Mideast situation – European Community statement – Letter from Luxembourg

Letter dated 4 December 1980 from the permanent Representative of

Luxembourg to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I have the honour to inform you that the Heads of State and Government and the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the nine States members of the European Community, meeting in the European Council, issued at Luxembourg on 2 December 1980 the following statement concerning the situation in the Middle East:

"1. The European Council reviewed the action taken by the Nine since the  adoption of the Venice Declaration on the Middle East.

"2. The Council heard the report of Mr. Thorn on the mission which he  carried out on behalf of the Nine in accordance with paragraph 11 of the  Venice Declaration. It noted that the mission had highlighted the great interest aroused by the position taken by Europe and that, in that respect, it had been a success.

"3. The results of the mission confirmed that the principles of the Venice Declaration incorporated the essential elements for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement to be negotiated by the parties concerned. They reinforced the Nine's determination to contribute to the search for such a settlement.

"4. In that spirit, the European Council approved the decision of the  Ministers for Foreign Affairs to undertake consideration of the matter with the aim of clarifying and giving substance to the Venice principles. That consideration had resulted in the drafting of a report on the principal problems relating to a comprehensive settlement under the following headings – withdrawal, self- determination, security in the Middle East and Jerusalem.

"5. The report emphasized that the measures envisaged under those four headings should form a coherent whole and should therefore be co-ordinated carefully.

"6. The European Council indicated its agreement on that approach.

"7. It noted that various formulas were possible to give substance to some of the Venice principles, in particular on the duration of the transitional period leading up to the electoral procedure for self-determination, the definition of the provisional authority for the vacated territories, the conditions and modalities for self-determination, the security guarantees and Jerusalem.

"8. With a view to a more thorough exploration of those formulas and in the desire to encourage a climate more favourable to negotiations, the European Council considered it necessary that new contacts should be established with the parties concerned, side by side with continued discussions within the Community.

"9. The European Council accordingly instructed the current Presidency to undertake those contacts, in consultation with the Ministers for Foreign Affairs.

"10. The Council also invited the Ministers to continue their discussions  with due regard for developments in the situation and to report back to the Council.

"11. The European Council has laid down this action programme in order to provide a more consistent platform designed to bring the parties concerned closer together."

I should be grateful if you would kindly have the text of this letter distributed as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 24 and 26, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Paul PETERS

Ambassador

Permanent Representative of Luxembourg

to the United Nations