Visiting European External Relations Commissioner Benita
Ferrero-Waldner Wednesday called for a joint declaration between
Israel and the Palestinians as a launching pad for a new peace
process.
After her meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the
European official told reporters that she hoped all parties
concerned could exert all-out efforts to help the Palestinians and
Israelis to reach such a joint declaration.
She attached paramount importance to the upcoming international
Mideast peace conference to be held in the United States, saying it
is coming at a crucial time for the Middle East peace process.
The conference proposed by the US President George W. Bush in
July aims for restart of the stalled peace process and end of the
chronic conflict between the Arabs and Israel in the Middle East
region.
The Palestinian and the Israeli sides, leading factors of the
regional conflicts, formed negotiation teams to outline framework
agreement ahead of the Mideast peace conference, however, the two
teams have not reached any consensus until now.
Despite the frustration facing the region, the European official
pledged the Palestinians 100 million euros more (about US$144
million) assistance by the end of this year.
Since the start of this year, the European Commission has
extended around 450 million euros (about US$648 million) to the
Palestinians.
Ferrero-Waldner, who came to Egypt for the EU, Africa and the
Mideast conference on energy to be held in the Red Sea resort of
Sharm el-Sheikh on Thursday, also discussed with President Mubarak
relations between Egypt and EU as well as means of strengthening
cooperation between north and south Mediterranean basin
countries.
(Xinhua News Agency November 1, 2007)
