OPT: Momentum of Gaza pullout should be seized, quartet says

New York (dpa) - Major powers backing Middle East peace efforts called Tuesday for seizing the momentum built on the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza Strip to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Following a closed-door meeting at U.N. headquarters, members of the Middle East quartet said the Gaza pullout created "new opportunities'' to realize the so-called road map to establish a Palestinian state.

"The conclusion of disengagement represents an important step toward achieving the vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security,'' the statement said.

The quartet said any final agreements to end the conflict should be done through negotiations and that a new Palestinian state "must be fully viable with contiguity in the West Bank and connectivity to Gaza.''

The quartet is composed of the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia. Attending the meeting were U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, British Foreign Minister Jack Straw and E.U. officials Javier Solana and Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

The quartet praised Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's political courage and the Gaza withdrawal as a "brave and historic decision that should open a new chapter on the path to peace in the region.''

"Our task now is to seize the momentum to help the Palestinians build a model so they can govern,'' Rice said in a joint news conference with quartet members.

Rice and Annan said the Quartet had discussed Palestinian security reform, the Palestinian economy, freedom of movement in Gaza and the cooperation between the Palestinian Authority and Egypt to control international borders. Other topics of discussion included activities of White House special envoy to the Israeli-Palestinian issues, former World Bank President James Wolfensohn.

The quartet said a total of 750 million dollars will be disbursed to the P.A. for the rest of 2005.

On Monday the E.U. pledged a package of aid worth 280 million euros (340 million dollars) to the Palestinian Authority.

While the quartet was meeting, Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom told the U.N. General Assembly that his country wants to join the powerful Security Council for the first time since it joined the U.N. in the 1950s.

Israel's withdrawal from Gaza opened the doors to international responsibilities.

"Israel seeks to take its rightful place, as a country with full and equal rights in this institution,'' Shalom said. "This is why I decided to present - for the first time - Israel's candidacy for membership of the Security Council.''

Membership in the 15-nation council is decided by the 191-nation assembly, which each year elects five new members to replace five outgoing ones. Those members are elected on two-year terms.

The council has five permanent members: the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain. The 10 non-permanent members are elected for two years.

Although Israel has never served on the Security Council, it has gained more responsibilities in the organization after decades of exclusion because the assembly was dominated by voting blocs formed by non-aligned and Arab countries.

One of the 21 vice presidents who assist the assembly president to lead debate is Israeli Ambassador Dan Gillerman. It was the first time that an Israeli diplomat was elected to the post.

Gillerman presided the debate on Tuesday at which Shalom spoke. Rice later called Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the meeting, a Palestinian Authority spokesman said.

An official Palestinian that Abbas, who is Gaza since the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip has been finalized on Monday, had received a phone call from Rice on Tuesday night.

The spokesman, Abu Rudeineh, said the possibility of reviving the stalled peace process was discussed, especially how to use the current situation after the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and northern west Bank in reviving the peace process. dpa tn pr sar tc