EU initiative gives new impetus to peace process in Middle East

A resumption of the stalled Middle East peace process was last night hailed by the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mr Yasser Arafat, and the Israeli Foreign Minister, Mr David Levy, at a joint press conference here. The two men, attending the first high-level meeting between Palestinian and Israeli leaders since April, pledged to return to the Middle East and give new political impetus to stalled peace talks.

Both men had been invited to attend a meeting of EU foreign ministers. The surprise agreement marks a new high in the Union's political involvement in the conflict.

But although there had been some expectation during the day that both parties might signal a willingness to back concrete confidence-building measures, there was in the end agreement only on a willingness to talk.

Diplomats had been hoping that goodwill moves by the Israelis, particularly on the vital economic issues of access by Palestinians to the Israeli labour market and the opening up of both the port and airport of Gaza, would provide the basis for a resumption of talks.

Israel, too, wanted a sign from the Palestinian Authority, a pledge that Mr Arafat would ensure that Israeli weapons would not be used by Palestinian police mavericks against them.

While both sides were saying last night that nothing had been agreed, Mr Levy did hint at security assurances from Mr Arafat and promised that he would "bring back faithfully the words you have said to my government". When they got home, he said, they would "relaunch" work being done on such issues by teams from both sides.

"We do not have the right to be pessimists," Mr Arafat told journalists at the press conference after their joint meeting with the Luxembourg presidency and the EU's special envoy to the Middle East, Mr Miguel Angel Moratinos. Later the two men met EU foreign ministers separately.

Mr Arafat described Mr Levy warmly as "my cousin, the son of our uncle", and insisted that he was a man "who sets a great store by the peace process". The Brussels meeting, he said, was frank and positive and had made "significant and positive steps which should allow progress based on agreements already signed by the two".

"I am very sure we are going to be able to re-establish confidence between us and move towards peace," he said.

Although, as observers of other peace processes would be quick to note, there have been many false dawns and it is too early to say that things are back on track, the announcement is undoubtedly a significant coup for the EU's patient Middle East diplomacy.

The Union, for long confined by the Israelis to a role on the sidelines watching the US play centrestage, has now shown it has a political part to play as well as its economic role of paymaster to the Palestinian Authority.

Mr Moratinos and the Luxembourg Foreign Minister, Mr Jacques Poos, were warmly congratulated by Mr Arafat and Mr Levy, with the former insisting the EU should continue to play a political role.