At the invitation of Foreign Minister of the Palestinian National Authority, Riyad Al-Malki, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn, was in Palestine over the weekend.
Minister Asselborn first visited Ramallah on Saturday 7 November 2015, where he was received by the Palestinian Prime Minister, Rami Hamdallah and Riyad-Al-Malki, as well as former Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. He then headed to the Gaza Strip for talks with members of the Palestinian government and the head of United Nations agencies present on the ground.
Looking at the deterioration of the security situation on the ground and renewed crosscommunity violence, Minister Asselborn criticised the political deadlock of the current reconciliation efforts between Israelis and Palestinians, calling for calm and restraint.
"It is the absence of negotiations and prospetcs of hope which feed a fertile ground for hatred and terrorism," commented the Minister, before urging the parties to refrain from actions which could lead to further escalations of violence. "A third intifada is in nobody's best interest," he stated.
Discussions with the Palestinian authorities addressed the latest developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in depth, including potential means for the international community and the EU to facilitate negotiations between Israel and Palestine. Jean Asselborn emphasised the importance of putting an end to international law violations, declaring "amongst its foreign policy goals, Luxembourg has long consistently defended the two-state solution and the right of the Palestinian people to have a viable independent and democratic state, based on the borders of 1967 with east Jerusalem as its capital, living in peace and security alongside Israel". He further condemned the settlement policy of the Netanyahu government, claiming it prevented any prospect of resumption of negotiations.
In Gaza, the Luxembourg Minister looked at the situation on the ground and the progress of reconstruction efforts, just over a year after the war of summer 2014. There, he held talks with the Palestinian Minister of Justice, Salim Al-Saqqa; the Minister of Public Works and Housing, Mufid Al-Hassayineh; the Minister of Labour, Maamoun Abou Chahla; and the Minister for the Status of Women, Haida Al-Agha.
Minister Asselborn also met with leaders of several UN agencies, including the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (OCHA). Discussions highlighted the difficult living conditions in Gaza and the urgency in lifting the blockade, not only in the interest of Palestinian economic development, but also in that of Israel's security.
The exchange of views with Palestinian authorities also allowed for a review of the process of inter-Palestinian reconciliation and the internal political situation, before looking at the bilateral relations between the Grand Duchy and the Palestinian Authority. In this last context, discussions focused on potential ways in which ties between the two could be further strengthened.
Luxembourg, under its Cooperation Policy, provides grants of around €7 million annually to active Palestinian organisations and institutions as a way of improving the humanitarian situation in the region.
Photos by MAEE (Top: Jean Asselborn with representatives of UNWRA and OCHA. Bottom L-R: Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn; Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian National Authority, Riyad Al-Maki)
