Strasbourg, 03/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - At the end of the Middle East Quartet meeting on 1 February, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton reaffirmed the EU's “unprecedented” support for the Israelis and Palestinians in the event of their reaching agreement on the peace process. She thus reiterated the statements of the Council on 16 December (see EUROPE 10985). Underlining that the Quartet meeting focused on the need “to show the support that we have for this process and for our desire to see it succeed”, Ashton reiterated that the European side is talking about “unprecedented support for both sides [Israelis and Palestinians] in the event that they are able to reach their conclusions”. “The definition of that will come later, because it partly depends on how the work proceeds and in a sense how the agreements come together”, she said. “But it is important that it is recognised that there is real support to come from the international community, in support of the agreement”, she added.
Ashton again underlined “the tremendous efforts that are going on” with the help of US Secretary of State John Kerry, and she paid tribute to the Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, Tzipi Livni and Saeb Erekat respectively, “for the work that they are doing”, and also to Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas “for the commitment that they have given to this process”. (CG/transl.fl)