EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell has stated that a “strong” Palestinian Authority is needed to bring peace in the Middle East.
He made the remarks to journalists before holding talks with Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammed Mustafa Mustafa in Brussels.
His discussion with Mustafa was focused on how the Palestinian administration can be built up to take over Gaza rule from Hamas.
“A functional Palestinian Authority is in Israel’s interest too, because in order to make peace, we need a strong Palestinian Authority, not a weaker one,” Borrell said.
The Brussels meeting was chaired by Norwegian Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide, under his country’s key role in the 1993 Oslo Accords that established a series of arrangements between the Palestinians and Israel.
Represented at the talks, alongside the EU, Norway and the Palestinian Authority, were Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia and the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations.
Australia, Britain, Canada and Japan also took part.
The talks were being held as moves are starting to take place to try to establish conditions to make for lasting peace in Gaza.
A key requisite for that is the removal of Hamas as Gaza’s rulers.
The only viable option diplomats have arrived at is to bolster Mustafa’s Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank, so that it can take charge of Gaza.
“We need to make sure that the Palestinian Authority… has to be able to survive to be strengthened, to improve its capacity to deliver services, to reform, and also to plan for a future return to Gaza,” Barth Eide said.
Mustafa said that the meeting was “a very important opportunity” for the Palestinian Authority to outline its priorities and plans.
He disclosed that the “first priority” was to support Palestinians in Gaza, especially through a ceasefire, and then the “rebuilding the institutions of the Palestinian Authority” in that territory, which Hamas seized control of in 2007.
He also called on international partners to press Israel to release Palestinian Authority funds so “we will be ready to reform our institutions… and hopefully together sustain our efforts towards statehood and peace for the region”.
Mustafa Welcomes Spain, Norway and Ireland’s Move To Recognise The Palestinian State
Before the talks, Mustafa held a separate news conference with Spanish Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares to thank him for his country’s decision to recognise Palestinian statehood.
Spain, Norway and Ireland have announced their decision to recognize the Palestine as a state on May 28, 2024.
According to Mustafa, the move by the three European nations addresses “the injustice that has been inflicted on the Palestinian people for decades.”
He added, “We want to have every country in Europe to do the same.”
On his part, the Spanish Foreign Minister said that recognising the State of Palestine “is justice for the Palestinian people (and) the best guarantee of security for Israel.”
Israel has warned Spain, Norway and Ireland that ties with them will face “serious consequences” for their announced recognition of a Palestinian state.
On Monday, May 27, 2024, Mustafa will have another meeting in Brussels with the Spanish, Norwegian and Irish Ministers.
He will be in Spain on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.
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