The foreign ministers of the European Union (EU) tabled "five elements" on Monday for Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.  

"We see five elements which are essential to make a Gaza withdrawal acceptable to the international community," said Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen, whose country is holding the EU presidency.

The "five elements" are:

"This plan should take place in the context of the Roadmap;

It should be a step toward a two-state solution;

It should not involve a transfer of settlement activity to the West Bank;

There should be an organized and negotiated handover of responsibility to the Palestinian (National) Authority;

Israel must facilitate the rehabilitation and reconstruction in Gaza."

Cowen said the foreign ministers discussed at a luncheon on Monday the implications of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's proposals to pull out of the Gaza Strip.

"We agreed to promote the idea of small, concrete and visible steps, fully in accordance with the Roadmap, to help restore confidence between Israelis and Palestinians," Cowen told a briefing on Monday evening.

The ministers held that the Middle East peace process must be "revived" and confidence built between the parties.

"We encourage both sides to work toward an early meeting of the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers," Cowen added.

During the luncheon, the foreign ministers also discussed a recent idea in relation with the Wider Middle East, and they noted that advancing the Middle East peace process should be "central" to any strategy for the wide region.

(Xinhua News Agency February 24, 2004)