Malta may back Sarkozy plans for Palestine UN recognition

Speaking to MaltaToday from New York where he is attending the UN’s General Assembly, foreign minister Tonio Borg said that “provided there is a compromise solution” Malta would back President Sarkozy’s proposal for Palestine.

Addressing the UN yesterday, Sarkozy called for "one year to reach a definitive agreement" between Israel and the Palestinians, saying the usual US-led peace process should not bypass European, Arab or other countries.

Aiming to avoid a showdown, Sarkozy sought a middle road between the Palestinian plan to ask the UN Security Council to admit Palestine as a full state and the US determination to block the effort with a veto, which he warned would be dangerous.

Sarkozy explained that his proposal evolves around a time-frame of "one month to resume discussions; six months to find an agreement on borders and security; and one year to reach a definitive agreement."

"Each of us knows that Palestine cannot immediately obtain full and complete recognition of the status of United Nations member state. The first reason for this is the lack of trust between the main parties," Sarkozy said.

During the past hours, Tonio Borg has been busy holding a series of meetings with a number of delegations, including the Palestinians and the European Union, headed by EU high representative Catherine Ashton who is also reportedly of the opinion that Palestine should be given observer status within the UN and a year’s time to reach a definitive agreement with all parties concerned.

Malta, Tonio Borg said, has always been considered "as one of the few who has given full diplomatic recognition to the Palestine ambassador since 1988 and will continue to be an interlocutor for the Palestinian people."

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi will arrive in New York this evening and will address the General Assembly on Saturday.

It is expected that Gonzi will talk about the challenges facing the UN in the wake of the Arab Spring following the uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

Meanwhile the foreign office is in contact with the National Transitional Council in Tripoli, as an official visit by the Lawrence Gonzi and Tonio Borg are expected in the coming days.

Earlier this week, shadow foreign minister George Vella said that the Labour Party was in favour of the UN granting recognition to Palestine.

Vella said that the Labour Party has been advocating the peaceful co-existence of two states between Israel and Palestine, and that no people should live under an occupier.