By KUNA
Brussels : European Commission (EC) President Jose Manuel Barroso said on Friday that without a solution to the Palestinian question there can be no progress in cooperation in the Mediterranean region.
“I think it is undeniable that the major single issue that has held us back is the enduring Middle East conflict,” Barroso told the 4th Plenary Session of the Euromed Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA) taking place in the Greek capital Athens today.
“Periods of increased tensions have often brought co-operation to a halt. So, the resolution of this conflict is essential if we are to progress towards regional integration and sustainable peace. Only a negotiation aimed at agreement on the final status issues can deliver a secure and stable future for both Palestinians and Israelis,” he said. Barrosos speech was distributed to the press in Brussels.
The EC President underlined his support to the recent proposal promoted by French President Nicolas Sarkozy for a “Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean.” “So we need to look at the factors that have held us back if we want this new initiative, the Union for the Mediterranean, to succeed,” he said.
A summit meeting of the new Union is to be held in Paris on 13 July.
“Over the coming weeks, we will hold consultations with all Euro-Med partners to see how we can deliver on the expectations of our citizens and create a real sense of Mediterranean community,” added the head of the EU’s executive body. The EMPA, first convened in 2005, brings together MPs from 27 EU countries, the European Parliment and 10 from the Mediterranean rim (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey).