Brussels, 27/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton speaking in Amman (Jordan) on Thursday 26 January said she did not believe there was deadlock in discussions between Israel and the Palestinians, even though the five meetings in Jordan, the last of which took place on Wednesday, have come to nothing. “I do not think there is an impasse. I know that President (Mahmoud) Abbas is thinking carefully about how to move forward. For him the meeting of the Arab (League) Follow Up Committee in Cairo is extremely important”, Ashton said after meeting President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas.
Following her meetings with Palestinian and Israeli leaders, Ashton remains hopeful that “with good will” the talks can continue. She said that “the question for this particular phase of very informal discussions is how to inspire confidence in the process in both directions”.
However, according to Palestinian leaders, the plan presented by Israel on Wednesday on the borders of a Palestinian state and on security had brought no change and was not viable as it retained the major part of the settlements. The Israeli government had “scuppered the two-state solution and ignored past agreements and international law”, said a leading figure in the Palestinian Liberation Organisation.
On Wednesday, Abbas said that, after these exploratory meetings, there would be an assessment and consultation phase with the King of Jordan. “We have a meeting with the Arab League follow-up committee on 4 February, and a decision will be taken at that time”, he added. A Palestinian leader said that “the American administration and the Quartet are maybe trying to put pressure on the Arab League follow-up committee for resumptions of negotiations, direct or indirect, with Israel”. (CG/transl.rt)