HELSINKI, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- EU foreign ministers call for unanimously the
revival of Middle East peace process, said Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki
Tuomioja, whose country holds the European Union's rotating presidency, on
Friday at the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Lappeenranta, southern
Finland.
During the first day of meeting, EU foreign Ministers discussed the Middle
East peace process openly and in-depth. After the talks, Tuomioja said that the
discussions affirmed the unanimity of the EU member states on the need to revive
the Middle East peace process.
Ministers agreed that united action by the EU over the summer had made a
positive impact on efforts to stabilize the situation in the Middle East.
Tuomioja said that EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana already has the
mandate of the member states of EU to work to move the peace process forward and
to be in contact with all the parties involved. He particularly emphasized the
importance of cooperation with the United States and Arab nations.
Before the first day of talks, European External Relations Commissioner
Benita Ferrero-Waldner called for head-to-head talks between Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
She said that specific efforts should be taken to restore peace in the
Middle East, and a meeting between Olmert and Abbas could be one of those. The
European Union should initiate the reloading of the peace process, as military
conflicts do not bring benefits to either side, as the recent clashes have
proven, she said. Enditem
