Brussels, 27/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - On 25 April the External Relations Council said that it was “particularly concerned” by the announcement of further Jewish settlements in the West Bank, whereas the road map for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians foresaw a freeze on them. In its conclusions, it expresses its worry at the continued construction of the separation wall in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the interior and outskirts of Jerusalem. The conclusions affirm that “settlement policy threatens to make a solution based on the co-existence of two states, materially impossible”. The Council also repeated that no party should take unilateral measures endangering the result of the final negotiations on the definitive status. The Twenty Five also said that they were concerned by the “lack of dynamism” in the implementation of the Charm el Cheikh commitments. “At the present time where a window of opportunity exists, an absence of real and tangible progress could threaten the relaunch of the peace process. The European Union is calling on Israelis and Palestinians to urgently agree to renewed efforts to implement the agreements to which they signed at Charm el Cheikh and to avoid any action that could shake the climate of mutual confidence”.
The Council welcomed the appointment of the president of the World Bank, Mr Wolfensohn as a representative of the Quartet for the Israeli disengagement in Gaza and in certain parts of the North of the West Bank. Ministers declared that “the European Union is committed to bringing political and practical support to the success of its mission and welcomes the will shown by the two parties to collaborate…to a successful withdrawal…the European Union is determined to support the parties in their efforts to get the peace process moving and to achieve the objective of the co-existence of two states, the creation of an independent, democratic, continued and viable, side by side with Israel and its other neighbours in peace and security”.