Brussels/Madrid, 10/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - In a joint declaration adopted at the end of the meeting on Wednesday in Madrid between the UN Secretary General, Koffie Annan, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Josep Piqué, the CFSP High representative, Javier Solana, the American Secretary of State, Colin Powell and the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Igor Ivanov, the EU, USA, Russia and the United Nations made a firm appeal to Israel for an "immediate cease-fire in military operations" and called on the President of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat, to, "undertake the maximum possible effort " to stop the attacks. The "Quartet" also expressed its fears about stability in the region and the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories. Juts before Mr Powell's arrival in the region, the Quartet stated, "The UN, EU and Russia express their strong support for Secretary of State Powell's mission and urge Israel and the Palestinian Authority to co-operate fully with his mission and with their continuing efforts to restore cam and resume a political process".
The Quartet called Israel to, "halt immediately its military operations…an immediate cease-fire and an immediate Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian cities, including Ramallah, specifically including Chairman Arafat's headquarters. We call on Israel to fully comply with international humanitarian principles and to allow full and unimpeded access to humanitarian organisations and services."
For the Palestinian side, the declaration continued, "We call on Chairman Arafat, as the recognised, elected leader of the Palestinian people, to undertake immediately the maximum possible efforts to stop the terror attacks against Israelis. We call on the Palestinian Authority to act decisively and take all possible steps within its capacity to dismantle terrorist infrastructure, including terrorist financing, and to stop incitement to violence."
Calling for a solution based on Resolution 242 and 338 of the UN and the principle of "peace for land", the quartet reaffirmed its, "support for the objective expressed by President Bush and spelled out in UNSCR 1397, of two states, Israel and Palestine living side by side within secure and recognised borders. The Quartet welcomed the peace plan of Crown Pincer Abdullah from Saudi Arabia as, "an important contribution towards a comprehensive peace, including Syria and Lebanon."
The quartet expressed its, "grave concern about the most recent attacks from Lebanon across the UN-determined Blue Line The Quartet calls on all parties to respect the blue line, halt all attacks, and show the utmost restraint. The conflict should not be allowed to spread and threaten regional security and stability".
Discussion on the EU/Israel Association council on Monday at the GAC
In Madrid the Acting President of the Council, Josep Piqué, confirmed that he intended to organise an Association Council between the EU and Israel, suggested by the President of the Commission, Romano Prodi (see EUROPE yesterday page 6). The issue will be tackled at the General Affairs Council on Monday. Asked about the possibility of sanctions, Josep Piqué replied that it was possible that a list of sanctions that had already been put on the table by other countries could be proposed. He added that from the point of view of the EU there were a number of options they could explore. The Association Agreement gives Israel trading preference but which also included a clause on human rights and democracy, declared Mr Patten, Commissioner for External Relations, in a communiqué. He also added that, "Some Parliamentarians have said that Israel's behaviour calls into question its commitment to that clause. I think that the first thing that has to happen is that we should have a meeting under our Agreement and try and thrash out with the Israelis our concerns…no one wants to jump to a premature decision that could make things worse". Jonathan Faull, spokesman at the Commission, in explaining why Shimon Peres was absent from the last Association meeting, said that they should be represented at the same level as them. Javier Solana declared during a Quartet press conference that some people thought that Europe could have done more but they had in fact done what was right in accordance with the values and interests of Europe. The Italian Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Silvio Berlusconi, stated in Rome that "the common position of the EU appears decidedly inadequate given the gravity of the situation". Greece and Turkey announced a joint visit to Yasser Arafat by their Foreign Affairs Ministries, Georges Papandrou and Ismail Cem, as soon as the Israelis had worked out the arrangements for such a visit.