Mr President, one of the consequences of the terrorist attacks of 11 September has undoubtedly been to draw attention to the Middle East and, even if it were only in our own interests, the European Union should contribute to calming the turbulent waters in that region, creating political and economic cooperation and, in general, stimulating the framework of Euro-Mediterranean relations. In this regard, the work to create a Euro-Mediterranean parliamentary assembly would be a valuable contribution, and I would encourage our Lebanese colleagues to join in with this task together with the European Parliament and the Parliaments of the region. The country with which tomorrow, by means of our vote, the European Parliament will open the doors to privileged cooperation, Lebanon, is unquestionably a key player in the region. Today, after 16 long years of war on its territory, Lebanon can be a travelling companion of the European Union in its enthusiastic attempt to find a solution to the regional conflict. Let us be Mediterranean partners for peace! The association agreements such as the one we are discussing today are an essential element of the European Union’s external action, which go further than mere commercial considerations, since they are intended to establish a framework for political dialogue. It is my hope, and I am sure the whole of Parliament agrees with me, that the exception of Syria will be resolved as soon as possible. With regard to this agreement, I would like to comment on certain issues which have been raised during the debate in committee. Firstly, although we were undoubtedly delighted by the Israeli withdrawal from Southern Lebanon in May 2000, the issue of stable borders with Israel has still not been finally resolved, and we therefore urge the parties to reach an agreement on this. Secondly, since October of that same year, 2000, the Hezbollah group has been holding four Israeli citizens as hostages and, in this specific case, and with regard to the people captive or disappeared in the various countries of the region in general – it is calculated that there are 17 000 Lebanese citizens – we must get involved – I would like to ask the Greek Presidency whether it is going to do anything to mediate on this regrettable issue of the disappeared. In our committee, we have also expressed the need to complete the withdrawal of Syrian troops based in Lebanon, in application of Security Council Resolution 520, in order to guarantee the sovereignty and integrity of that country. We therefore appeal to the Lebanese Government to submit this issue to the consideration of our colleagues in that country’s parliament, so that a debate can be opened to allow progress to be made on this crucial issue. I would like to support and acknowledge the efforts the Lebanese authorities are making in the fight against terrorism, particularly in application of United Nations Resolution 1373. These and other matters will form part of the political dialogue which will be opened up between the European Union and Lebanon, particularly in application of the clause contained in Article 2 of this agreement. And, in the presence of the Council and the Commission, I would like to ask that an in-depth debate be held on the effectiveness of the application of this clause and on the possible mechanisms for its parliamentary monitoring and evaluation. Within this context, the issue of respect for human rights and democratic principles is essential to this Parliament. I am convinced that this is unquestionably a fundamental instrument which will be extremely useful in terms of supporting the enormous efforts the current government of Minister Hariri is making to improve the economic situation of Lebanon.

Political group: PPE-DE