ISTANBUL, July 3, 2013 (WAFA) – The Organization of Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) meeting in Istanbul between June 29 and July 3
admitted on Tuesday Palestine as a non-member Mediterranean state following a
bill submitted by Marie Arena of Belgium.
The bill, entitled: “Enlarging the Partnership with
Non-Member Mediterranean States to include the Palestinian National Authority,”
was approved.
Palestine’s ambassador to the European Union Laila Shaheed thanked Arena for submitting the bill.
A total of 58 members voted in favor of the bill, 33 against,
while 10 members abstained.
Following is the full text of the bill:
1. Bearing in mind that at the UN General Assembly of
Thursday 29 November 2012, the President of the Palestinian National Authority,
Mahmoud Abbas, obtained recognition of the State of Palestine as a non-member
observer State,
2. Bearing in mind that the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe granted the Palestinian National Council “Partner for
Democracy” status on 4 October 2011,
3. Recalling that UNESCO recognized the Palestinian National
Authority on 31 October 2011,
4. Noting the ongoing political upheaval in the Middle East
region and acknowledging the importance of reinforcing the OSCE partnership
with neighboring Mediterranean countries in a context of respect for the rule
of law and human rights,
5. Emphasizing the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s interest in
relations with the Mediterranean region, as shown by the Parliamentary Assembly
Conference on the Mediterranean (Madrid, 2002) and the subsequent Mediterranean
Forums,
6. Recalling the Charter of Paris for a New Europe (1990),
which aims to “promote favorable conditions for a harmonious development and
diversification of relations with the non-participating Mediterranean States”,
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly:
7. Calls upon the OSCE to grant the status of Mediterranean
Partner for Co-operation to the State of Palestine, following the Palestinian
Authority’s request of November 2004;
8. Stresses the importance of building two independent,
viable and stable States within a framework that guarantees the safety of the
population of both States;
9. Urges the OSCE participating States and the six Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation to initiate a constructive dialogue on peace in the Middle East within the framework of the OSCE.
M.S./F.R.
