By NNN-KUNA,
Paris : France, which currently holds the European Union presidency, has denied that the EU has formulated a peace plan for the Middle East that will be presented in 2009.
The Foreign Ministry refuted Monday reports in the Israeli press which suggested that the EU is on the point of discussing the elements of a new plan and that a document is ready to be submitted for examination by the EU foreign ministers next week.
“The European Union had, before Annapolis, presented an action strategy which aimed to accompany the (Annapolis) process,” French Foreign Ministry spokesman Frederic Desagneaux said.
The EU is working on “updating” the strategy “in order to take into account new developments,” he added.
Desagneaux told reporters that a document was indeed submitted to member states by the EU Council and the Commission which worked on the “updating.”
“This document is in no way a peace plan but an internal document destined to nourish reflection by member states on their contribution to the peace process. It proposes, notably, some indications on the role that the Europeans could have once a peace accord is signed,” the French official said.
France, in particular, has said it would be willing to contribute forces to help implement a peace accord in the Middle East and other EU states would also be likely to contribute to such an initiative.
Desagneaux noted that the European Union felt it could play a useful role in advancing the peace process. He stressed that the EU was the principal financial backer of the Palestinian Territories and also “a trusted partner of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.”
Separately, the spokesman said that he had no knowledge of reports that a Libyan vessel carrying humanitarian supplies for Gaza had been intercepted by Israeli gunboats and forced to reverse course.
Nonetheless, he said that the deterioration of the situation in Gaza was “very worrying” and the halting of the power station was “worsening an already very critical humanitarian situation.”
“We deplore the decision taken by the Israeli government to keep the crossing points to Gaza closed. These blockade measures are leading to collective punishment of the civilian population.”
France called for the immediate opening of the crossing points and for a halt to firing of rockets into Israel from Gaza.