Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-03-09-Speech-3-564-000"
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"en.20110309.24.3-564-000"2
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"Mr President, I am grateful for the opportunity to have today’s debate on the Middle East peace process and I am extremely interested to hear from honourable Members on this. I believe that achieving progress on the peace process is very urgent and very important.
I also welcome the willingness of the Israelis to meet with the Quartet envoys tomorrow, but I urge Israel to make positive moves now to find a solution and to promote and support moves towards direct talks. As I said, I believe that this is in the interest of both peoples in that region and I believe Prime Minister Netanyahu has a vital role in helping to get the talks moving.
Honourable Members, I very much look forward to hearing from you so I will pause at this point. I believe all of us in this House share the desire to see this conflict finally end and both parties find a solution for the stability of the people of Israel and for the people of Palestine, which will also help enhance the stability and security of the region. I urge and hope that this will happen soon.
As we have discussed in this House earlier today, our Southern Neighbourhood and the wider Middle East are changing fast. We have seen historic events in Tunisia and Egypt and ongoing violence in Libya, and we also know of protests which continue in Yemen, Bahrain and elsewhere. With the region in upheaval, some have said that it is not the time to focus on the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process, but I believe the opposite to be true. At this moment, it is even more important to try to put an end to this conflict, as a key contribution towards a peaceful and stable region.
This is the message which I have delivered in my visits to the region in January and in February and in my discussions with President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu: for the greater security of both peoples, an agreement should be found. I also believe the European Union has an important role in this process. The Foreign Affairs Council set out its position very clearly, most recently in our Council conclusions in December.
The only viable choice is a negotiated outcome on all final status issues. If there is to be genuine peace, there has to be a solution to the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of two states, with the state of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous and viable state of Palestine living side by side in peace and security. The EU position on settlements is clear: settlements are illegal, they constitute an obstacle to peace, and they threaten to make a two-state solution impossible.
I chaired the Quartet meeting in Munich on 5 February. The EU went into this meeting seeking an invigorated Quartet and I think we managed to achieve that. Together with our partners from the UN, from the US and Russia, we agreed on an ambitious schedule. Last week, Quartet envoys met in Brussels, under the chairmanship of Helga Schmid, the Political Director and Deputy Secretary-General of the EAS, with, for the first time, the Palestinian negotiators. Tomorrow, the Quartet envoys will meet the Israeli negotiators for the first time.
The envoys are now moving to prepare the next principal meetings when Ban Ki-moon, the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, Secretary Clinton and I will meet again. But, if there is to be a two-state solution, both states must be viable. For that reason, it is important that the EU is the largest contributor to the Palestinians. We remain committed to continuing to support their state-building plan and its implementation, both politically and financially.
In this regard, we have already approved a first package of EUR 100 million out of the EUR 300 million earmarked for 2011. Funds for institution-building have been further increased to reinforce Palestinian capacities on their way to statehood. This work is crucial for the establishment of a future state of Palestine and crucial to finding a way to a two-state solution.
As honourable Members know, I have twice visited Gaza and, after meeting with business, with civil society and especially with many children, we have proposed a comprehensive package of support, focusing on infrastructure, equipment and training for the Kerem Shalom crossing. This is specifically to support greater movement of goods, allowing exports to promote economic recovery. In both my visits to Gaza, I called for a greater opportunity for the people there to develop the economy and provide jobs and a future for their children. I also called, and continue to call, for the release of Gilad Shalit.
On 13 April, I will host the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee led by Norway; we are in discussion on the possibilities of a donor conference in June. Honourable Members will know that on 22 February, there was a useful and productive exchange of views with Israel at the Association Council, where the Middle East peace process was discussed, along with other regional issues, particularly, of course, the changes occurring in the region. The discussions included our bilateral relations and how better cooperation can go forward on the current action plan and in the context of the desire for a solution."@en1
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