Solana rejects division of Palestine, calls for Gaza aid - Summary
Tue, 17 Jul 2007 15:47:11 GMT
Brussels - European Union chief diplomat Javier Solana on Tuesday warned against any formal political division of Gaza and the West Bank, saying international efforts should focus on establishing one independent Palestinian state. Solana, who arrives in Israel and the Palestinian territories on Wednesday, also said foreign economic aid and humanitarian assistance should go to both Gaza and the West Bank. What we want is to have a Palestinian state...it has to be a Palestinian state and not one-and-a-half or three-quarters, Solana told reporters.
Gaza is currently in the hands of the Hamas militant group while the moderate Fatah movement has control of the West Bank. The new interim government led by Salaam Fayyad does not include any Hamas members. Solana made his comments after talks with former British premier Tony Blair who is now an international envoy for Middle East peace. He will be working on helping Palestinians to have a state, said Solana, adding that Blair's task was very important in efforts to find a two-state solution to the conflict. Blair's role was fundamental and would involve helping build Palestinian institutions and rally economic assistance for the Palestinian territories, said Solana. The EU foreign and security policy chief also welcomed US President George W Bush's renewed drive to end Israeli-Palestinian hostilities.
The (Bush) speech has elements that were never said before, said Bush, referring to the US leader's call for an international conference to pave the way for a two-state solution and economic aid for Palestinians. Solana said the 27-nation bloc would work side by side with the US in a determined effort to bring about an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The diplomatic Quartet - whose members include the US and the EU as well as Russia and the United Nations - would have a major part to play in such efforts, he said. The Quartet is expected to meet in Lisbon on Thursday for the first time since the appointment of Blair. It is also the first encounter of the group since Hamas captured the Gaza Strip in June and the subsequent nomination of a non-Hamas interim government led by Palestinian prime minister-designate Salam Fayyad. Bush has said the US will provide full backing to Blair's peace efforts but several EU officials and ministers, including Solana, were taken aback by the US push to give the former British premier the Quartet job. Like the US, the EU has pledged to improve the clout and standing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his moderate Fatah movement. But unlike Washington, the EU has yet to release millions of dollars in direct aid to the Fatah-led Palestinian government.
The funds were frozen after last year's Hamas electoral victory. The militant group is black-listed as a terrorist organization by the EU and the US. The EU has, however, been channelling aid for the Palestinian health and security sector through non-governmental aid groups. Officials said an estimated 700 million euros in such emergency aid was sent to Gaza and the West Bank last year. The money was used to pay the salaries of teachers, doctors and health workers and for supplies of fuel, water and electricity to the territories. Bush has announced 190 million dollars in direct aid to the Palestinian government, with an additional 80 million dollars for security. The amount includes funding humanitarian causes in Gaza. We are showing the Palestinian people that a commitment to peace leads to the generous support of the United States, Bush said. 2007 Respective Author
