Summary: March 30, 2002: José María Aznar, President-in-Office of the European Council and Spanish Prime Minister, stressed the need to "eliminate terrorist violence" and the importance of Israel understanding that "there is nothing to be gained" by destroying the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).
According to Aznar, the elimination of terrorist violence, the declaration of a cease-fire and the recognition of the Palestinian National Authority as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, are "the basic elements" on which "we are currently working, a task to which I am devoting my most earnest endeavours".
On behalf of the European Union, Aznar spoke to Palestinian National Authority President, Yasser Arafat, US President George W. Bush, European Commission President, Romano Prodi, Lebanon Premier and President, Rafiq Hariri and Emile Lahoud, Iran President Mohammad Jatami and Yemen President, Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Josep Piqué, President of the EU Council of Ministers and Spanish Foreign Minister, endorsed the call for the Israeli troops to withdraw from Ramallah and also urged the PNA to do all in its power to prevent attacks such as those which have taken place in recent days.
According to Piqué, the arrival of White House Middle East Envoy Anthony Zinni and the Tenet Plan are a sound basis for the quest for peace, He stressed that "without a cease-fire, there is no solution to the conflict. Hence, the sooner an agreement is reached the better".
The European Union has called for the UN Security Council Resolution to be implemented "fully and immediately".
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