Fayyad said, “we deeply appreciate the role EU plays; in continuously providing  aid for the Palestinian Authority (PA) in various fields, in order to enable us reach the end of our two-year project which is establishing a Palestinian state”.

He pointed out the role EU played in the international quartet; supporting the PA, its institutions, infrastructure, budget, in addition to its political support.

He added “last month the donor countries held a meeting in Brussels where they reviewed the essential technical reports regarding what the PA accomplished; in which they confirmed that PA with its institutions exceeded readiness of establishing a Palestinian state.”

“ Through the formation of  a united national government we are putting ourselves in the right track; gain international recognition of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital next September,” Fayyad said.

On his part, Berger said “ On Europe Day, the European Union takes the opportunity to remember where it came from. But above all, it can look at how far it has come. On May 9, it is also an opportunity to celebrate the enduring relations between the European and Palestinian people and reflect on what we have achieved so far through our partnership and work with the Palestinian Authority under the leadership of President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad. Europe Day's message speaks across continents: this day is a symbol of new beginnings and peaceful cooperation, as a future independent Palestinian state will mark the beginning of a better future for this region.' 

He added “we are here to reflect a bit on the future, how to promote EU’s values, dignity, humanity, stability and prosperity and how to make our neighbors share in our prosperity and stability which Palestine is a very good example of what we want to do and how we are going to bring together democracy, development, cooperation, political engagement and humanitarian support, in addition to security cooperation.” Berger confirmed Palestinians’ right to establish an independent state.

He also mentioned  EU’s role in providing the necessary support in building the Palestinian institutions and infrastructure for a future Palestinian state, saying “considering EU a donor and not a key member in the Palestinian issue is fundamentally wrong, because without the support we are giving, I don’t think we would see a Palestinian state emerge anytime soon.”

The reconciliation lead by Abbas has been the request and demand of EU for more than 31 years, he added.

Its noteworthy that On May 9th the European Union marks the symbolic date when in 1950 French Foreign Minister, Robert Schuman, put forward his ideas on a united Europe to bring lasting peace and prosperity to our continent.

From the original Six to twenty-seven European countries today, the European Union is spreading democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights to more than 500 million European citizens. What started off as a coal and steel community and then turned into a broader economic club has since turned into an outward-looking Union with a growing role and reach, acting as a force for good in our neighbourhood and globally.

T.R./F.R.