EU: The European Union has stepped up pressure on Israel to abandon its boycott of EU diplomats who continue to meet the Palestinian leader, Mr Yasser Arafat.
EU foreign ministers agreed yesterday to tell Israel's Foreign Minister, Mr Silvan Shalom, that the Israeli government's refusal to meet formally with the EU's Middle East envoy, Mr Marc Otte, is damaging EU-Israeli relations.
The EU's foreign policy chief, Mr Javier Solana - who is also the object of an Israeli boycott - said the EU's primary aim in the Middle East was to revive the "road map" for peace drawn up by the EU, US, UN and Russia.
"For that we think it is important that our envoys and myself and all the ministers have the opportunity to see all the people who have a say in this process, including Palestinians at all levels. We are going to say that very clearly. We would like to have much more co-operation and much more trust," he said.
Mr Shalom, who arrived in Brussels yesterday for two days of talks, said before last night's meeting that the EU could play a role in the peace process if Europeans changed their approach to the conflict.
"Europe can play a key role in the peace process, but it must play a more balanced attitude toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Otherwise it will be more of the same, like it was in the last 30 years," he said.
The EU called on Israel to halt the construction of Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory and criticised the building of a security fence that cuts into Palestinian land. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, said the EU would tell Mr Shalom that Europe has an important stake in bringing an end to the Middle East conflict as soon as possible.
"This continuing conflict affects our own security as the European Union and it's an issue that simply has to be dealt with in recognition of that fact. It's not simply a localised conflict. It has strategic importance and it has implications for our own security," he said.
Mr Shalom was yesterday expected to tell the ministers that Israel would dismantle the security fence if suicide attacks on Israeli civilians ended. Israeli officials have produced statistics to show that the fence had reduced the level of attacks.
The EU ministers agreed yesterday to review their policies towards Russia after an EU-Russia summit in Rome ended with a declaration that failed to refer to the conflict in Chechnya. The Italian Prime Minister, Mr Silvio Berlusconi, faced sharp criticism for remarks he made in defence of Russia's policy in the region. The ministers also agreed to establish an EU agency for defence capabilities development, research, acquisition and armaments.
Editorial comment: page 17