Brussels, 01/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Palestinian Minister for Planning and International Cooperation, Nabile Sha'at, was received on Thursday in Brussels by the EU High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana, with whom he raised the political and economic situation on the ground and the EU's role in the peace settlement efforts in the region (see following page over debate in European Parliament). We have entered into a "crucial phase" in which Europe has an important role to play, said Mr Sha'at, while noting that it has the ability as "it is accepted by the two parties". Moreover, he welcomed the initiatives aiming to call a summit between the parties, seemingly in Stockholm, by asserting that "a priori" there are no Palestinians against such a meeting, which could also be held in Cairo.
During the meeting, he was briefly questioned over the European assistance to the Palestinian Authority, aid considered by it to be insufficient and badly suited to the true situation, following the blockade on economic activated enforced by Israel. This same theme was broached in more detail in the meeting between the Palestinian Minister and the Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten, who already announced that he intends to carry out an in-depth re-assessment of the support programmes for the Palestinian Authority, which does not concern to aid to development projects, but that provided in support of the Palestinian public services. Community sources indicate that the Commission wants to invite the Palestinian to site and the negotiating table, to carry out a remoulding of the means and priorities of the assistance to a Palestine that only survives, according to Mr Sha'at, from financial drip feeding. The provision of essential services is practically compromised and, he asserted before the Arab press, European aid, as that already granted by the Arab countries, is not enough to face needs.
Moreover, let us note that Javier Solana had met last Monday in Brussels General Ouzi Dayan, Head of the Israeli National Security Council.