Brussels, 26/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - The EU Special Representative for the Middle East, Miguel Angel Moratinos, informed President Arafat on Thursday evening, in Ramallah, of the meeting between the Israeli Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres, with the representatives of the Quartet on the Middle East (United States, EU, Russia and the UN), in Tel Aviv that same day. According to AFP from Gaza, a Palestinian official anonymously said that the Israelis had told Mr Moratinos they wished to "resume meetings with the Palestinians".
On this occasion, Mr Peres also announced that Israel was ready to release $42 million due to the Palestinian Authority. This was welcomed by European Commissioner for External Affairs Chris Patten, who noted that these were "small but very welcome steps" towards improving the situation in the Palestinian territories (the sum to be made available in three instalments, from next Monday, will only amount to 8% of the tax and customs receipts due by Israel to the Palestinians).
CDU elected member Armin Laschet noted that this payment was "a major request from the Quartet", and said that Commissioner Patten must not simply welcome the fact that Israel is now paying but that "the overall aid policy" to the Palestinians must be changed. Such financing "prevents reform and cements the structures of the clan economy", he states in a press release, insisting on aid to projects aimed at supporting reform of the Palestinian Authority.