Saariselka, FINLAND (Agencies)
The European Union could use closer trade ties as leverage to urge Israel to resume peace talks with the Palestinians, the EU's top diplomat said on Saturday ahead of a trip to the region.
EU high representative for foreign affairs, Catherine Ashton, who begins her first visit to the Middle East on Sunday, said the European Union would be active in getting peace talks to resume and had influence in the issue.
" We're a huge supplier of aid and development in that region. We are strong with Israel in terms of trade and Israel wants to enhance its relationship with us, it wants to upgrade relations "
Catherine Ashton"We're a huge supplier of aid and development in that region. We are strong with Israel in terms of trade and Israel wants to enhance its relationship with us, it wants to upgrade relations," she said when asked what leverage the EU could have in talks given that the United States has struggled to be heard.
"Our ambition is that they know--because they do--that the solution lies in a negotiated settlement. Our view is that it needs to happen quickly and now, with the opportunity that that affords Israel ... to be able to enhance the relationships it wants with us in any event for the future."
Ashton, who flies to Egypt on Sunday and is due in Israel on Wednesday after stopovers in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, said it was not about withholding Israel's access to EU markets, but about showing what more could be granted if progress was made.
"What we have at the moment is a traditional relationship with Israel, they would like more," she said.
The trip to the Middle East is Ashton's most high-profile diplomatic mission since becoming the EU's high representative last December, succeeding Javier Solana, who focused much of his time in office on Iran and Middle East negotiations.
Ashton's visit comes at a sensitive time, with the United States expressing frustration with Israel on Friday over plans to build 1,600 settler homes in East Jerusalem, an announcement made while U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden was visiting.
In unusually harsh words, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington strongly objected to the announcement on settlements that coincided with a landmark visit to Israel by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.
Palestinian reaction
" The announcement of the settlements on the very day that the vice president was there was insulting "
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton The Palestinian Authority on Saturday hailed the rare U.S. and European condemnation of Israel.
"We want these positions to become binding and for Israel to scrap its settlement decisions, especially its plan to build 1,600 homes in Jerusalem," chief negotiator Saeb Erakat said told AFP.
"We want a total halt... we want to stop this Israeli policy that is useless and destructive for the peace process, especially for the U.S. administration's honest efforts to relaunch real and serious negotiations."
Israel has since apologized for the timing of the announcement, but Clinton, in strongly worded comments, said it was not the timing of the announcement that was the problem, but the substance.
"The announcement of the settlements on the very day that the vice president was there was insulting," she told CNN.
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Abdullah1
said:
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ALL LIES and lip service whilst nothing is done against Israel to stop its vicious and callous killings and decimation of people, >>>ethnic cleansing so they can inherit the land for themselves without opposition. The shameless zionist continues spreading lies 24hrly. and live in denial of any wrong except they are protecting themselves. Whilst the 100's of millions of US dollars fills the Israelis' coffers yearly and latest military arms supplied freely for testing against the poor people of GAZA and Western enclave. |
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