EU states call for Mideast peace conference

Paris/Cairo/occupied Jerusalem: The foreign ministers of France, Italy, Spain and seven other European states called yesterday for an international conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and said Israel should make more concessions for peace.

In an open letter to new big-power Middle East envoy Tony Blair, the foreign ministers of the EU's Mediterranean states - Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Malta, Romania and Slovenia - welcomed Arab states' efforts for peace following the stalled US-backed roadmap.

"The roadmap has failed. The status quo that has prevailed since 2000 is leading to nothing," the ministers said in their letter, published in French daily Le Monde. The ministers said there was a need to "redefine our objectives", adding that Europe and the quartet of Middle East mediators should firmly tell Israel to make more concessions in support of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The ministers said one of their new objectives was "to obtain from Israel concrete and immediate measures in favour of Mahmoud Abbas.

Olmert-Abbas meeting

"Among these, the transfer of all taxes due, the release of the thousands of prisoners who do not have blood on their hands, the release as well of the main Palestinian leaders to ensure succession within Fatah, a freeze in new settlements [colonies] and the evacuation of unauthorised settlements [colonies]," they said.

In occupied Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert spokesman said Olmert will meet Abbas next week to discuss security cooperation and humanitarian needs in the Palestinian territories.

Also yesterday, A delegation representing Abbas arrived in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials about last month's takeover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas, Palestinian officials said.