Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-02-01-Speech-3-066"
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"en.20060201.12.3-066"2
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".
Mr President, as we mentioned in the previous debate, we are indeed faced with a new reality. On Monday, the EU Foreign Ministers and the Quartet met to discuss our reaction to the entry of Hamas into the Palestinian national political arena, and the implications for our assistance to the Palestinian Authority.
In closing let me say that the peace process is – as we all know – at a very critical juncture. The year 2005 was dominated by unilateral Israeli actions and Palestinian institutional paralysis. The international community must now provide a tangible perspective of progress, using our efforts on both sides, with the Israelis and with the Palestinian Authority. In this context, I agree, we have to strengthen Mahmoud Abbas and his authority in order to provide stability and demonstrate that the negotiations will bring positive results. It is for this reason that I would like to underline the importance of avoiding all unilateral actions which threaten to prejudice final status negotiations, including terrorist attacks, settlement expansions and the routing of the separation barrier.
Now, therefore, we have to work together very closely: the days and months ahead will be absolutely crucial in determining stability in the Middle East, as well as our own stability.
Let me bear three elements in mind. The first are our principles, which should be absolutely clear. We supported these elections by providing financial support of 18.5 million EUR. In addition, we have heard about 240 election observers under Mrs De Keyser’s great leadership. We also demonstrated our commitment to building democratic institutions. I think this is clearly a principled position. Should we now abandon this position today because we do not like the result of the elections? I think that would also clearly be a mistake. On the contrary, we should call for all to respect the outcome of a democratic election. When I visited Gaza, I clearly said that we were ready to work with a government that seeks peace by peaceful means. As the Quartet reiterated, that means cooperation, a clear commitment to non-violence, a recognition of Israel and the acceptance of previous commitments including the roadmap and the Oslo agreement.
Secondly, the responsibilities: the ball is now in the camp of the Palestinian leaders. It is their responsibility to behave like partners and to meet the criteria set by the international community. It is not yet clear how Hamas, under its change and reform platform, will exercise the responsibilities that a new Palestinian government will need to assume. This will take time to become apparent. In both these discussions, I have advocated a clear message from the international community as to what we expect. I have also said that the European Commission stands ready to work with any government that is really seeking peace by peaceful means.
However, we are mindful of the economic and humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people, which are indeed considerable. We are also mindful of the legitimate Palestinian aspirations for statehood. We must bear in mind that donor funding is crucial in alleviating the plight of ordinary Palestinians and in preventing the vicious cycle of poverty and extremism. But we are also mindful of our own commitment to a two-state solution and to Israel’s security needs.
Therefore, first and foremost, we expect future members of a Palestinian government to commit to these three principles. This applies to the EU-Palestinian Interim Association Agreement. This clearly states that freedom of democracy, the rule of law and human rights have to be respected. In addition, the Neighbourhood Action Plan also clearly provides that the roadmap has to be the path to peace.
While the conduct of Hamas, as an organisation, will continue to be the subject of close scrutiny, the new Palestinian government must in the first instance be judged on its actions, including the provision of security and stability.
The stabilisation of public finances is a major and immediate challenge. I am ready to be constructive in reacting to the fiscal problems of the Palestinian Authority – especially now for the interim government and for the caretaker government – by easing their liquidity problems. But others, too, must play their role. This includes Israel, which has been called upon to continue to transfer customs revenues to the Palestinian Authority. I, as well as other Quartet members, will also personally speak to the Israelis about this issue.
The role of the Palestinians themselves, will also be crucial. The World Bank is sending a mission to see what it can do and how the Palestinian Authority could meet the benchmarks, maybe retrenching the budget. They have to find a possibility of lifting the suspension on World Bank Trust Fund payments. USD 35 million are still lying there. They have not been disbursed because they could not be disbursed. I hope I can count on the support of Parliament to find a short-term solution. However, it will also be important for the new government to get essential reforms back on track. This should be done in the same spirit as when we worked with the Palestinian Authority in the past.
In the meantime, the Commission intends to continue those aid programmes which provide for the basic needs of the Palestinians, including the infrastructure facility, food aid and humanitarian and refugee assistance."@en1
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