Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-11-06-Speech-3-081"
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"en.20021106.7.3-081"2
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"Mr President, I would be grateful if you could give your warning about speaking time at the beginning of the debate, and to the Commission and the Council too, so that we can all have an equal share of the little time available.
Mr Solana, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, with regard to the situation in the Middle East, I must state that, following the escalation we have seen in recent months, Mr Solana’s words give grounds for hope. I must say that, given the experiences of the last year, the announcement of forthcoming elections in Israel is to be welcomed, firstly because the voice of the people must always be listened to and, secondly, because my group – and friends sometimes have to say things that are unpleasant – publicly criticised the Israeli Labour Party for its participation in the current government and in spring asked it to withdraw from it. I believe that we should welcome the Labour Party’s withdrawal from the government and also its reason for leaving, which was its refusal to vote for funds for new settlements. This is a very significant fact, because I share the view expressed by Mr Solana that the greatest danger we currently face is that of the occupied territories’ ending up as a real Swiss cheese, as a type of Bantustan, which will make the creation of a Palestinian State impossible.
Since Mr Netanyahu has called Mr Solana, I would ask him to tell Mr Netanyahu, first of all, that although we have taken stock of the destruction that has taken place, we are prepared to support not only humanitarian action but also the reconstruction of the bases on which a Palestinian Authority could exist. Mr Solana should also tell him that, instead of bulldozers, he should perhaps send in ballot-boxes and encourage elections to be held for the Palestinian Authority too. I think that this would be a major step forward.
It is hard to believe that the far right could mount a challenge and indulge in blackmail against a trio such as Messrs Sharon, Netanyahu and Mofaz. They have truly been one step away from the abyss, but have realised that there is no alternative to the proposal by the Quartet and to the creation of two States and I believe that we must persevere with this approach.
With regard to the situation in Iraq, it should be emphasised that, despite our differences, we in Europe have managed to ensure that this issue has been addressed in the United Nations, that this has been done within an international framework and also that not only has the authority of the United Nations Security Council been recognised once again but also that an opening has been created that will enable us to avoid, if I might put it this way, fire being poured onto the oil, which would run the major risk of setting the entire region alight.
I should also like to know how Mr Solana is going to help the European Union Member States of the Security Council, of which there will certainly be four in January, to coordinate their action as much as possible.
Lastly, I wish to make a very brief comment on the situation in Chechnya. My group fully supports the view expressed by Parliament in its Resolution, that is to say, total condemnation of the terrorist attack, an expression of solidarity with the victims, some criticism of the way in which the Russian State acted, also with regard to the lives and safety of its own citizens, and the need, not in this context, but the need to include the importance of reaching a negotiated solution on the agenda of our next summit with Russia.
In any event, Mr President, and with this I shall conclude, I believe we must encourage Mr Solana, the Vice-President of the Commission and our representatives to continue the efforts to mediate and to achieve a de-escalation that they have been making in these three conflicts"@en1
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