Middle East stability and security vital for Europe, Finland says

Finnish Foreign Minister Tarja Halonen said on Tuesday that security and stability in the Middle East was an important element for Europe's stability.

Halonen, whose country holds the rotating six-month E.U. presidency, stressed in remarks to the London-based daily Al-Hayat the importance of a European participation in initiating and pushing forward the Middle East peace process, noting that Arab and Israeli sides asked for a bigger and more effective E.U. role.

Al-Hayat interviewed the Finnish Minister at the Royal institution for international studies in London, where she lectured on "Europe in the New Century."

Halonen said "we in the E.U. regard achieving security in Eastern Balkan and the Middle East as the most political and security priorities for the EU." "I told the region leaders during my last month visit, that they could not bypass our role as we were part of the same family," she said.

Last August, the Finnish Minister visited Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestinian self-rule areas and Israel.

On her point of view over activating peace process on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks, particularly after the wave of optimism accompanying the election of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, she said implementing signed agreement on the Palestinian-Israeli track was a positive indication particularly after the long delay.