Moratinos: Barak obstructs resumption of Middle East peace talks
Following his meeting with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud in Beirut on Tuesday, the European Union's Middle East peace process special envoy, Miguel Angel Moratinos, said, "Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon should be made in the course of a complete withdrawal."
Moratinos added, "Within this frame, it was necessary for me to visit Lebanon in order to try to prepare with the Lebanese authorities and the European Union the steps and measures the EU has to carry out in helping the establishment of final and lasting peace in the region."
He added, "I was careful to stress to the Lebanese President that Lebanon constitutes for the EU "a dear and special case," stressing the continued backing of the EU to Lebanon and to the Lebanese authorities.
Moratinos stated that discussions with President Lahoud concentrated on three basic issues concerning to the Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon according to UN resolution 425, the need to find a final solution to the question of the Palestinian refugees, and relations between Lebanon and the EU in the framework of a financial and economic program for the interest of the Lebanese state and society.
Moratinos added, "We hold unanimous stands on views and obligations Lebanon and the EU have towards these issues."
The European Union's Middle East special envoy held Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak responsible for not resuming talks on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks. He added, "Talks on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks are still stumbled due to the fact that Barak does not want to accept the commitment made by his predecessor Rabin to withdraw until June 4, 1967 border line."
On the Lebanese side, Lebanese President Emile Lahoud stressed on Tuesday cohesion between the Syrian and Lebanese tracks in the Middle East peace process. The Lebanese president asserted the need to guaranteeing the Palestinian refugees' right to return to their lands and opposition to settling them in the Lebanese territories.
Meanwhile, the foreign, defense and security parliamentary committees on Tuesday held a joint meeting, chaired by the speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, in which regional conditions and Israeli threats to attack the Lebanese infrastructure were discussed. The meeting was attended by Lebanese Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss, Minister of Defense Gahzi Zaytar and the Lebanese parliamentarians who are members of the committees.
In a statement issued following the meeting, the two committees stressed Lebanon's adherence to principles on the grounds of which Lebanon joined the Middle East peace process, implementing the land-for-peace formula and international legitimacy resolutions, as well as cohesion with the Syrian track.
The statement asserted Lebanon's refusal to solve the question of the Palestinian refugees at the expense of Lebanon, considering any direct or indirect attempt to settle them as a conspiracy against their own nationality and basically constitutes a threat and an aggression on Lebanon's sovereignty and supremacy.