Brussels, 12/01/2005 (Agence Europe) - EU High Representative Javier Solana, who is visiting the Middle East on Saturday, has meetings scheduled on Thursday 13 January in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and also with other members of the new Israeli National Union government, which was invested by the Knesset on Monday evening. Solana will encourage Mr Sharon to take advantage of the new impetus created by the election of Mahmoud Abbas to the leadership of the Palestinian Authority in order to reactivate peace talks, European diplomats say. "The new President is a partner for Israel and for the international community", Solana said on Monday after the official results of the elections had been announced. Israelis and Palestinians must now seize the "new opportunity for peace", Mr Solana said, stressing that the "Roadmap continues to be the main guideline to reach peace, through the creation of a viable Palestinian state". Ariel Sharon briefly phoned Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday to congratulate him on his election. They agreed to "speak to each other again soon", and Sharon was also willing to meet Yasser Arafat's successor. No date for such a meeting has yet been suggested, but it is thought it may possibly be held within the next two weeks.
On Tuesday, in Cairo, Mr Solana met Egyptian President Hosni Moubarak, who urged the new Israeli government to implement its plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, while warning that this should only be a first step towards peace. "We hope this government will continue to support application of the Roadmap, beginning with Gaza. Gaza must be the first stage, but not the last", the spokesperson for the Egyptian Presidency said, cited by AFP. "Withdrawal from the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the Roadmap", he said, adding that President Hosni Moubarak had drawn Javier Solana's attention to this point. The EU High Representative told the press he had agreed with Moubarak on the need to reactivate the Roadmap. Mr Moubarak also called on the EU and the international community to support Mahmoud Abbas, "who does not only need congratulations but also political and economic support". Mr Solana restated that the EU was willing to continue with and step up its assistance (already quite substantial) to the Palestinians in the fields of economic development, reconstruction and security (strengthening of police services, etc.). On Tuesday, Solana met the secretary general of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, with whom he discussed the "new opportunities" arising from the Palestinian elections. Moussa explained to Solana that the Arab League was willing to try a new "push" forward for reactivating the process with a view to a "fair and comprehensive peace" for the region as a whole. Messrs Solana and Moussa also spoke of the situation in Iraq and the elections scheduled for 30 January.