November 12, 2003	Wednesday	Ramazan 16, 1424

ROME, Nov 11: EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Tuesday sharply criticised Israel’s policy of boycotting officials who have met with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, saying it contravened the rules of diplomacy.

Solana’s own special envoy Marc Otte has been cold-shouldered by Israeli officials since a meeting last month with the Palestinian leader who they insist is the main obstacle to peace.

“When you have somebody there whose main task is to go back and forth between the two sides and who cannot, it’s rather bizarre,” Solano told journalists in Rome where he was attending an EU troika meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.

“It’s not a good diplomatic act to say to a country whom you can see and whom you can’t see,” he added.

“Israel might not want to see Arafat, and that’s their prerogative, but they have to know that this is not the rules of diplomacy.”

Nevertheless, Solana said he believed the problem could be “overcome” when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom visit Europe early next week for talks with EU officials.

Shalom will meet EU counterparts including Solana in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday, while Sharon is heading to Rome for discussions with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of current EU president Italy.

Another major topic will be Israel’s controversial building of the wall around the West Bank, ostensibly to prevent infiltration by Palestinian suicide bombers.

“We have to discuss the issue of the fence, or the wall. We do think this is not a good idea, considering that it’s dividing cities, dividing villages, dividing people on all sides of the fence,” said Solana.

“We don’t think this is the appropriate thing to do,” he said, adding that EU officials would also continue to press their opposition to settlements.

“In the roadmap, there is a clear commitment to cease settlements and this has not been done.”

He said the formation of the new Palestinian government would allow the EU and Israel to resume talks with a Palestinian interlocutor.

“I think I know who it will be and I know him for a long time, and I think we will be able to do business with him,” said Solana.

He said Israel’s reaction had been “not enthusiastic, but I think it leaves the door open to resume the contact between Prime Ministers Sharon and Abu Ala, (also known as Ahmed Qorei) which is good news.”—AFP