fact that elections in Israel have been brought forward from October next year to January is something that we can view as fundamentally positive, because it is going to allow us to begin early the whole process which should take us to the final phase of negotiations which brings about the two States we all want to see.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have little more to tell you at this point. If the President will allow me, I would like to say that we are going to continue to work tirelessly on these two issues which are undoubtedly of fundamental importance.
I would also like to say a word or two on the idea of regime change in the countries of the region: ladies and gentlemen, I believe that for us the essential thing is to convert into reality the report on the Middle East, on the Islamic and Arab countries, which has been produced by the United Nations, which demonstrates the needs involved in transformation in those countries. To this end, nothing can be better than dialogue and, therefore, the European Union is going to continue its intense dialogue with the Arab League and also an intense dialogue with the Organisation of the Conference of Islamic States. All of this, together with the Barcelona process, must continue to be the driving force for relations between the European Union and the countries of the region, practically all of which we maintain contractual relations with by means of cooperation agreements.
Ladies and gentlemen, Mr President, I believe that I have informed you about a situation, as I have said, at this very special time, when so many events are taking place in relation to the Middle East and Iraq, so that you, ladies and gentlemen, may have as much information as possible, and I am at your disposal to answer any questions you may wish to ask me.
Mr President, it falls to me to speak on a very special day with regard to two issues which are occupying the front pages of all of today’s newspapers. In the Middle East, as the honourable Members know, a quick – and for some perhaps unexpected – decision by Prime Minister Sharon has led to a change of government and the calling of early elections in Israel at the end of January.
And with regard to the situation in Iraq, right now in New York, the debate is starting on the Security Council Resolution on Iraq.
I will therefore comment on these two issues, bearing in mind the restrictions we are faced with at the moment.
With regard to the Middle East, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to say that, since the last time we spoke about this issue, the European Union has continued its work, essentially within the context of the so-called Quartet, that is, with the United States, the Russian Federation and the Secretary-General of the United Nations. In September, at the last meeting we held, we tried to implement a three-phase process in order to achieve, by the end of 2005, the dream of so many of us – and of so many Israeli and Palestinian citizens – of having two States which might live together in peace and have a joint future of harmony and stability.
As you know – and this has been published since the meeting in September – it was expected that this process would involve three phases: a first phase, of what remains of this year and the first part of next year, with the elections in Palestine and with the resolution of the issues of internal reforms and the humanitarian issues which, unfortunately, are yet to be dealt with.
The second phase, to call it that, would involve the declaration of a Palestinian State, though with provisional borders, and the third phase would consist of the final debate on the issues which everybody knows and which are still the most difficult issues to resolve in relation to the Middle East problem.
Let us hope, ladies and gentlemen, that the calling of elections does not slow the process down. We in Europe want this process to continue and we want to continue to be involved in the process we began not many months ago in New York within the context of the Quartet."@en1
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