Ramallah, 19-01-07: Palestinian National Initiative General Secretary, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi MP, met with the European Union (EU) High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, in Ramallah today to discuss latest developments in the region and the ongoing siege facing the Palestinian people. The meeting was also attended by Mark Otte, EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process.
Dr. Barghouthi briefed Mr. Solana on the current situation in Palestine, focusing on sustained efforts to create a Palestinian national unity government; the continued expansion of illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land; the ongoing construction of the Apartheid Wall; calls to end in-fighting between Fatah and Hamas; and the need to ensure that all tax monies collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, that continue to be held unlawfully by Israel, are released in order to end the economic siege under which ordinary Palestinians continue to suffer.
Dr. Barghouthi also stressed the need to seek a final solution to the conflict and that any partial solution based on temporary borders should be rejected.
Mr. Solana assured Dr. Barghouthi of the efforts that will be made by the EU and the Quartet at the next meeting of the Quartet on 2 February to reactive the peace process in order to seek a lasting solution to the conflict. He also agreed with Dr. Barghouthi on the need to reach a final solution, and that a timetable should be set out in order to achieve this.