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EU Supporting Agreement on Rafah
Following the agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on movement and access to and from Gaza, the EU is undertaking the necessary preparations and planning for a border control monitoring mission. The EU's decision to provide assistance followed a request from both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The EU personnel, approximately 50 to 70 police officers and border experts, will provide a third-party presence on the Gaza-Egypt border, monitoring the work of customs officers and customs officials. EU High Representative for the Common and Foreign Security Policy Javier Solana, at a joint press conference with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Quartet Special Envoy Jim Wolfensohn, welcomed the agreement on Rafah. "This is the first time that a border is opened and given to the Palestinians to control themselves with the help of a third party," Solana said. "This is a very important step." Likewise, on November, 14, the EU established the EU Police Mission for the Palestinian Territories. The Mission, named EUPOL-COPPS, will enter into force on January 1, 2006. It will support the Palestinian Authority in establishing effective and sustainable policing arrangements. EUPOL-COPPS will be a civilian mission within the framework of the European Security and Defense Policy. The Mission will include 33 unarmed personnel mainly seconded from EU Member States and will have an initial duration of three years. It will cooperate closely with the European Community's institution-building programs as well as with other international efforts in the security sector, including criminal justice reform. Both EU missions are yet another manifestation of the EU’s efforts for peace in the Middle East, as an active member of the Quartet together with its partners the United States, Russia and the United Nations. November 18, 2005 Link
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