EU delegation begins peace mission in Mid-East
The EU’s foreign policy envoy, Javier Solana and Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique are leading a delegation to the Middle East today in an effort to get both the Israelis and the Palestinians to stop violating international law.
However, the peace mission has already received a potentially fatal setback, with Israel refusing to allow EU officials to meet Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
A spokesman for the Spanish Foreign Ministry said: "It is not their right to prohibit meetings with democratically elected leaders".
Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen, has also criticised the ongoing Israeli invasion of the West Bank and said both sides must honour a recent UN resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.
