Brussels, 20/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - The president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, is expected, on Friday 23 September, to officially submit a request for the Palestinian state to become a member of the United Nations. The EU “noted” this on Saturday 17 September. According to Maja Kocijancic, the spokesperson for Catherine Ashton, the EU high representative for foreign affairs said it was necessary to look at the details and the timetable of the request, and that coming days would be crucial. For the resolution to be adopted, 9 out of the 15 UN Security Council members (the 10 non-permanent members, including Germany and Portugal, and the 5 permanent members who have a right of veto) must vote in favour. There have been many meetings between Mahmoud Abbas and his partners in recent days, as well as meetings between politicians and diplomats of all nationalities. Catherine Ashton has already met Hillary Clinton and Mahmoud Abbas.
The Quartet, composed of the United States, Russia, the EU and the United Nations, is seeking to dissuade Palestinians from making their request. Speaking on US television, Special Envoy Tony Blair said the only way to achieve a Palestinian state was to negotiate. Ashton's spokesperson recalled that the EU supports a constructive solution likely to gain the most backing possible and allowing talks to be resumed, as that is the best and only way to achieve peace and a two-state solution to which the Palestinian people aspire.
European and international disagreement. For now, however, no common position has been found among European states. Spain, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden and Portugal are in favour of recognising Palestine. Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and the Czech Republic are opposed. The United Kingdom and France, which are permanent members of the Council, have not yet announced their position and remain cautious. In a press release, the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs has said it is in close contact with Palestinian officials to determine with greater precision the nature of their intentions and the other solutions that could accompany that approach. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé and President Nicolas Sarkozy met Mahmoud Abbas in New York.
The Quai d'Orsay has said France will assume its responsibilities regarding the recognition of the state of Palestine. Its stance will be guided by the threefold concern of safeguarding the prospect of reactivating peace talks, avoiding diplomatic confrontation, and maintaining European unity. William Hague, British Foreign Minister, has said that, with the other countries of the European Union, Britain has revealed its stance on how it will vote in order to put maximum pressure on both sides to return to the negotiating table. In the event of a vote, European countries may abstain.
The lack of European unity reflects the international situation. Although the United States could use its right of veto, Israel threatens political and economic reprisal but states it is willing to resume talks immediately. Turkey, for its part, is dedicated to the cause of the Palestinians. Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan, has underlined that recognition of a Palestinian state is “not an option, but an obligation”. It is time, he said during a visit to Cairo, to add the Palestinian flag to those of United Nations members, for it to become a symbol of peace and justice in the Middle East. “Let us make our contribution to establishing well-deserved peace and stability in the Middle East”, he said. Russia, China, South China, Brazil and India, who are part of the Security Council, are also expected to support the Palestinian request. (CG/transl.jl)