EU Presidency Statement - The situation in the Middle East including the Palestinian question

Summary: September 15, 2003: Statement to the Security Council of the United Nations by H.E. Ambassador Marcello Spatafora, Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN, on behalf of the European Union. THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST INCLUDING THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION (New York)

Mr. President,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Acceding Countries Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia, the Associated Countries Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey and the EFTA countries Iceland and Liechtenstein, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.

Mr. President,

the European Union expresses its deep concern over the dangerously deteriorated situation. Our priority is to call on the two parties to exert maximum restrain, to stop violence and respect their obligations to continue the implementation of the Quartet Road Map.

The Presidency and the European Union member States express their strong condemnation of the decision in principle by Israel to expel the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority and rally their support for the United Nations Security Council call on the Government of Israel made on 12th of September not to implement it. The European Union has already clearly voiced its opposition to any forceful action against the duly elected President of the Palestinian Authority and urged the Israeli Authorities to refrain from any such action. The European Union believes that the Israeli decisions is a serious mistake and adds further tension, undermining any negotiated solution of the ongoing conflict.

Mr. President,

the European Union condemns in the strongest possible terms terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens. Such attacks obstruct the efforts of the international community to restore peace in the region and damage the interests of the Palestinian people.

The European Union considers the authors of these acts as enemies of peace. It strongly urges the Palestinian Authority to take all necessary concrete measures against those terrorist organizations that are opposed to any political dialogue and undermine all the efforts to restore hope and to bring peace, security and better conditions of life to the region.

It is in this context that the European Union has inserted the political branch of Hamas in the European list of terrorist organizations. The European Union renews the call made by the Thessaloniki European Council upon all Palestinian organizations to declare immediately an unconditional cease-fire. The European Union recalls also that the conclusions of the Thessaloniki European Council called on Israel to abstain from any punitive measures, including the extra-judicial killings, and to act in accordance with the international law.

Mr. President,

the European Union reaffirms the strategic importance of the Palestinian Authority as a partner for peace. The European Union has strongly emphasized that the new designated Prime Minister, Ahmed Qorei, must rapidly form a new Palestinian government that is empowered to act decisively on the priorities of the fight against terrorism, the efforts to re-launch the peace process with Israel in the framework of the Quartet road-map, and in the continuation of Palestinian Authority political and economic reforms without any further delay.

The EU strongly believes that to achieve a lasting, just and peaceful settlement of the conflict and a comprehensive peace in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, there is no alternative to the speedy implementation, in good faith by the two sides, of the Quartet roadmap which contains clear timelines for the establishment of a independent and viable Palestinian State, living side by side with Israel, together in peace and security and for the normalization of Arab-Israeli relations.

It is in this regard that the EU has urged both parties to take the following measures:

The PA: forming a new government; re-organizing its security forces under the control of the new Prime Minister; re-establishing public order and undertaking visible efforts to dismantle the terrorist organizations; implementing the reforms already started and organizing, in due time, free and transparent elections.
The Israeli government: withdrawing the army from the autonomous areas; putting an end to targeted killings; relieving the Palestinian people from the road blocks and the other restrictions imposed on them; freezing all settlement activities and the building of the security wall along a track that jeopardizes a political solution to the conflict.

In order for these measures to be effectively implemented, the European Union reaffirms its commitment and the need for a determined and coordinated action by the international community. The European Union is maintaining close contacts with all the parties involved and deems that the upcoming Ministerial meeting of the Quartet in New York will be the appropriate forum to assess, as provided for in the road map, the performance of the parties in the implementation of the plan and in order to decide further steps needed to ensure an effective and credible monitoring on the field.

Ref: PRES03-234EN
EU source: EU Presidency
UN forum: Security Council
Date: 15/9/2003

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