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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 8814
THE DAY IN POLITICS / (eu) eu/middle east

Javier Solana highlights need to speed up road map for creating Palestinian state

Brussels, 25/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - - The High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana informed the German newspaper Der Speigel that the Israeli prime minister could certainly apply the road map for peace in the Middle east with the withdrawal of the Israelis from the Gaza Strip but had to make a commitment that this withdrawal would be the first part of a process that would lead to the evacuation of all occupied territories. If he claims that withdrawal of from the Gaza is all that needs to be done, and that this will automatically lead to peace", we will not support him. That would be a nightmare, not a dream". Javier Solana pointed out that he would propose elements, in November, for speeding up the process for applying the Quartet's road map. As he already declared a few days ago to the European Parliament, the High Representative wants to get the European Union foreign affairs minister at the table during the 2 November meeting in Brussels, - with concrete elements at their disposal on the economy, political reform, preparing elections and the security dimension in the context of Israeli withdrawal. A small European police co-ordination unit is being set up to support the development of Palestinian security forces, in cooperation with Egyptian efforts. Taking into account the current delay on implementing the road map, which planned on a new Palestinian state by 2005, it is now patently obvious that a strategy needs preparing to allow for the "big bang" Javier Solana mentioned to MEPs (EUROPE 15 October p 5 on Solana's intervention at the European Parliament plenary in Brussels).

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