Brussels, 17/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday evening, Javier Solana kicked off a visit to the Middle East (EUROPE 9345), just as the United States were declaring their wishes of getting involved and of ensuring a resumption of the negotiation process. However, no concrete prospects of this are apparent at this moment in time. The region's press reported declarations by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who spoke on Tuesday of "promising signs of progress" in the Middle East, and called on Europe to play its part to support them. "There are promising signs of progress and I am very much looking forward to being able to discuss this with [American] Secretary [of State Condoleezza] Rice when she returns from her visit to the region on Thursday", Mr Blair told the press, on the day before the announcement of a tripartite meeting between Ms Rrice, the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas ,and the Israeli leader Ehud Olmert. The EU, particularly under the German Presidency, can help the Palestinians to reinforce their authority and to develop a viable political framework, he added.
Mr Solana's visit takes place against this backdrop and also against that of the announcement of a resumption of inter-Palestinian meetings in Damascus, with a view to a normalisation of relations between Hamas and Fatah, and the creation of a national unity government. The majority of the Palestinians, 94%, are in favour of the creation of a national union government and of the signing of a peace agreement with Israel (72% in favour, 28% against), according to a survey carried out by the Organisation for Middle East Studies in Ramallah, the Palestinian press agency reported. 58% are in favour of legislative elections (as against 42%) and 57% of respondents are in favour of presidential elections (with 43% against). President Abbas remains popular: 52% of those who took part in the survey would vote for him, compared to 48% for Ismail Haniya, the leader of Hamas and current prime minister.
The situation in the region will, moreover, be at the centre of the talks to be held this Thursday by Javier Solana with the Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, who will visit Brussels next Monday and Tuesday. The list of his European discussion partners has not yet been finalised. However, it is known that he will be received by the Belgian prime minister and by members of his government, and that he will give a conference to the IRRI (institut royal des relations internationales- Royal Institute of International Relations) on Monday. (fb)