By Bruno Waterfield - 8th February 2005
The EU has pledged €250 million to aid Middle East peace as Israel and Palestine agree a truce to end over four years of violence.
Israeli and Palestinian leaders Ariel Sharon and Mahmoud Abbas have announced a ceasefire at a Middle East summit in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheikh.
EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner is in the Middle East and yesterday held meetings with both Sharon and Abbas.
She welcomed a truce as an important step closer to a deal set out in an international 'road map' for peace.
“Today's ceasefire declaration is a message of hope that brings closer the prospect of peace based on a two-state solution,” she said in Tel Aviv.
“The courage and leadership shown today by both sides must open a longer process of parallel effort to implement the road map.”
“I have signalled to both parties that the European Commission is ready to support the next steps with concrete help worth €250 million.”
The move heralds greater optimism in the region since a Palestinian transfer for power after the recent death of Yasser Arafat.
Sharon had refused to meet Arafat but since the election of Abbas as president of the Palestinian Authority Israel has signalled a new willingness to negotiate.
But it is as yet unclear whether militant Palestinian groups will back the truce aimed at ending four years of conflict and re-starting the Middle East peace process.
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