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EU, Arabs vow joint Mideast peace drive - spar on Hamas
By Shada Islam and Daniela Schroeder, dpa

Brussels (dpa) - The European Union and the Arab League on Monday vowed joint Middle East peace efforts but sparred on Europe's refusal to open direct discussions with Hamas members of the new Palestinian government.
 
"Jointly we feel we can do a lot to promote the process of reconciliation between Israel and the Palestinians," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters after key Arab ministers met their EU counterparts in Brussels.

The German foreign minister said the current Arab drive for peace between Israel and the Palestinians represented a "window of opportunity and we should avail of it."

Germany is current president of the 27-nation EU.

Echoing Steinmeier, EU chief diplomat Javier Solana said the EU, along with the US, Russia and the United Nations - members of the international quartet working for Middle East peace - wanted more cooperation with the Arab League.

"Our minds are closer, lets hope that our actions get closer to achieve the objective of peace," Solana said.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal described the unprecedented meeting with the EU as "historic" and said both sides agreed the festering Israeli-Palestinian conflict represented a "tremendous danger to the international community and our region."

Arab states were determined to achieve peace, al-Faisal said, adding that stepped-up cooperation with the EU was also expected. "This is very important for us in the Middle East," he said.

Stressing the need for quick action, Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa insisted that peace efforts must show meaningful results in 2007.

"The Arab side is ready but we cannot make gestures free of charge ... we are ready to move provided the other side is ready to move. This is the essence of the new Arab unified position," he said.

The EU has thrown its weight behind a revived Arab proposal for a land-for-peace deal with Israel, describing it as a step in the right direction.

Despite the vows to work jointly for peace in the region, the EU and the Arab League disagreed over the EU's continuing boycott of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority.

Mussa said the EU position - including the suspension of direct aid to the Palestinian government - was "really unfair" since in addition to Hamas, the Palestinian national unity government also included the moderate Fatah group and independent politicians.

"It is now time to stop the restrictions," Mussa said while al- Faisal urged the international community "to be very forceful with Israel" on transferring millions of euros in custom duties collected on behalf of the Palestinians.

"The most important fund that must reach the Palestinians is their own money, their own money that is kept by Israel," he said.

EU external relations chief Benita Ferrero-Waldner said the bloc could decided to resume direct aid to the Palestinian Authority next month.

Ferrero-Waldner, who met Palestinian Foreign Minister Ziad Abu Amr in Brussels, said she had been "encouraged" by the discussions and believed the new government was making progress in meeting some of the key challenges facing Palestinians.

EU governments have agreed to hold "selective" discussions with non-Hamas members of the Palestinian Authority.

The EU stopped direct assistance to the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority last year, arguing it could not deal with a group which is black-listed as a terrorist organization under EU rules.

Prospects for a resumption of EU aid to the PA improved in March after Hamas and the moderate Fatah group agreed to enter into a coalition government.

However, for funds to start flowing again directly to the PA, EU officials say the new Palestinian administration must recognize Israel's right to exist, abandon the use of violence and agree to abide by past peace treaties.

Steinmeier said the situation would be "a lot easier if the language of Palestinian government with regard to Israel was clearer than it is at present."

Despite the direct aid ban, however, EU humanitarian assistance to Palestinian health and education sectors is continuing.

Mussa and al-Faisal said the economic situation in The Palestinian territories required urgent remedial action. "Their life is a life of misery," the Saudi foreign minister said.

As well as al-Faisal, Mussa and Abu Amr, the Arab League delegation also included the foreign ministers of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Morocco, Syria, Egypt and Qatar.

EU, Arabs vow joint Mideast peace drive - spar on Hamas (http://www.eux.tv/article.aspx?articleId=8162)