Jerusalem, 5 April 2000
Finance and Industry Ministers Meet EU External Affairs Commissioner
(Communicated by Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Industry and
Trade Spokesmen)
Finance Minister Avraham Shohat and Industry and Trade Minister
Ran Cohen today (Wednesday), 5.4.2000, met European Union
Commissioner for External Relations Christopher Patten to discuss
deepening Israeli-EU economic relations.
Finance Minister Shohat briefed Commissioner Patten on the peace
process, with a focus on economic relations. He and Minister
Cohen emphasized the need to determine rules of joint origin for
products from Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority in the
spirit of the EU's Essen Declaration, which was intended to
enhance Israel's special status with the EU. This will boost the
regional economy and the peace process.
Industry and Trade Minister Cohen also appealed to Commissioner
Patten for the EU to encourage the participation of Israeli firms
in EU regional projects under the Barcelona framework. He
suggested bilateral Israeli-EU talks between senior private
sector officials in key industrial sectors. He stated that Israel
wishes to be included in pan-European production systems as a
supplier of components. He also suggested establishing tripartite
R&D and cooperation projects, like the TRIDE, between Israel, the
EU, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority.
Commissioner Patten reiterated the need to realize the economic
dialogue and the integration of Israel in the Barcelona process,
given that Israel, in contrast to its neighbors, is a developed
country. He stated that the EU is closely following developments
in the peace process and that the EU is deeply interested in
contributing to it. One of the ways the EU can do so is through
regional cooperation. He also stated the EU's desire to make
progress on issues of mutual recognition and standards, which
would facilitate exports to the EU.