Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-01-19-Speech-4-024"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20060119.3.4-024"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spoken text |
".
Mr President, may I thank the honourable Members for a very broad and interesting debate. The Middle East is a subject on which one could speak for hours, but I shall take up the most important points.
Finally, the important thing for us will be to work very closely with both sides because, as many others have said, the Palestine-Israeli conflict greatly influences the stability of the whole region. The situation in Iraq and the upcoming difficult situation with Iran do not help to improve the stability of the region.
Firstly, Mr McMillan-Scott raised the issue of funding a chamber for the Palestinian Council. We will have to await the outcome of the elections and see what government will be formed – I shall come back to the question of Hamas shortly. Then we will have to consult the Palestinians themselves to find out their demands and to see where we can support them. It will depend on that common vision whether we can support such a chamber. I do not rule it out completely, but it is really up to the Palestinians to ask for that.
Secondly, you also asked how we could help the democratisation process. I think our Neighbourhood Policy and the action plan would be the best basis for such further democratisation, for the rule of law, which is one of the major issues and one on which we insist very strongly.
For a year now we have had much better relations with the Israelis; on the one hand because Prime Minister Sharon kept his word on the withdrawal from Gaza – which was a step forward – and, on the other hand, because of the action plan, in which the Israelis are highly interested. I had a lengthy talk with Prime Minister Olmert on that subject. They are very interested in doing something.
On your third question, I would say that we are very preoccupied about the sentence on Mr Ayman Nour, the leader of the main opposition party in Egypt. The Commission was very supportive of a Troika statement issued by the European Union immediately after the sentence. We will follow up the case in the Council meeting of Foreign Ministers on 30 January and then in our current negotiations on the action plan with Egypt – negotiations which, it must be said, are not easy.
To return to Hamas, I know one of the crucial questions is what the government will look like after the elections. The polls show a possible share of the vote of between 30 and 40% for Hamas. Accordingly, I have very clearly stated that we will work with any government that will seek peace by peaceful means and will also respect the principles incorporated in our two major agreements. One is the interim association agreement. As I have already said, there is democracy, the rule of law, the basic principles that we all hold up. Secondly there is the action plan, in which there is a clear commitment to the roadmap.
President Abbas himself made it very clear that the acceptance of the Oslo Accords and the roadmap forms the basis for participation in the future government. I know that the Israeli Government is very clear and adamant about certain things it demands of a future Palestinian Government. We will of course work with both parties on these issues, because we know how sensitive and crucial they are in order to make progress on those issues on which we all agree: the free movement of people and goods for the Palestinians, where I have announced the possibility of going forward with the airport; where we are starting the procurement procedures in order to make it possible to get more access for people and goods. At the same time, it is also important to see how a government can be formed in Israel.
I agree with my Cypriot colleague, Mr Kasoulides, that an interesting situation is also arising on the Israeli side. With Prime Minister Sharon incapacitated at the moment, acting Prime Minister Olmet has taken over in a pragmatic, pro-European way – that is clearly what he stated – but in a way in which he can hold up the security question, which is the overriding question for every Prime Minister in Israel. Hopefully, things will go in the right direction. I do not want to interfere in any of these processes; we are still two months ahead of the Israeli elections. The important thing is that there is a leadership in the future that is able, capable and willing to go on with that.
I agree with those who say that, as very clearly stated in the Quartet, we also have to speak out very clearly on the question of settlements, on the separation barrier. The Council’s report – it was a Council decision, by the way – has not been publicised, but it has already been covered in the press, so everybody knows what it contains."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples