EU, Arab League clash over Palestine

Strong differences between the European Union and the Arab states broke out over Palestine in public during a press conference in Brussels yesterday evening.

"It is a unanimous position on our side that it is really unfair" said Amr Moussa, Secretary General of the Arab League, in reply to a question on the EU's decision not to talk to Hamas members of the Palestine Authority government.

"This is a government of national unity. The platform is a platform of negotiations and trying to reach peace. and it is now time to stop the restrictions that have been taken for no reason. It has no justification from point of view of logic and fair policy," stressed Moussa.

Saudi foreign minister Saud al-Faisal, sitting next to Moussa said "I think, it is a very wrong decision."

On his part, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana grabbed the microphone and said, "We are logical people and we take decisions logically. It may not be understood and may have different logic. We took decisions very clearly at a given moment I thought and think that it was the right decision to be taken." EU foreign ministers and some representatives of the Arab League met in Brussels for the first time Monday to discuss the situation in Palestine.

Amr Moussa earlier urged the EU to adopt fair policies in the region.

The EU along with the US stopped all direct aid to the Palestinian government after Hamas was elected in last year's elections.