EU to push for revival of West Asia peace talks

LAPPEENRANTA, Finland, Sep 1 (Reuters) European Union foreign ministers were set to push today for a revival of the West Asia peace process and discuss how the bloc could play a greater role in peace-brokering moves.

EU President Finland is hosting the meeting in a 17th century fortress in the town of Lapeenranta, where ministers will study how to leverage their growing military presence as peacekeepers in southern Lebanon to bring about regional talks.

European officials argue that the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese Hizbollah guerrillas and continuing Israeli-Palestinian violence can be resolved only by a political process leading to a negotiated settlement.

In efforts to win a wider Middle East peace, a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said he would urge ministers to pave the way for new talks based on a return to Israel's 1967 borders ''plus or minus agreed minor adjustments''.

This is anathema to Israel which, with the acquiescence of the United States, wants to retain swathes of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the Golan Heights and Arab East Jerusalem.

But one EU diplomat said there appeared to be an opening for a greater EU peace-broking role because of the large European contribution to the Lebanon peacekeeping force and there were signs that Israel was increasingly receptive to such an EU role.

EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner acknowledged that differences among the bloc's 25 member states remained an obstacle to a greater EU role in the West Asia.

''On the West Asia, it would be wonderful if all the European member states always had the same ideas,'' she told a news briefing.

''If we are completely united on a position then of course we can be a more effective player.'' ''The most important thing here is the political will that is necessary. That is not always exactly the same, which is very clear.'' NO MAGIC SOLUTION Waldner said the 2003 internationally sponsored ''road map'' that has been the basis of peace efforts remained relevant, but added: ''We still have to find a way to bring the two parties back to the negotiating table.

''There are a lot of ideas in the air and we also don't propose now the magic solution, but we have to at least discuss and see what is feasible.'' Among issues to be discussed were to revive an international conference to encourage contacts between Israel and the Palestinians or whether to look in a more focused way at the final status issue, she said.

What could help ''at the right moment'' would be a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmood Abbas to resolve the dispute over prisoners.

The Financial Times newspaper quoted Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja as saying the EU should resume contacts with Hamas, branded by both Brussels and Washington as a terrorist organisation and shunned by both despite its victory in Palestinian elections this year.

But Tuomioja appeared to distance himself from any such move, telling reporters in Lappeenranta he would not be proposing any such initiative to his counterparts.

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