Brussels, 01/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 30 September, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini announced that the Quartet on the Middle East (EU, Russia, USA and United Nations) had decided to “revitalise” its activities.
After visiting a number of key regional actors, therefore, such as Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the Quartet envoys will speak directly to the Israeli and Palestinian parties with a view to exploring concrete steps that the two sides could take to show their true commitment to pursuing a two-state solution, a Quartet press release stated at the end of a meeting. They will especially encourage the parties to begin applying the agreements that have already been signed, Mogherini stated. “We believe that this can be a very important step in the right direction in order to preserve the possibility of having two states. And to begin to rebuild trust in the other, both in Israel and in Palestine, and in the process itself”, she added.
The Quartet has thus decided to open up, welcoming, at the second part of its meeting, ministers from the Arab countries. In Mogherini's view, the full participation and full support of these countries at this new stage for the Quartet is “essential” as “key interpreters of the Arab peace initiative”. “The Quartet agreed to consult the Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry, the Jordanian foreign minister, Nasser Judah, the Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir, and the secretary general of the League of Arab States, Nabil el-Araby, as part of its regular and direct outreach to key Arab partners”, the press release states. The Quartet also agreed to listen to other players from the international community.
Underlining its concern about the violence that surrounds the holy places of Jerusalem, the Quartet called on all the parties to show restraint, to refrain from any provocative action or rhetoric, and to keep the status quo unchanged in the holy places both through word and deed. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)