Brussels, 13/01/2005 (Agence Europe) - The EU High Representative for foreign policy, Javier Solana, who was expected to finish a tour of the Middle East with a meeting with Israeli prime minister Ariel Shalom, met the Israeli minister for foreign affairs on Thursday morning. At the end of this meeting, Solana reiterated his hope to the press that Israel and the Palestinian Authority would benefit from the new boost provided by the election of Mahmoud Abbas to the Head of the Palestinian Authority for relaunching the peace process. Solana said that, "I hope that both sides now speak together and begin working together. This is my dream and I think that is what many of the people expect to happen". The High Representative also called for Palestinian groups to stop rocket attacks on Israel but considered that incursions by the Israeli army into Palestinian territories to deal with hostilities was "disproportionate". Shalom insisted that the "test" of the new Palestinian president would be to succeed as soon as he began work on Saturday. "His test is now", said the Israeli minister of foreign affairs.
On Wednesday Solana said that he was very moved by the misery of those living in the Palestinian refugee camps in Jabaliya in the north of the Gaza Strip. Examining he destruction caused by the Israeli army recently in an effort to stop rocket attacks against Israel, the High Representative said that he had been "very moved" by the "tragic" image of the refugee camp he visited. According to AFP, he declared to the press that "you have opened a new page in the electoral process and you can be sure that the new president and new structures will do all they could to get the peace process moving". Speaking on the most recent outbreak of violence which caused several deaths on both sides on Wednesday, Solana declared that these kind of hostilities had to stop. Mr Solana also met the Palestinian foreign affairs minister, Nabil Shaath on Wednesday, who, according to certain observers, was in danger of losing his seat during a likely government reshuffle, when Mahmoud takes up his job on Saturday. The new Palestinian president underlined on Thursday that the Palestinians were prepared and determined to fulfil their obligations laid down in the Road Map, beginning with the measures for increasing security. Mr Abbas said that they were ready to implement their commitments but Israel had to meet its commitments too.