EU pays tribute to Arafat

The EU has paid tribute to Yasser Arafat, president of the Palestinian authority and pledged to continue the push towards a durable peace and the "aspirations of the Palestinian people."

After Arafat's death on Thursday, Bernard Bot, foreign minister of the Netherlands which holds the rotating EU presidency, passed on his "profound condolences" to the Arafat family and the Palestinian people.

"In him the Palestinian people, both within and outside the Palestinian Territories, have lost an historic leader and a democratically elected president, whose devotion and single minded commitment to the Palestinian national cause throughout his life was never in doubt," said the minister in a statement.

"Although he has not lived to see the birth of the Palestinian state, we will work with the Palestinian authorities and the international community to contribute to realising the aspirations of the Palestinian people".

EU parliament president Josep Borrell also paid tribute to the leader identified with "the struggle of the Palestinian people for self-determination, through exile and after his return."

Borrell praised Arafat's "courageous step of seeking peace with Israel" and hoped his legacy will be a "durable peace".

The EU's foreign Policy chief Javier Solana also expressed his "great sadness" at Arafat's death, and pledged to push ahead with the Roadmap for peace.

"The best tribute to President Arafat's memory will be to intensify our efforts to establish a peaceful and viable State of Palestine as foreseen by the Roadmap."

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