Visiting European External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner Wednesday called for a joint declaration between Israel and the Palestinians as a launching pad for a new peace process.

 

After her meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the European official told reporters that she hoped all parties concerned could exert all-out efforts to help the Palestinians and Israelis to reach such a joint declaration.

 

She attached paramount importance to the upcoming international Mideast peace conference to be held in the United States, saying it is coming at a crucial time for the Middle East peace process.

 

The conference proposed by the US President George W. Bush in July aims for restart of the stalled peace process and end of the chronic conflict between the Arabs and Israel in the Middle East region.

 

The Palestinian and the Israeli sides, leading factors of the regional conflicts, formed negotiation teams to outline framework agreement ahead of the Mideast peace conference, however, the two teams have not reached any consensus until now.

 

Despite the frustration facing the region, the European official pledged the Palestinians 100 million euros more (about US$144 million) assistance by the end of this year.

 

Since the start of this year, the European Commission has extended around 450 million euros (about US$648 million) to the Palestinians.

 

Ferrero-Waldner, who came to Egypt for the EU, Africa and the Mideast conference on energy to be held in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Thursday, also discussed with President Mubarak relations between Egypt and EU as well as means of strengthening cooperation between north and south Mediterranean basin countries.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 1, 2007)