Brussels, 19/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - On the eve of the meeting of the G8 that will open work on Friday afternoon in Genoa, the Foreign Ministers of the "Eight" managed by the end of their meeting of 18 and 19 July in Rome to finalise a common position on the Middle East.
In their conclusions, the G8 Foreign Ministers consider the application of the Mitchell Plan as the only solution allowing for de-escalation in the region and recommend the sending of international observers. This point, defended by the Europeans, has so far come up against American reticence. On Wednesday, the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, had judged this idea "premature". Israel immediately restated its rejection of this formula which meets with favour among Palestinians, the Arab world, and the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan. On the other burning issues such as the crisis in Macedonia and the Korean issue, the ministers decided to transmit their conclusions to the Heads of State directly. They also examined the question of disarmament and non-proliferation. The American project for missile defence, which brings Washington and Moscow into opposition, is not evoked in the conclusions of the meeting. Themes covered included Africa, the fight against poverty and conflict prevention, which will be discussed in Genoa.
On the fringe of this meeting, the president-in-office of the EU Council of Ministers, Louis Michel, Commissioner Chris Patten and High Representative for CFSP Javier Solana met Ms Makito Tanaka, Japan's Foreign Minister. The parties stressed their determination to strengthen relations between the EU and Japan, with Europeans insisting on the importance of holding an EU-Japan summit before the end of the year. The European side also welcomed Japanese involvement in the stabilisation process in the Balkans and felt it should give a positive response to the request for greater involvement in the current process in the Korean Peninsula, stresses a press release from the Belgian Presidency.
Speaking on Thursday on the Italian radio, European Commission President Romano Prodi felt the G8 should widen its representative base and simplify its working procedures. According to the Reuters Agency, this point of view is not shared by Mr Solana, who said it is not necessary to create a broader forum of the G20 kind.