Tullamore, 16/04/2004 (Agence Europe) - The Middle East Quartet (United States, EU, Russia and the UN) are set to meet "around 28 April in a European capital, doubtless Berlin" said Javier Solana on Friday ahead of the informal European Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting in Tullamore. By then Europeans will have had time to discuss the "Sharon plan" approved on Thursday by President Bush, which would see Israelis withdraw from the Gaza strip, borders to return to those of 1967 and the right for Palestinian refugees to return to their land abolished, an idea rejected by the Palestinian authorities up until now. On Friday, European diplomats discussed how the EU could avoid "throwing the baby out with the bath water" and reconcile this unilateral plan with the rod map drawn up by the Quartet.
Irish Minister Brian Cowen set the tone declaring on his arrival in Tullamore that "it is with its enemies and not its friends that Israel must make peace". In other words, "to achieve lasting peace and guarantee security, Israel must reach an agreement with the Palestine people and Arab neighbours" he stated. Certain aspects of George Bush's speech following his meeting with Ariel Sharon on Thursday in Washington can be upheld but "there are some points on which the EU has a different approach", he stressed. Running over George Bush's political speech, Mr Cowen noted that on the positive front, the American President restated that "the United States remains steadfast in its vision of two states living side by side in peace and security, implemented according to the road map". The American President also said that "in the framework of an eventual peace agreement, Israel must have recognised borders, which are the result of negotiations between the two parties in conformity with UN Security Council Resolution 242 and 338". Mr Cowen continued to quote George Bush "the United States supports the establishment of a viable, sovereign and independent Palestine state". "Where some of us have reservations is on whether we feel it assists our shared goal of an agreed settlement, to seek, in advance of negotiations, an understanding with one party to the negotiation on the outcome of the negotiation". German Minister Joschka Fischer confirmed this could be read two ways, stressing to press that the declarations of George Bush should be read "with attention" and that in all eventualities "the solution must be the result of a negotiation between the two parties" and that "Palestinians must have their place at the negotiating table" (Chancellor Schroeder the day before that "Palestinians have the right to expect that a decision (on borders) is not taken behind their back"). British Minster Jack Straw echoed these sentiments, telling press that "the withdrawal from Gaza is welcomed" but that "we want to ensure, and the Prime Minister Tony Blair has made this clear, that these arrangements take place in the context of the roadmap. We believe they can be consistent with the roadmap, and of course we accept that any final status has to be a matter for negotiation between the parties".