London Talks On Palestinian Reform Open With Video-link

14/01/2003| IslamWeb

An international conference on reforming the Palestinian Authority opened in London, with key Palestinians forced to take part by video-link after Israel blocked them from attending following a bloody resistance bomb attack nine days ago."We're looking forward to a successful conference" despite the "regrettable" travel ban imposed by the Israeli authorities, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told reporters on his way into the meeting at the Foreign Office.

The talks in London are aimed at helping Palestinians prepare for the implementation of a "road map" drawn up by the diplomatic Quartet on Middle East peace with the aim of creating a Palestinian state by 2005.

Due to the Israeli ban, Straw said, some of the Palestinians will be participating by video-link from Ramallah, and others -- like planning and international cooperation Minister Nabil Shaath -- from Gaza.

"We hope and pray that the technical arrangements are maintained," he said.

Israel barred practically all the Palestinian delegates from attending in retaliation for a resistance bombing on January 5 in Tel Aviv that killed 22 people plus the two bombers.

The ban forced London to opt for either a video or phone link-up with the Palestinian territories, although the Palestinian representative to London Afif Safieh will be able to sit in on the talks in person.

Salman Shoval, an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, reiterated his government's view Tuesday that "the present terrorist-promoting (Palestinian) leadership is not a peace partner."

"That is part of the reason why we didn't let these so-called delegates go to London for this conference -- because we think it would just be another charade," he said on BBC radio.

"If the Palestinians want to effect reform, reform should be effected right here," Shoval said by telephone from Israel.

Delegates at the London conference were to discuss political, judicial, administrative, economic and constitutional reform of Arafat's administration, which is widely viewed as corrupt and inefficient.

US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs William Burns will represent Washington to demonstrate the importance the United States places on Palestinian reforms, the State Department said Monday.

"Palestinian civil and institutional reform remains a priority for us and for other members of the quartet," spokesman Richard Boucher said. "We support the efforts of the United Kingdom to advance this objective."

"We think the goal of reform in the Palestinian community is a very important one and one that we all should look for ways to support," he told reporters.

Asked whether Washington thought the conference could be productive, Boucher replied simply: "We'll have to see."

Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, whose nation has just begun a six-month turn at the rotating EU presidency, was to participate in the London conference via a telephone link.

EU foreign policy high representative Javier Solana, who has travelled often to the Middle East to try to keep the peace process alive, was to be at the table in person.

The 15-nation European Union is the biggest source of financial aid to the Palestinian Authority, giving it 10 million euros (10.6 million dollars) a month in direct budgetary aid as Israel continues to withhold customs and sales-tax revenues owed to the Palestinians since December 2000.

Participating by video-link Tuesday, besides Shaath, were Palestinian interior minister Hani El Hassan, local government minister Saeb Erekat, finance minister Salam Fayad, information minister Yasser Abed Rabbo and tourism minister Nabil Qassis.

PHOTO CAPTION

Jack Straw (2nd R) opens a meeting on Palestinian reform in London