PASSIA nominated Ahlam Abbasi, desk officer responsible for Europe at Orient House, to attend the seminar. In her report to PASSIA, Abbasi noted the high calibre of the lecturers and their willingness to debate issues with seminar participants. Abbasi participated in the workshop on European Common Foreign and Security Policy and a workshop on European relations with the Mediterranean and Middle East. In a speech at this workshop, she described the relations between Europe and the Palestinian territories and the difficulties faced by the PA, especially regarding the delays in receiving promised funds. Points raised by other participants in the workshop focused on the perception that Islamic extremism is the cause of problems in the Middle East. Abbasi pointed out that the Palestinian Islamic movement is closely linked to political developments in the country and are not linked to Islamist groups in the Maghreb. Overall, Abbasi found the seminar very useful for her work at Orient House and recommended that attempts be made to increase the level of Palestinian participation in future seminars.