Palestine calls for EU initiative on Mideast peace process

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, January 06, 2004

Palestine calls for EU initiative on Mideast peace process

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The European Union should launch "a double initiative" to push for the peace process in the Middle East, said Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath on Monday after meeting with his French counterpart Dominique de Villepin.

"We need two initiatives at the same time: one to get the peace process on line, which might not be possible but which we have to try," said Shaath.

"In the meanwhile, we need to protect the Palestinian people and their territories from the long-term effects of what the Israelis have been doing during the absence of peace process," he said.

For his part, de Villepin said France and its European partners would pursue their cooperation on the Middle East to reactivate the negotiations between Israel and Palestine.

"Europe could play an important role in the next six months," said Shaath, adding that the United States might be absent during this period because of its presidential elections.

"This is not an inside thing against the American role, but it's a fact of life that America during an election year is very busy," he said, adding that Washington would be glad to see European efforts for peace in Mideast.

Shaath will meet with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer in Berlin on Wednesday, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw in London on Thursday and on Friday, he will be in Dublin to meet with his Irish counterpart Brian Cohen.

Ireland currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.

Shaath also urged the three biggest -- Britain, Germany and France -- to put forward a European initiative for the peace process.

He invited de Villepin to visit the Palestinian territories and meet with President of the Palestinian Authorities in February.

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