France says EU for a key role in ME peace

France has reiterated that Europe has an effective role to play in relaunching the Middle east peace process that would complement the US role.

Assistant spokeswoman for the French Foreign Ministry, Anita Limido, said her country supports any initiative and meeting conducive to putting an end to the process impasse and to impart dynamism to it.

Concerning whether meetings scheduled on May 4 in London between US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Palestinian President Arafat and Israeli Premier Netanyahu will be bilateral or trilateral, the French assistant spokeswoman said there are conflicting reports and France does not have the necessary data in this regard.

She expressed her country's conviction that the UK, the current President of the EU, would not keep silent on what the outcomes of the meetings would be.