EU foreign policy representative Mr Javier Solana is planning to travel to the Middle East in the coming days to try to advance diplomatic efforts to end the worsening violence there, a spokesman said today.
Solana spoke yesterday with Palestinian cooperation minister Mr Nabil Shaath and today with Israeli Foreign Minister Mr Shimon Peres, he added.
Belgian Foreign Minister Mr Louis Michel, whose country currently holds the presidency of the European Union, separately said that the EU must work more closely with the United States and Russia, the co-sponsors of the Middle East peace process.
Mr Michel said he was trying to organise a meeting with US and Russian officials to coordinate their approach to the region, where violence has been raging for the past 11 months.
The Belgian foreign minister said he would try to reach US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Russian Foreign Minister Mr Igor Ivanov today to discuss the idea.
The European Union "must use all of its clout" to press for a return to dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians, said Mr Michel, speaking before parliament.
But he added that the EU cannot act alone and that the United States must be engaged if the effort is to yield results.
AFP