Summary: July 13, 2005: Remarks of Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the CFSP, on the occasion of a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei (Ramallah)
On the fourth day of his visit to the Middle East, Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), had a series of meetings with Palestinian leaders in Ramallah, West Bank. He made the following remarks to the media at the office of Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei.
"It is my pleasure to be here today again and to talk to the Prime Minister, a long-standing friend of mine, and to meet with members of the Palestinian government.
These are important moments. Gaza disengagement will take place within forty days -- forty days and not forty years. And it has to be a success, for the Palestinian people and for the Israeli people and for the international community. We are all working hard to bring this process to a positive conclusion.
The European Union is deeply engaged in this process. We have been supporting the Palestinian Authority on the political, economic and security fronts. We are moving our cooperation forward in these areas. I am very pleased with the consensus we have found in the region. As you know, I have spoken to Egyptian and Israeli authorities before coming to Ramallah today.
I would like to comment on the tragic events of yesterday. Lives of innocent people were lost and there is no justification for this criminal act. Let me be clear. This was an act not only against Israeli people but also against the Palestinian Authority. The authors of the attack do not want disengagement to take place. They are not part of the majority of the people who want to live freely and in peace.
I would like to say a few words about the events taking place in and around Jerusalem. I have made a very clear statement. We recognise Israel's right to defend itself, but, on legal and humanitarian grounds, the Fence should not be built on territory that is not in Israel. I would like to re-iterate the Quartet's position on this score: No action should be taken that contravenes the Roadmap or prejudices final status negotiations. Any final agreement must be reached through negotiations
between the two parties.
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