Brussels, 11/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - Acting EU council president, Jean Asselborn took part in a Quartet meeting in Moscow on Monday. Javier Solana the High Representative and European Commissioner Benita Ferrero Waldner (external relations) also attended the meeting, which focused on the Middle East peace process. The Quartet consists of EU representatives, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Russian foreign affairs minister Sergey Lavrov. It discussed support from the international community for a permanent settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Speaking on behalf of the EU, Asselborn underlined that Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank “has to be done fully and entirely in accordance with the Quartet's road map” while illustrating “the need to continue efforts for a final and overall resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”. He also pointed out that Israel should “freeze all settlements, and dismantle the uncontrolled settlements” and the Palestinians should “continue their efforts to eradicate violence”. Minister Asselborn finally insisted on the fact that no side should “take unilateral measures that could endanger the result of the negotiations on definitive status”.
On Monday, the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon announced that Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank (initially programmed for 20 July) would be postponed till 15 August at the earliest, in order to take into account the Jewish religious calendar. The whole withdrawal operation is not expected to last more than three weeks, he said.