EU to tell US to stay focussed on

Date: 27/02/03

CONVINCING the US it should not allow the Iraq crisis to divert attention away from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be a principal aim of the EU delegation visiting Washington today (27 February).

The Union's team is due to put pressure on the Bush administration to agree that the "road-map" for the Middle East, urging that a viable Palestinian state be founded within three years, should be published and implemented.

Although this proposal was endorsed by the so-called "Quartet" of the EU, UN, America and Russia before Christmas, Washington has stalled on approving its publication due to Israel's recent elections.

EU sources say they are not expecting today's talks to produce a deal.

"It is more of a talking and listening day," one official said. The EU "troika" will consist of George Papandreou, the Greek foreign minister, Chris Patten, the external relations commissioner, and Javier Solana, the foreign policy chief.

They are set to meet Condoleezza Rice, national security advisor, and Colin Powell, the secretary of state.

A US official said American diplomats had taken part in "constructive" talks in London last week, where the Quartet had focussed on getting the road- map adopted and presented to Israelis and Palestinians as soon as possible.

But Israeli diplomats privately vent frustration at how the EU is linking Iraq to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, alleging that the Europeans are using their united stance on the Middle East to deflect attention from their divisions over Iraq.

While Iraq will also figure prominently in the talks in Washington, Papandreou has said the Union does not have a view on the key question of how long international weapons inspectors should be given to continue their search for banned weapons.

Convincing the US it should not allow the Iraq crisis to divert attention away from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be a principal aim of the EU delegation visiting Washington on 27 February 2003.