European initiative is not in the offing

The situation indeed is very critical and doesn't stand new initiatives. There is not any European initiatiative, and what is going on is just to find a way to put the Mitchell recommendations into effect.

This is simply the message relayed by Javier Solana, European Union Foreign Policy Chief.

In an interview with AL Ahram, Solana was keen to make it clear and to remove the ongoing initiatives' fever. He asserted that all efforts are focused on the application of the Mitchell report.

Excerpts:

-We are trying to get out of the present crisis, in cooperation with Egypt and other countries in the region.

-We believe that with proper preparation for the prospected meeting between Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israel Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, it could result in the implementation of the Mitchell recommendations.

-I cannot fix an agenda on behalf of the committers, but I'd say that the EU encourages such meeting, and believes that it is a good move to give a momentum to the ongoing efforts to stop further deterioration in the situation.

-Peres, after all, is Israel's Foreign Minister and Deputy Premier, and there is no room to consider his credibility, or weight in Israel or, in the world.

-Peres has expressed his desire to take part in the efforts and to negotiate with Arafat. -

-We should seize every opportunity to push the peace process forward in the direction of carrying out the recommendations of the Mitchell report.

-We, as Europeans and Egyptians would say that the venue of the meeting is not that significant. what really counts is that theEU, Egypt, and the USA believe in the need for a new drive to change the present situation.

-There is no development in respect of the deployment of international observers in the lands of the Palestinian Authority.