'Total approach' to peace is crucial for region

Madrid: US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice's tour of the Middle East will succeed in pushing forward the Arab-Israeli peace process, according to one of the organisers of Madrid+15.

Mark B. Taylor, managing director of the Fafo Institute for Applied International Studies in Oslo, told Gulf News he expects Rice's tour in the region to achieve some success as it will build on the success of the positive atmosphere created by the Madrid+15 Peace Conference.

Fafo and four other European non-governmental organisations (NGOs) called for the Madrid+15 event in commemoration of the Madrid Peace Conference in 1991. Its aim was to explore ways of activating peace negotiations between warring parties in the Middle East. More than 100 politicians and peace negotiators representing six Middle East countries held closed door meetings to achieve the goal.

Taylor said the indications gathered from the region suggest that peace negotiations will move ahead in a few months.

Felipe González, former Prime Minister of Spain and one of the organisers of the 1991 Madrid Peace Conference, highlighted the positive improvement of peace culture in the Madrid+15 event compared to the Madrid Peace Conference.

He told Gulf News the improvement was clear in three different sections.

"As a result of Madrid 1991, peace prevailed finally between Jordan and Israel and the agreement signed between the two countries in 1993 is standing strongly between the two nations. The second positive note of Madrid+15 was the acceptance of Palestinians as peace partners by the Israelis themselves. This will facilitate strong and feasible peace being reached in the region.

Issue of refugees

He said: "As we all remember, Palestinians participated in Madrid 1991 under the umbrella of the Jordanian delegation because they were not accepted then as an recognised independent delegation. Today, Palestinians are participating in the Madrid+15 conference as independent negotiators with Israel. The two parties have, over the years, built a great deal of confidence amongst each other."

González added: "It took us so long to embrace the total approach for peace in the Middle East, but it has become clear that issues such as a just and permanent settlement between Israel, Syria and Lebanon in addition to solving the issue of Palestinian refugees, are altogether key to enduring and lasting peace.

"When the Madrid Peace Conference was convened in 1991 we were not able to understand why discussing all related issues at once were important for peace. We, the organisers of the Madrid Peace Conference in 1991, were in favour of breaking up the whole issue of peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours into small issues in order to ease the path for final peace. This proved to be wrong and we should not repeat this any more," he said.