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Follow Us on TwitterEU to offer massive incentive package to Palestinians, Israelis to reach agreement 16Dec13 December 16, 2013
Palestine News Network - 13 December 2013
The European Union (EU) is expected to announce Monday an unprecedented assistance package offer to Israeli and Palestinian authorities if the parties reach a final-status agreement, according to Israeli daily Haaretz.
The draft proposal states that after their arrival at a solution, the status of both Israel and the future Palestinian state will be raised to “Special Privileged Partnership” with the EU, said Haaretz.
In addition, the incentives, estimated to be worth billions of euros, include:
1. Increased access to the EU market.
2. Closer cultural and scientific ties to the EU.
3. Facilitation of trade and investment.
4. Promotion of business-to-business relations.
5. Enhanced political dialogue with both states.
6. Enhanced security cooperation with both states.
According to Haaretz, the draft praises President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the commitment they have demonstrated to the negotiations, and states “It is a fundamental interest of the European Union to see an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
Additionally, the draft proposal says the EU “deplores” the construction and expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, and it “warns against actions that undermine the negotiations.”
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