Thursday, January 28, 2010

Council of Europe (COE): Middle East: a negotiated solution agreed by both parties is the only way forward

http://assembly.coe.int/ASP/NewsManager/EMB_NewsManagerView.asp?ID=5223&L=2

Winter session: 25-29 January 2010
Middle East: a negotiated solution agreed by both parties is the only way forward

The Middle East peace process is in the doldrums and the slow progress is causing frustration and bitterness, the Parliamentary Assembly today stated at the end of a debate on the situation in the Middle East.


All parties must overcome distrust to get it back on track, the parliamentarians said, and recalled that neither military action nor terrorism will achieve peace.


A negotiated solution agreed by both parties is the only way forward, they underlined during a debate in which participated Daniel Ayalon, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Israel, and Mohammad Shtayyeh, Minister of Public Works and Housing of the Palestinian National Authority.


The Assembly considered that the conflict in the Middle East above all concerns two equaly legitimate aspirations - Israel's right to be recognised and to exist in safety and the Palestinians' right to have an independent, viable and contiguous state".


Following the proposals of the rapporteur (Piero Fassino, Italy, SOC), the adopted resolution calls on Israel to freeze any new settlements beyond its borders, remove so-called “illegal outposts”, and restart negotiations in good faith towards the creation of a Palestinian state. It should also thoroughly investigate whether Israeli soldiers were involved in human rights violations.


All Palestinian forces, under President Abbas’s authority, the text says, should refrain from violence, recognise Israel’s right to exist and abide by all existing agreements. Hamas in particular should free the kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, stop smuggling weapons and cease feuding with opposing factions.


The Assembly welcomed President Obama’s direct personal intervention, it said it could help, and considered it deserved full support.

Resolution 1700 (2010)

No comments:

Post a Comment