EU welcomes Palestinian unity govt, wary on aid
Brussels,
Mar
18:
The
European
Union
today
welcomed
the
establishment
of
a
Palestinian
national
unity
government
but
said
a
resumption
of
direct
aid
would
depend
on
an
assessment
of
the
new
cabinet's
platform
and
actions.
''The
Presidency
of
the
EU
welcomes
the
formation
of
a
Palestinian
Government
of
National
Unity
pursuant
to
the
agreement
reached
in
Mecca
on
8
February
2007,
which
lays
the
foundation
for
Palestinian
reconciliation,''
a
statement
issued
by
EU
president
Germany
said.
''The
Presidency
of
the
EU
recalls
the
readiness
of
the
EU
to
work
with
and
to
resume
its
assistance
to
a
legitimate
Palestinian
government
adopting
a
platform
reflecting
the
Quartet
principles.
The
EU
will
carefully
assess
the
platform
and
actions
of
the
new
government
and
its
ministers,''
it
said.
German
Foreign
Minister
Frank-Walter
Steinmeier
and
EU
foreign
policy
chief
Javier
Solana
will
discuss
with
US
Secretary
of
State
Condoleezza
Rice
in
Washington
on
Monday
how
to
respond
to
the
coalition
formed
by
the
rival
Fatah
and
Hamas
movements,
diplomats
said.
The
United
States
and
Israel
have
said
the
new
government's
platform
does
not
meet
the
three
conditions
--
recognition
of
Israel,
renunciation
of
violence
and
acceptance
of
past
peace
accords
--
set
by
the
Quartet
of
international
peace
mediators.
The
statement
said
the
EU
would
continue
to
aid
the
Palestinians
through
a
Temporary
International
Mechanism
bypassing
the
government
''until
the
financial
situation
and
future
needs
can
be
assessed
and
a
more
sustainable
framework
for
assistance
can
be
established''.
The
Islamist
Hamas
proclaims
the
right
to
resist
occupation
although
it
has
accepted
a
long-term
truce,
and
has
not
formally
recognised
Israel's
right
to
exist.
Israel
has
said
it
will
not
work
with
the
new
government
but
will
continue
contacts
with
Palestinian
President
Mahmoud
Abbas,
the
moderate
Fatah
leader.
But
France
argues
the
Mecca
accord
is
a
major
step
forward,
which
the
EU
should
be
prepared
to
reward,
and
has
invited
new
Foreign
Minister
Ziad
Abu
Amr
to
Paris,
while
Britain
has
said
it
will
work
with
non-Hamas
members
of
the
new
government.
Some
diplomats
have
said
Brussels
is
considering
channelling
some
assistance
through
new
Palestinian
Finance
Minister
Salam
Fayyad,
a
respected
reformist
technocrat.
The
Quartet
comprises
the
United
States,
the
EU,
Russia
and
the
United
Nations.
Reuters