Palestinians win global support

2005-03-02 13:22

London - The Palestinian Authority has emerged with ringing support from the European Union, the United States and other world powers for an ambitious raft of reforms intended to create a viable Palestinian state once an elusive Middle East peace becomes reality.

The endorsement from 23 nations and six major international organisations, including the United Nations, came during a carefully scripted day of talks on Tuesday in London haunted by a suicide bomb attack in Tel Aviv four days earlier that killed five people and shattered what had been a promising Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire.

"We've got a script that is clearer today that ever before," said British Prime Minister Tony Blair, host of the London Meeting on Supporting the Palestinian Authority.

"Everyone now accepts the two-state solution... Doing it is the great task, but nobody can be in any doubt about what people want us to do."

Israel expected to comply

The blueprint - set out by Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas - will see the European Union take the lead in co-ordinating international support for reform of Palestinians' political and administrative institutions.

The World Bank will play a similar role in salvaging the Palestinians' conflict-shattered economy, while the United States - breaking from its image as Israel's best friend - will lead expertise in developing Palestinian security forces capable of cracking down on extremists.

With some welcome international credibility now under his arm, Abbas was headed on Wednesday to Brussels for talks with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

In a 17-page set of conclusions, participants at the London meeting hailed the Palestinian Authority's blueprint for reforms, calling them "a major step in implementing its roadmap commitments".

But in a candid warning to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the conclusions added: "Participants urged and expect action by Israel in relation to its own roadmap commitments."

United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice used the meeting to confirm that a US military security expert, Lieutenant General William Ward, would "soon relocate to the region to lead our efforts."

"He will obviously be an important set of eyes, ears and information about what is going on on the ground and how well the parties are living up to obligations," she said.

Israel did not attend Tuesday's meeting, which the Palestinians regarded as a prelude to a full-dress peace conference which French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier offered to host in the second half of this year.

Israel, still reeling from Friday's bomb attack, welcomed the outcome of the conference but remained wary. - AFP

- SAPA