MUNICH, Feb. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- European leaders urged parties concerned to make more efforts in seeking a political and peacefulsolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

    Speaking at the 41st Munich Conference on Security Policies, Javier Solana, High Representative for the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, said that many challenges still remained despite the recent ceasefire agreement reached recently by Palestinians and Israelis.

    He urged Israel to take further steps for peace process beyond the disengagement from the Gaza strip, while both sides of the conflict must refrain from unilateral actions which could undermine upcoming negotiations. He called on European countries and the United States to devote more resources to improving Palestinians' lives.

    German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder also said that the Palestinian-Israeli cease-fire agreed in Sharm el Sheik must become permanent.

    "The Road Map remains the key framework for the peace process. Our goal must be to ensure that Israelis and Palestinians live together in peace in two independent and recognized states," he said in the speech, which was read by German Defense Minister Peter Struck, because Schroeder was unable to personally attend the conference due to flu.

    Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer reiterated that NATO should prepare for a role in supporting any future agreement to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

    "We should not shy away from starting to think about a potential role for NATO in supporting a Middle East peace agreement," de Hoop Scheffer said at the conference.

    But any NATO presence would be conditional on there being a peace accord and on the agreement of both sides for the alliance to be involved as well as a UN mandate, he said.

    The two-day 41st Munich security conference started Saturday, with the participation of 250 officials and experts from more than40 countries. Enditem