Brussels, 18/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - The High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana, back from Sharm El Sheikh (and after having reported on the participation in the summit to Jacques Chirac and Hubert Védrine, in Paris), welcomed before the press, on Wednesday in Brussels, the role played by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan who, he said marked "the return of the UN to the region". Question over the EU's contribution to the summit, he said that on three mainly issues - the re-establishing of security, the creation of an fact finding mission and the path to follow to relaunch peace - "we have presented proposals" including with Mr Annan. As to the possible EU participation in the "fact finding" mission, he replied: "the EU is ready to participate, but we are asking for it (…), we are open to contribute with our experience, our personalities…". We must continue to pay an part an economic role in the region, but we will have to now pay a more significant political role, he felt, but to the question of knowing if the EU should exercise economic pressure on the parties, he answered: "I think that we must use economic aid to put pressure, but we must put pressure for the peace process to continue".
Questioned over the repercussions of this latest crisis on the Euro-Mediterranean summit, meant to take place in Marseilles next November after the ministerial meeting of the Barcelona process, Mr Solana said that much would depend on the unfolding of the Arab summit foreseen for 21 October in Cairo. According to Mr Solana, Marseilles will be much harder than the Euro-Mediterranean conference of Barcelona, which I chaired (as Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs) and which was also difficult, but benefited from the "window of opportunity" offered by the Oslo agreement. In Marseilles, we wan more on the political dialogue and the new MEDA programme, he added.
Is Arafat still able to stop the violence? "Its his obligation", said Mr Solana when answering this question, and by adding: "Arafat is the partner for peace, we must continue to work with him". As for the possibility of forming an Israeli government in which Ariel Sharon would play a part, he asserted: I think that Barak wants to try to continue with the same team, and continue the peace process, "it what he told me".
Positive assessment by Mr Solana after one year in post of "Mr CFSP"
I started as High Representative for CFSP around a year ago, and I think that in this period we "moved in the right direction, at a certain speed", and even at the speed "of light or sound", if we consider the usual rhythms of the EU, underlined Mr Solana before the press. Also, to a journalist who questioned him over the criticisms of Mr Prodi (during his speech on 3 October before the European Parliament: Ed.), he did not want to comment, but answered with questions: do you really think that thing where better before Amsterdam, than after? Do you think that before Amsterdam we could have move forward in the same way in terms of crisis management, better face the crisis in Serbia and the Middle East, and that we would have been able to make the foreign and security policy more visible? There are "still many things to do, improve cooperation between all the actors, but I think that this year has been very positive", he concluded.