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EU official sees Mideast peace momentum

By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer Sat Apr 14, 12:19 AM ET

UNITED NATIONS - There is "new momentum" in the Middle East peace process, a high-ranking
European Union official said Friday after meeting the U.N. secretary-general.

Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the EU external relations commissioner, pointed to a recent Arab League peace initiative, a new Palestinian unity government, and regular meetings between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

"I think the recent developments ... have brought indeed a new momentum to this peace process," she said.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Ferrero-Waldner discussed these developments and the next meeting of the "Quartet" of Middle East peacemakers — the U.N., EU, Russia and the U.S.

Last month, the Arab League relaunched a proposal based on a dormant 2002 Saudi plan offering peace with
Israel in exchange for a full withdrawal from lands captured in the 1967 Mideast War. Olmert has hailed the plan as a "revolutionary change" but has also expressed reservations.

Since the militant Hamas group swept parliamentary elections last year, EU has paid hundreds of million of dollars in social assistance directly to the people and projects, bypassing the government.

Palestinians installed the new government, a coalition of Hamas and the moderate
Fatah party, last month in hopes of persuading international community to end a year of bruising sanctions.

Ferrero-Waldner told reporters that she and Ban "both welcome the national unity government as indeed an important step towards Palestinian unity."

But she stressed that the EU will only support those in the new Palestinian government who accept the Quartet's principles — Israel's right to exist, past peace agreements signed by the PLO and renunciation of terror and violence.

EU official sees Mideast peace momentum  (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070414/ap_on_re_mi_ea/un_mideast;_ylt=AiM69ylehkWloayYZGlzb9MLewgF)