Lappeenranta, 01/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - At their informal Gymnich-type meeting in Lappeenranta in Finland on 1 and 2 September, EU foreign ministers kicked off on Friday afternoon by discussing the prospects for reviving the Middle East Peace Process despite the extremely difficult and explosive situation in the region since the war on Lebanon. The EU is 'ready to get engaged' and play a role in getting the peace process back on track, the President of the Council, Erkki Tuomioja, told reporters after the first meeting on Friday night. The serious events in Lebanon have plunged the Middle East into a renewed and profound crisis which, although tragic, may pave the way for new prospects for the peace process, he explained. He said that like all crises, there were doors that were opening but in order to make progress, it was now vital to integrate all relevant parties in the region, including Syria and the other Arab states, which had to take a greater role in the peace process. EU High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana, has been given the mandate to pursue his efforts and consultations 'with all parties relevant for the peace process', said Tuomioja, adding that 'Syria is among them'. The top priority, however, had to be the formation of a government of national unity in Palestine with the involvement of Fatah and also of Hamas 'to which nobody could any more refuse to talk', said Tuomioja. A Palestinian government of national unity, being actively considered by President Mahmoud Abbas, 'would be a key step' in reviving talks between Israelis and Palestinians in order to find a 'two state solution', said Solana, adding that the EU welcomed and would obviously support the setting up of a national unity government under the auspices of Mahmoud Abbas. Asked about the three demands formulated by the international community (the Quartet) for entering contact with Hamas (namely renouncing violence, recognition of Israel's right to exist, and acceptance of existing agreements), Solana said: 'That government will have already accepted the conditions of the international community.'
The EU25 unanimously agree on the importance of establishing conditions to allow a revival of peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, hence the importance of rapidly establishing a Palestinian government of national unity acceptable to all, including Israel and the United States, explained Luxembourg foreign minister, Jean Asselborn, to our reporter. His German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, told reporters that Syria had to be got back on track and the Israelis and Palestinians had to be brought to the negotiating table. Asselborn explained to a handful of reporters that most EU Member States wanted the Quartet on the Middle East (the EU, UN, United States and Russia) to be reformed both in terms of form and in terms of action, and for it to have an Arab component. Steinmeier also stressed the need to revitalise the Quartet but Erkki Tuomioja said at a press conference that potential changes to the Quartet had not been raised. EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner called for Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as a concrete initiative to relaunch the peace process. We have to start with concrete action and what would certainly be useful at the right time would be a meeting between prime minister Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas, he told reporters. The content of the Quartet roadmap is as relevant as ever but we have to find a way to bring both sides to the negotiating table, he added.
Iran. The question of Iran will only be formally discussed on Saturday, but was mentioned by several ministers on Friday. This is not the time to take a new decision on Iran - as far as the EU is concerned, diplomacy is still the best way to make progress, Tuomioja told reporters. Javier Solana avoided any talk of sanctions, saying only that he would be meeting Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, somewhere in Europe in the first few days of next week. He refused be drawn on when or where this meeting would take place (rumours unconfirmed by Solana's team suggest that they might meet in Berlin on 6 September). Until that meeting, Solana said, I only want to talk about positive things. There are plenty of nuances in what we can do in this domain and we have to be prudent, said Dutch foreign minister Ben Bot. Frank-Walter Steinmeier stressed the importance of maintaining unity among the international community. He avoided the question of whether sanctions should be imposed on Iran, saying that he was waiting for the UN Security Council to meet and take decisions. He said that one would have to wait and see whether or not there would be sanctions and if so, of what kind. The most important thing that had been achieved in the past, he said, was to ensure the continuation of the sign of unity among the international community. The Security Council must not be allowed to be divided, he added.