Udenrigsminister Per Stig Møller talte fredag i FN’s Generalforsamling. I sin tale fokuserede udenrigsministeren på FN’s kommende dagsorden, hvor beskyttelsen af menneskerettigheder, kampen mod terrorisme og arbejdet for fred og sikkerhed står centralt. Han kom bl.a. ind på situationen i Mellemøsten, Afghanistan, Irak og Sudan.
Torsdag den 21. september deltog udenrigsministeren i Sikkerhedsrådets debat om Mellemøsten. I sit indlæg lagde udenrigsministeren vægt på, at køreplanen for fred fortsat skulle danne grundlag for fredsprocessen. Han gav sin fulde støtte til præsident Abbas’s arbejde for at danne en palæstinensisk samlingsregering. Udenrigsministeren drøftede personligt situationen i Mellemøsten med præsident Abbas den 20. september.
Udenrigsministeren har iøvrigt anvendt sit ophold i New York i den forløbne uge til at have bilaterale samtaler med udenrigsministre fra bl.a. Afghanistan, Algeriet, Libanon, Iran, Irak og Sudan.
Udenrigsministerens indlæg:
Madam President, Mr. Secretary-General, Excellencies,
Denmark welcomes this opportunity to discuss how to address the urgent and serious situation in the Middle East. The momentum created by our common efforts to end the hostilities in Lebanon and put in place a process leading to lasting peace must be used to revive the Middle East peace process. Against this backdrop, we welcome yesterday’s Quartet meeting and fully associate ourselves with its statement.
There is an urgent need to give the people of the region a reason to hope. Their growing sense of desperation must be overcome. That can only happen if they are given a credible prospect of a better future.
My recent meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders have been encouraging. My clear impression is that both sides recognize the urgent need to revive the peace process, and are ready to do so. The international community must do everything possible to assist them in this endeavor and provide the incentives needed to foster the lasting peace we all want.
We already have the framework in place. Over long years, we have developed a basis for achieving lasting peace. It includes the Arab Peace Initiative, the Performance-Based Road Map for a Permanent Two-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, as well as relevant Security Council resolutions, all based on the principle of land for peace. This framework, agreed upon through arduous negotiations, offers the best foundation for achieving our goal. It must continue to be our guidepost as we try to revive the peace process.
The underlying premise of the Road Map is that the two sides will take a series of simultaneous and parallel steps leading to peace. Even if the timeframe, of course, needs to be revisited, the principles and the sequencing it lays down remain as relevant as ever.
Madam President,
The ongoing efforts by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to form a government of national unity are welcome and I hope they will be successful. It is also my hope that the new government’s political platform will reflect the Quartet principles and allow for early engagement. President Abbas efforts in this regard can only be successful with strong and committed support from the international community. Therefore, Denmark is committed to provide financial assistance to President Abbas. I am also encouraged by the prospects of a meeting between President Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert in the near future with a view to restarting the peace process.
To be successful, these negotiations must be accompanied by an end to violence.
Moreover, the captured Israeli soldier must be released, and the Palestinian ministers and legislators in Israeli custody must be immediately freed.
Urgent attention must be paid to humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territories. We welcome the generous contributions made this month at the Stockholm International Donor Conference, and the decision to extend and expand the Temporary International Mechanism. At the same time, Israel should release the Palestinian tax and customs revenues it is withholding, and keep open all border crossings. And all Palestinian factions must immediately stop their attacks, just as all Israeli military activities in the Palestinian territories must cease.
In conclusion, I encourage the parties to do everything within their power to seize this moment when the world is again focused on Middle East peace. The international community must, and I sincerely hope it will, provide full support to their efforts. I pledge that Denmark will not waver from its commitment to continue to do everything possible to achieve the ultimate goal – a lasting peace in the Middle East where all States are living side by side in peace and security. And where all peoples can prosper and freely develop their societies.
Thank you Madam President.
Kilde:
www.um.dk
