Cook, Netanyahu discuss peace process

UK Foreign Secretary Robin Cook met yesterday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in London to discuss the Middle East peace process.

In a statement after the meeting, Cook noted that courage is necessary to forward the cause of peace, saying, "We know from experience how difficult the path of peace can be and how important it is that the will of the majority is not disrupted by terrorists or by extremists on either side."

He called for maintaining the momentum and sustaining the spirit of cooperation that were created by the Wye River accord, signed on October 23 between the Israelis and Palestinians to restart the stalled peace process.

Cook said that Foreign Office Minister Derek Fatchett will attend next week's donor meeting in the United States and offer a donation of 100 million pounds ($165.5 million) to the Palestinian government and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) through Britain and the European Union.

He added, "We stand ready to play our full part on technical and financial help to move forward on the key issues, such as water, safe passage and the Gaza seaport."

Netanyahu pointed to the issue of reciprocity as key in Israel's approach to implementation of the Wye accord saying, "What we are now doing is assuring the implementation of Palestinian promises, and as we see them being implemented we shall move forward with our own obligations, precisely as we have done a week ago."