Brussels, 26/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - The United Nations (UN) Security Council began consideration of the application by Palestine for membership. This process is expected to take several weeks. While noting the application, the Middle East Quartet repeated its determination “actively and vigorously” to seek a comprehensive resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict with “just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East”, the Quartet (the UN, Russia, the United States and the European Union) said in a press release.
On Friday 23 September, the Quartet repeated its “urgent appeal” to all the parties to resume direct negotiations, without delay and with no preconditions so that a final agreement can be reached before the end of next year. “These negotiations should be completed within a 12-month timeframe”, said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton. The Quartet, however, “accepts that meeting, in itself, will not re-establish the trust necessary for such a negotiation to succeed”. It proposed six steps in negotiations.
Thus, “within a month”, there will be a preparatory meeting between the parties “to agree an agenda and method of proceeding in the negotiation”. At that meeting there will be a commitment by both Israelis and Palestinians that “the objective of any negotiation is to reach an agreement within a timeframe agreed to by the parties but not longer than the end of 2012”, the Quartet made clear. It expects the parties to come forward with comprehensive proposals “within three months on territory and security”, and to have “made substantial progress within six months”. The Quartet will convene an international conference in Moscow, in consultation with the parties, “at the appropriate time”.
The Quartet also proposes a donors conference “at which the international community will give full and sustained support to the Palestinian Authority state-building actions”. It recognises the achievements of the Palestinian Authority in preparing institutions for statehood and stresses the need to preserve and build on them. The members of the Quartet will consult to identify additional steps they can actively support towards Palestinian statehood individually and together, to secure in accordance with existing procedures significantly greater independence and sovereignty for the Palestinian Authority over its affairs.
The Quartet calls upon the parties to “refrain from provocative actions if negotiations are to be effective” and reminds them of their obligations under the Roadmap.
The Quartet pledges to remain “actively involved” and to encourage and review progress. The envoys and the Quartet Representative will be asked to intensify their cooperation and to formulate recommendations for Quartet action.
Israelis and Palestinians continue to blame one another for the break-down in negotiations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has shown willing, but the Palestinians, he claims, are refusing to negotiate, while Palestinian negotiator Hanane Ashraoui says that Israel is setting preconditions for its return to the negotiating table. (CG/transl.rt)