Danish peace plan: A Palestinian state by fall of 2005

Denmark which presides the current rotating presidency of the European Union has called for the foundation of an independent Palestinian state by the fall of 2005 in the context of a plan to revive the suspended peace process in the Middle East.

Denmark's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Per Stig Moller intends to review the plan on his colleagues in the European Union which includes 15 countries during an unofficial meeting they will hold in Alsinore to the north of Copenhagen next Friday and Saturday. Moller said that the document is based on ideas actually proposed by Arab states, the US and Germany and aims at crystallizing a joint Arab- European position prior to the meeting of the European states with the Quartet group which includes the UN, the UN, the European Union, and Russia in New York in September.

Moller expressed his conviction that it will not be possible for the Palestinians to implement reforms needed from them and to continue suicide attacks without having a clear objective. He said "it is necessary through achieving a parallel progress at the security, economic and political track to enhance the belief of the Palestinians to the possibility of reaching the aim of founding an independent state and consolidating also Israel's belief to attain security inside its borders."

Moller asked the Quartet group (US, EU, Russia and UN) to agree very soon on a plan that sets the objectives and dates as well as obligations of the two sides through finding a Palestinian state. Moller's plan is built on three phases Drawing a security agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinian that ends the current cycle of violence, before organizing the Palestinian elections in January 2003; carrying out internal Palestinian reform including a democratic constitution and an independent judiciary system; and making final negotiations on the borders between Israel and a new Palestinian state, including the issue of the future of Jerusalem.