Dialogue 'only path to peace in Middle East'

Madrid: The Madrid +15 Peace Conference concluded yesterday on a positive note.

It said all parties including Israel and Syria have realised the need for peace to address the lack of security in the region. The meeting stressed the need for dialogue and concessions as the only way to achieve peace in the Middle East.

There was no agreement among 100 participants representing six countries and international organisations on what is the best formula for peace, but officials at the conference said the EU and the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice will undertake a tour in the coming two weeks to explore ways of activation.

The three-day conference including representatives from Syria and Israel who met for the first time after seven years to discuss ways of pushing peace ahead was described as highly fruitful.

But, a veteran EU diplomat warned the world against the risk of delaying the peace process and suggested moving the peace process ahead, within the next six months, before the US administration got busy with the presidential election.

Javier Solana, EU top Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy told Madrid+15 Peace Conference that the world is convinced that the core of achieving peace in many regions in the world lies with finding a just and feasible solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

"Dialogue and concessions, not the use of military force, will bring peace to the region and subsequently to the world," he said.

He said, "The world, including the US, has come to this conclusion. The Baker-Hamilton report referred clearly to the links between Arab-Israeli conflict and other security challenges facing the US and rest of the world. We have to move quickly before it is too late."

Solana told Gulf News Madrid+15 is a EU initiative although they believe the US has a key role to play in the coming few months.