The European Union called today for an early Middle East peace conference, in its first reaction to US President Mr George W. Bush's blueprint for the region.
The Arab League reacted cautiously to the Mr Bush’s speech, saying the Arab countries must have a role in the creation of a Palestinian state.
In a statement, EU foreign policy high representative Mr Javier Solana welcomed Washington's renewed engagement to end the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
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He said: "An early international conference, as agreed by the Quartet (the United States, European Union, Russia and the United Nations) is more than ever necessary."
Mr Solana's statement did not refer to Palestinian leader Mr Yasser Arafat by name, after Mr Bush's statement yesterday strongly implied that he had to go.
But Mr Solana said the EU was prepared to help Palestinians organise elections "giving them an opportunity to choose their leaders."
"I welcome the US engagement, spelled out in President Bush's speech, in efforts to overcome the crisis in the Middle East," Mr Solana said.
Meanwhile Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa said today that Mr Bush's speech contained some "positive points", but stressed that Arab countries must be involved in the development of a Palestinian state.
"It is a very important speech by the American president and it must be given all the attention it deserves, because we are at a very critical moment, " Gen Mussa said in Khartoum where he is attending a ministerial meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.
"I hope that consultations among Arab countries will lead to an objective Arab stance to assist the creation of a Palestinian state," he said.
The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Syria, Prince Saud al-Faisal and Mr Faruq al-Shara, who were also present at the OIC meeting, refused to comment on the Bush speech to reporters.
AFP