BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

09/04/2006

EU ministers to back Hamas aid freeze, Belarus ban

By David Brunnstrom

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - EU foreign ministers are expected to endorse a decision to cut direct aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian government at a meeting on Monday, while seeking to limit the effect on ordinary Palestinians.

Gathering in Luxembourg, the ministers will also approve visa bans on Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko and 30 other officials accused of rigging a March 19 election and are expected to warn them of the possibility of further sanctions.

Diplomats said the ministers would reiterate concerns about Iran's nuclear program and be briefed by Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson on faltering global trade talks.

The quartet of Middle East peace brokers, the EU, the United States, Russia and the United Nations, is trying to push Hamas to renounce violence, recognize Israel's right to exist, and express clear support for the peace process.

On Friday, the 25-member EU and the United States announced a suspension of aid to the new Hamas-led Palestinian government, putting further financial pressure on the Palestinian Authority. Norway announced an aid freeze on Sunday.

A statement from Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar on Sunday urged EU ministers not to stop direct aid.

"Dr Zahar urged countries of the European Union to respect the democratic choice of the Palestinian people ... and not to take steps that could harm Palestinian citizens," it said.

Israel stepped up pressure on the Hamas-led government on Sunday, severing all direct contacts with a "hostile entity" and firing shells into Gaza to combat rocket attacks by militants.

Diplomats said the freeze covered all direct aid to the Palestinian government and payment of public employee salaries with EU funds through the World Bank, but not humanitarian aid through international and non-governmental organizations.

POLICY THROWN INTO DISARRAY

The EU has been the main donor to the Palestinian Authority, a policy thrown into disarray when Hamas, which the EU considers a terrorist organization blamed for dozens of suicide attacks in Israel, won January polls and formally took power last month.

On Monday, EU ministers will discuss what, if any, contacts the European Union should have with Hamas. Decisions still have to be made about aid in the pipeline.

"The ministers will be looking at how to continue to meet the basic needs of the Palestinian population, while sending a clear signal to the Hamas administration that not meeting quartet principles has repercussions," an EU diplomat said.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar appeared to float trial balloons last week by talking of a "two-state solution" -- code for co-existence with Israel -- in letters to the U.N. Secretary-General and an interview with The Times.

But he and other Hamas officials subsequently denied they were ready for a two-state solution.

Zahar said last week he would write to EU foreign ministers on Saturday. Officials of EU states said on Sunday they were unaware of a letter, but Zahar issued a statement appealing to the ministers to reconsider the aid freeze.

He said it would harm Palestinian civilians, and the EU's credibility among Palestinians and in the Muslim world would be hurt if it "fought against the democratic choice" of voters.

An Austrian EU Presidency official said on Friday Hamas seemed to be on a very slow march toward recognizing Israel, but its statements were "three steps forward, two steps back".

Source:

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-04-09T221353Z_01_L09563041_RTRUKOC_0_US-EU-FOREIGN.xml&archived=False