mithun
15 September 2006, 08:19
EU to back Palestinian unity government
- Brussels: European Union foreign ministers, eager to revive Middle East peace talks, will voice support on Friday for a Palestinian national unity government but stop short of committing themselves to work with it.The 25 ministers will also hear a progress report from EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana on ultra-sensitive talks with Iran aimed at relaunching negotiations on Tehran's nuclear programme and averting possible UN sanctions.
They will welcome Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' announcement of an agreement to form a unity government and voice hope that its platform meets the international community's terms for re-engagement, a draft statement seen by Reuters said.
Brussels and Washington boycotted the Hamas-led government established in March because the Islamist movement refused to recognise Israel's right to exist, renounce violence and accept past peace agreements.
Ministers will extend an emergency aid mechanism bypassing the Palestinian government for a further three months to allow time to assess whether the new coalition of Abbas' nationalist Fatah movement and Hamas meets those conditions. The so-called Temporary International Mechanism is distributing some 90 million euros ($114 million) in EU funds to the most needy Palestinians including pensioners, to keep water and fuel supplies going and pay essential health workers.
Diplomats said EU governments were divided on how quickly to engage with a new government. A majority including EU president Finland, France, Spain, Sweden, Belgium and Ireland wanted a swift move but Britain, Germany and the Czech Republic – closer to the United States -- did not agree.
"There are endless possibilities of variations for an EU compromise -- talk to the Palestinian Authority and the prime minister but not to other Hamas ministers, talk to the government but not to Hamas, etcetera, etcetera," one diplomat said.
- Brussels: European Union foreign ministers, eager to revive Middle East peace talks, will voice support on Friday for a Palestinian national unity government but stop short of committing themselves to work with it.The 25 ministers will also hear a progress report from EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana on ultra-sensitive talks with Iran aimed at relaunching negotiations on Tehran's nuclear programme and averting possible UN sanctions.
They will welcome Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' announcement of an agreement to form a unity government and voice hope that its platform meets the international community's terms for re-engagement, a draft statement seen by Reuters said.
Brussels and Washington boycotted the Hamas-led government established in March because the Islamist movement refused to recognise Israel's right to exist, renounce violence and accept past peace agreements.
Ministers will extend an emergency aid mechanism bypassing the Palestinian government for a further three months to allow time to assess whether the new coalition of Abbas' nationalist Fatah movement and Hamas meets those conditions. The so-called Temporary International Mechanism is distributing some 90 million euros ($114 million) in EU funds to the most needy Palestinians including pensioners, to keep water and fuel supplies going and pay essential health workers.
Diplomats said EU governments were divided on how quickly to engage with a new government. A majority including EU president Finland, France, Spain, Sweden, Belgium and Ireland wanted a swift move but Britain, Germany and the Czech Republic – closer to the United States -- did not agree.
"There are endless possibilities of variations for an EU compromise -- talk to the Palestinian Authority and the prime minister but not to other Hamas ministers, talk to the government but not to Hamas, etcetera, etcetera," one diplomat said.