Stockholm / Brussels, 07/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - On behalf of the EU, European Council President Goran Persson congratulated the new Israeli Prime Minister for his victory in the 6 February elections, stating: "I look forward to continuing collaboration between the EU and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, aimed at contributing to the attainment of a just and lasting peace in the region. It is the hope of the Union that Mr. Sharon as Prime Minister will maintain the momentum of the peace process and peace dialogue according to the wishes of all parties concerned. The EU stands ready to assist the parties in their endeavours to reach a peace agreement as well as in its subsequent implementation. The EU reaffirms its view that the basis of negotiations, and of a just and lasting peace, must be Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338". (A declaration by the Swedish Presidency under Cfsp takes up almost exactly the same words, adding that the EU is "convinced that the progress made on all major issues during the last negotiations should form the basis for future talks on the permanent status", that it hopes for "a prompt resumption of negotiations between Israel, on the one hand, and Syria and Lebanon, on the other", and that the basis for negotiations has, in particular, to be "the inadmissibility of acquisition of territory by war, the need for every state in the area to be able to live in security, and the principle of land for peace").
As for the High Representative, Javier Solana, he congratulated Sharon on his "clear victory", stating: "in the past few months, I have had a constant dialogue with all the participants in the region in pursuit of peace. I look forward to continuing this dialogue with the new Israeli Prime Minister and his government. I remain concerned by the situation which prevails in the region. I am firmly convinced that we should continue working in order to keep the progress achieved between the parties and to foster a climate which will allow new steps towards a peace settlement. The main priority today is to restore faith in the peace process among both Israelis and Palestinians"
EP President Nicole Fontaine, for her part, considered that the number of votes to have gone to Mr. Sharon expressed "the hope of the Israeli people" that "peace and security should take over from violence". The EP ardently hopes that the new Prime Minister continues the dialogue with all parties, and "I may assure you of its readiness and collaboration" in the "efforts of all men of good will" in favour of peace, said Fontaine.