Sharon rejects European role in Mideast peace

Sharon rejects European role in Mideast peace

AFP
Date: 12-28-04

JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon voiced strong opposition to any EU role in Middle East peace talks, charging that the 25-nation bloc had an "unbalanced" approach to the problem.

But he told Israeli ambassadors posted to EU capitals that Europe could play a "positive role" in pressing the Palestinians for political reform and an end to armed resistance.

Sharon's comments followed the announcement here last week by British Prime Minister Tony Blair that he intended to host a Middle East conference in London in the new year.

Israel welcomed the idea in principle but said it would stay away and would not regard the gathering as a fully fledged peace conference.

Sharon's comments also followed confident assertions by Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot last week that the European Union was now regarded as a full partner in the peace process.

"Both America, Israel and the Palestinians accepted Europe as a partner in the game and admitted that no solution was possible without the United States and without Europe," he said.

Source

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