§ Richard BurdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EU General Affairs Council with respect to the middle east. [23116]
§ Peter HainThere was intensive discussion of the middle east at the 10 December General Affairs Council. The Council adopted the following conclusions:
At a time when the situation in the middle east is extremely serious, we cannot be inactive.
We are convinced that only determined and concerted action by the European Union, the United Nations, the United States and the Russian Federation can help the parties to break the cycle of violence and commit themselves once again to the search for peace. This requires:
the reaffirmation and full recognition of Israel's irrevocable right to live in peace and security within internationally recognised borders;the establishment of a viable and democratic Palestinian state and an end to the occupation of Palestinian territories.As a first step, the following pledges must be given:
by the Palestinian authority: the dismantling of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist networks, including the arrest and prosecution of all suspects; a public appeal in Arabic for an end to the armed intifada;by the Israeli Government: the withdrawal of their military forces and stop to extrajudicial executions; the lifting of closures and of all restrictions imposed on the Palestinian people; a freeze on settlements.On the basis of this EU position and in the light of the discussions which took place on 10 December in Brussels with Mr. Shimon Peres and Mr. Nabil Shaath, we have asked Javier Solana, SG High Representative for the CFSP, to go to the region and report back to the Laeken European Council.
The aim is to contribute, in concertation with the United Nations, the United States and Russia, to a speedy resumption of negotiations, without preliminaries.