Spain believes it is “vital” for Palestinians and Israelis to resume negotiations

After meeting with the US special envoy to the area, George Mitchell, and with the “Paris Group”, on 12 January in Brussels, Moratinos stated that there is a “general mobilisation” of the international community towards relaunching the peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

“It is time for commitment, and that's what the European Union is going to do, working together with the parties, with the Palestinians, with the Arab world, with the Israelis, so that we can jointly reset the clock of peace”.

With this in mind, Mitchell and Moratinos will strengthen the “coordination and complementarity of US and European diplomacy”, stressed the Spanish minister.

Moratinos also took part in a meeting of the so-called “Paris Group”, which brings together the main donors to the Palestinian people and monitors the Oslo Peace Accords of 1993 between Israel and Palestine, as well as giving technical and economic support towards the creation of a Palestinian State.

“Timing is important; it is vital that the negotiations start again”, said Moratinos, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.

However, he warned that “we are in a preliminary stage”, and an international conference such as the one held in Madrid in 1991 has therefore “not been considered”.

Negotiations were suspended during the recent Israeli election campaign and the subsequent Israeli offensive in Gaza last year complicated the situation and made it difficult to restart.

The objective now is “to not miss this new opportunity”, since “much time has been lost”, stressed the Spanish Minister