Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said on Sunday that Israel would hold cease-fire negotiation with the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) under the precondition of complete quite.
At a joint press conference Sunday afternoon with Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, holder of the European Union (EU) rotating presidency, Sharon said that the Israeli government's present aim is "to bring about a cease-fire, to bring about quiet."
Sharon added that the negotiating team, which was established and headed by himself and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, would conduct negotiations to reach a cease-fire with the Palestinians only "when there is quiet, when the terror finally ceases."
"I said in the past that in exchange for real peace, the State of Israel would be willing to make painful compromises. However, there will be no compromise on the security and safety of the citizens of Israel," Sharon stressed.
He also called on the EU to supply greater assistance to the Palestinian people by building factories, establishing infrastructures and investing in the Palestinian industry.
The high-level EU delegation led by Verhofstadt arrived in Israel Sunday on the third stop of its Mideast mediation tour, following Egypt and the Palestinian self-rule areas. It will also visit Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
In a meeting with PNA Chairman Yasser Arafat Saturday night in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the delegation assured Arafat of growing world support for a Palestinian state and urged him to take tough measures against Palestinian militants. Arafat told the delegation that he and the PNA have been doing their best to enforce a cease-fire.
( November 19,2001)
