EC/Palestine Liberation Organisation PLO agreement: Euro-Mediterranean interim association agreement

The Council reiterated its commitment to the Euro-Mediterranean partnership and, in view of the second meeting of Foreign Ministers to take place on 15-16 April 1997, recalled that the Barcelona Declaration underlined the importance of strengthening bilateral relations as a counterpart to the multilateral framework. The Council welcomed the recent conclusion of negotiations with the PLO on an interim association agreement and invited the Commission to submit a formal proposal for signature as soon as possible. The Council encouraged the Commission to pursue actively its exploratory talks with Syria.