Statement by the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean
on the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinians
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean welcomes the long-term ceasefire agreed between Israel and the Palestinians, after seven-weeks of fighting and devastation that has cost the lives of more than two thousand people.
The truce, brokered by the continuous commitment and efforts of the Egyptian authorities, aimed at the negotiation of an end to hostilities, is nothing less than a victory for the civilian populations, who can return to their normal daily lives without the threat that an armed conflict can cause further distress and suffering.
PAM reiterates the position of its member parliaments and the Assembly that the two parties must resolve to dedicate their efforts to focus on the root causes of their differences and work towards a final peaceful settlement based on the two-state solution. PAM invites, once again, all international actors to join Egypt in this avenue, and bring both sides to the negotiating table to address the issue, which will not only benefit Israelis and Palestinians, but also the Middle East and the Mediterranean as a whole.
Furthermore, a high-level delegation of PAM, led by President, Sen. Francesco Amoruso of Italy, shall engage, from 22 to 27 September, in a series of bilateral meetings and consultations on the role of parliamentary diplomacy in support of peace and security in the region, in New York, on the occasion of the UN General Assembly, and in Washington DC with the US Administration and Congress. Before travelling to the USA, President Amoruso will also address the impact of and current threats resulting from the Middle East crisis in the framework of Regional Security at the European Conference of Presidents of Parliaments, organized in Oslo on 11-12 September.
Sen. Dr. Mohammad Halaiqah of Jordan, PAM Vice President and President of the PAM Political Standing Committee, will engage on his part in an exchange of views on options for specific actions of parliamentary diplomacy in the Middle East and Libya with fellow parliamentarians at the special meeting of the NATO PA in Catania at the beginning of October.
As announced earlier, PAM will also discuss the issue with Egypt and will organize, as soon as the conditions on the ground allow, and in cooperation with the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, a mission to Gaza and Israel in order to assist, in particular, in the humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip.
A meeting of the PAM Bureau will convene in October in Rome to discuss the results of these consultations and map out a plan of dedicated initiatives.
Malta, 26 August 2014