The Geneva Accord is to be welcomed. It demonstrates that rational discourse from civil society on both sides is possible. Furthermore, the initiative proposes a solution to final status issues such as the right of return of Palestinians and the division of Jerusalem.
I hope the formal launch of the Geneva accord, which took place on 1 December, will provide some impetus for dialogue and negotiations between the two sides in the conflict. Ireland was represented at the ceremony to launch the accord by our ambassador to Switzerland. The Nobel peace prize laureate, John Hume, was among the distinguished international speakers.
The authors of the initiative have indicated that they will wish to discuss their ideas with us, as we are about to hold the EU Presidency and I look forward to this contact. The authors of the accord are currently undertaking consultations with various international figures, including the US Secretary of State. The EU foreign and security policy representative, Dr. Javier Solana, has invited the authors of the accord to discuss it with him in Brussels.
The international quartet roadmap remains the blueprint for a settlement as it contains all the elements which must form part of any comprehensive peace package. The measures envisaged by the Geneva accord do not conflict with the roadmap, but give some indication of how the difficult problems associated with final status issues might be addressed.