By Nawab Khan and Talal aL-Kandari, KUNA,
Brussels : European Union sources confirmed here Friday that Israel sent a letter to the EU Council and the 27 EU member states two months ago with proposals and ideas to upgrade ties between Tel Aviv and Brussels.
Asked by KUNA about the contents of the Israeli letter, the EU sources said it is a “confidential letter” and declined to give details.
The EU Council which represents the member states was still discussing a common reply to the Israeli letter, said the sources speaking on condition of anonymity.
One of the things that Israel wants is full participation in the EUs 50 billion euro Seventh Framework Programme on research which will run until 2013.
The upgrading of ties will be the main topic for discussion at the EU-Israel Association Council meeting to take place in Luxembourg on Monday.
Analysts here opine that since the 27 EU states have yet to adopt a common position on the issues, it shows that there are differences among the member states.
Some EU states like Cyprus and Greece which have traditional close ties with the Palestinians and the Arab world could be reluctant to deepen their relations with Israel .
The Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League have expressed concern over the proposed upgrading of ties between the EU and Israel.
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has called on the EU not to upgrade its political and economic ties with Israel.
In a letter sent recently to the European Parliament, the European Commission, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and the Prime Ministers of the 27 EU member states, Fayyad accused Israel of “flagrant disregard of Palestinian rights by continuing to build Jewish settlements and of breaking commitments previously made by it to the EU.” The leader of the Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) in the European Parliament (EP) , Francis Wurtz, has also sent a letter to three EU leaders seeking clarification on reports that secret negotiations have taking place over the past year between the EU and leaders of Israel for closer cooperation between the two sides.
“According to certain sources, it appears that Israel asks for nothing less than to participate at all levels in EU meetings on issues of security and strategic dialogue; in the (EU) Council’s deliberations on the Maghreb and the Mashreq as well as in EU activities within the UN,” said the French MEP in his letter to the EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barrsso and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. France will hold the EU Presidency from July 1st for six months.