Commissioner of the European Union’s external relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, reiterated the EU commitment to support the Palestinian government on basis of the Quartet’s principles.
Waldner’s remarks came during a press conference at the United Nations premises in New York, after a meeting with UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon.
The EU’s official was quoted as saying that the Arab peace initiative, the establishment of a unity Palestinian government, the Presient Abbas-PM Olmert meetings has given a momentum to the Middle East peace process.
“The EU’s commission is committed to back the Palestinian government and I briefed the secretary general on my recent meeting with the Palestinian financial minister, Salam Fayad, I reiterated to Fayad the EU’s willingness to continue channeling money aid via the temporary assistance mechanism until his financial ministry is able to receive the funds independently”, Waldner maintained.
Palestinian finance minister, Saloam Fayad, has met with Valandar in Brussels, where he expected likely normal EU-Palestinian Authority contacts, leading eventually to direct EU financial aids to the Palestinians.
The Quartet (United Nations, European Union, United States, Russia) has set a special temporary assistance mechanism to channel money to the Palestinian people, until the Palestinian government, comprised of Hamas, Fatah and other factions, meets the Quartet’s demands; recognizing Israel’s right to exist, renouncing violence and accepting past signed agreements.
The largest Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, jointly with other Palestinian parliamentary blocs joined last month a unity cabinet in a bid to end an internationally-imposed economic embargo since last March, two months after Hamas took power in democratic elections.
The new cabinet accepted past signed agreements and agreed to a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital, a commitment that goes compatible with last month’s Arab states peace proposal, which calls for normal Arab-Israeli ties in return for full Israeli withdrawal from Arab lands it occupied in 1967.
