EU foreign ministers unite to urge immediate end to Middle East hostilities

EU FOREIGN ministers yesterday appealed for an immediate end to hostilities in the Middle East, going a step further than the weekend statement from the G8 on the situation.

They did not suggest sending an EU peace keeping force to the region but backed UN secretary general Kofi Annan’s proposal of sending a UN force.

The EU’s foreign ministers united to condemn the attacks by Hezbollah and urge Israel not to resort to disproportionate action.

Unlike the G8, the EU ministers insisted on an immediate end to hostilities.

Ireland, Spain, France and Sweden pushed for this over the past 24 hours. They persuaded Germany to allow the reference to “disproportionate action” to remain in the final statement.

Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern said he supported the idea of a UN force to stop the violence, adding “now is the time for the UN to step up to the mark”.

In Ireland, Labour Party president Michael D Higgins accused the international community of deciding to “stand aside and accept the aggressive and illegal actions of Israel that have exacerbated the conflict”.

While Mr Ahern has said the Israeli response was “harshly disproportionate”, Mr Higgins said that did not go far enough.

“Now that the Government has secured the safety of Irish citizens in the region, they must play a much more proactive role in brokering an end to the violence and securing Lebanese sovereignty. Our voice must be heard and Mr Ahern should stop abusing language by saying simply that the Israeli response is ‘disproportionate’.”