Sopot, 05/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - Meeting in informal Council in Sopot (Poland) on Saturday 3 September, EU foreign ministers called for everything possible to be done to limit the damage that could arise from the request for recognition of an independent Palestinian state at the next UN General Assembly meeting. Member states are divided on the issue.
The EU's aim is to avoid what could pose problems for everyone at the General Assembly. With stalemate in the talks with Israel, the Palestinians are calling for recognition of a state within the borders of 4 June 1967, before the Six-Day War - that is, including the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, which they want to make their capital. The request might be put to the UN on 20 September and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas promised on Saturday to reveal the details in the next few days.
However, according to French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé, the Assembly's adoption by a large majority of a resolution immediately recognising an independent Palestinian state would damage Israel which “would necessarily find itself isolated”. It would also be a problem for the Palestinians, he added, referring to “threats of disruption of funding” they are facing. It would also be damaging “for America which would be isolated and for the EU which could be divided”, he opined. The United States has threatened to veto Palestinian moves at the Security Council and Europeans are divided over the issue.
According to a European diplomat, Czech minister Karel Schwartzenberg warned his colleagues in Sopot that his country would not back any resolution whatsoever at the UN. The Netherlands and Germany opposed “unilateral” moves, while Spain said it supported the Palestinian action.
Between now and then, the EU has a very specific role to play, “rather than just playing bank tellers”, Juppé said. “We want to work to try to find the basis of a resolution which will be acceptable to the various parties”, he stated. “We now have to take intelligent soundings and, of course, to try to influence the various parties in the Middle East peace process in a constructive way”, added his German counterpart Guido Westerwelle. Austrian minister Michael Spindelegger proposed that the EU put down its own resolution at the UN General Assembly, indicating that this was only an option.
Among options is the Swiss solution, several ministers suggested. Switzerland, before becoming a full member, first held observer status. If this same path were to be adopted, it would allow the Palestinians to become full members of all UN agencies, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNESCO and UNICEF.
EU High Representative Catherine Ashton said that the EU “wants to support both parties”, something which does not rule out the request for recognition by the UN of a Palestinian state. (V.W./L.C./transl.rt)