STRASBOURG, France, April 6 (UPI) -- The European Union Wednesday said it would not consider negotiating with Hamas if the radical Palestinian party does not change its views on Israel.
"Right now ... we can't regard Hamas as an appropriate speaking partner," EU foreign affairs chief Javier Solana told European lawmakers in Strasbourg.
Although Solana stressed that Brussels had no desire to see the democratically elected Islamist government fail, he also warned that there would be "no business as usual with the Palestinian Authority" unless the group respects "the international community's principles."
The United States and EU have designated Hamas a terrorist organizations. The 25-member bloc, which is the largest donor to the Palestinian Authority, has said it will only negotiate with the Islamist grouping if it recognizes Israel and demonstrates a commitment to the peace process.
The Union's top diplomat also rapped Israel over the knuckles for failing to recognize Hamas' right to be at the helm of the Palestinian government. "Obviously there can be no negotiation if the parties do not recognize one another. There can be no peaceful settlement if the parties resort to arms in order to resolve the conflict," he told EU legislators.
