EU: Aid to PA not linked to peace talks
Published yesterday (updated) 19/08/2010 17:46
www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=309278

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Aid to the Palestinians "is not linked to negotiations
in any way," the head of operations at the Office of the EU Representative
in Jerusalem said Thursday.

Roy Dickenson categorically rejected the PA's accusations that donor
countries were withholding assistance as the international community pushes
for a return to direct peace talks.

"Aid is being given to eliminate poverty amongst the Palestinian people, to
guarantee central public services, to strengthen the institutions of an
emergent Palestinian state. Those things need to happen irrespective of
whether negotiations go forward or not," he told Ma'an.

Stressing that "it would be difficult to imagine" the EU linking aid to
negotiations, Dickenson explained that "We are using this money to pursue
[Prime Minister Salam] Fayyad's two-year plan to build a Palestinian state.
"It makes no sense to cut off or reduce money if we want that aid to be
fulfilled.

"We want, in the middle of next year, to say together with Dr Fayyad that
the institutions of the Palestinian Authority are ready to assume the role
of a Palestinian state if that comes along. It would make no sense from our
logic to reduce our financing, and we absolutely have not."

He added: "It would be completely different, of course, if the Palestinian
Authority renounced its commitment to peace - to peace, not the peace
process - it's a different world, but that is nowhere near the sort of game
we are at, at the moment."

Quartet statement only if necessary

"We are absolutely one with the US, and we have exactly the same story,"
Dickenson said, referring to rumors of disagreements between the EU and the
US stalling a once-imminent statement from the Middle East Quartet.

In Washington, US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said Wednesday
that "We're not at the point yet where a statement has been agreed to," but
said that the Quartet was "poised to help" if a statement would be helpful.

Dickenson said the shift in attitude toward the usefulness of a statement,
which had appeared imminent but now seems stalled. "These are delicate
negotiations and it's a delicate time. It's important to get things right
rather than to move quickly and get it wrong. I think the Americans and the
Quartet partners are taking great pains to get it right, so a statement will
push forward a process and not hold it back."

He added that "The EU position is clear; [foreign policy chief Catherine]
Ashton wrote to all ministers to urge absolute unity of the EU behind the
Quartet. It's a matter of getting it right and helping the process."

Undeniable cash crisis

While adamant that the EU had not tied aid to negotiations, Dickenson
affirmed that the PA faced a cash crisis.

The donor community as a whole "is not as predictable as the PA would like
it to be. The PA has always had, over the past three years, at various
points during the year, particularly over the summer and then at the
beginning of the year, had real difficulties in paying their salary bill,"
he noted saying that the EU has asked donor countries to "spend money in a
predictable way and on a regular basis."

According to earlier EU statements, however, the PA asked the union to
front-load its support for the payment of civil servant salaries and
pensions, as well as as social assistance programs.

"This year, it's true that some donors' performance has been less good than
it was last year," Dickenson said by way of explanation but stressed that
contributions from the EU as a whole matched 2009, and individual countries
either increased or remained stable.

"There is no question that the European Union is responding just as
generously this year as it had last year to the PA need," he said, adding
that "Ashton announced another 41 million euro, which is in the pipeline .
and should become available in September or October, and we hope very much
that that can help the PA to get over this crisis.

"We are actually making more money available and not less, as some have
reported."