21/01/2009 (Agence Europe) - Francis Wurtz, the president of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left group at the European Parliament, travelled to Gaza on Wednesday 21 January. According to a press release, Mr Wurtz was accompanied by the president of the French association of towns twinned with Palestinian refugee camps, Fernand Tuil. During his visit, he is due to visit the refugee camps hardest hit during the Israeli offensive: Rafah, Khan Younès, Jabalya and Gaza. Before his departure, Wurtz insisted on the “triple urgency” of “assisting the people of Gaza in all possible ways”; “increasing information, awareness and effort on the conditions for a fair and lasting solution to the Palestinian problem”; “relaunching initiatives among all European governments to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement (on the basis of Article 2 of this agreement demanding respect for human rights by all contracting parties) as well as the freezing of the process “upgrading” cooperation relations. (O.J./transl.rh)