The purpose of the visit was to gain greater insight into European perspectives on the Palestine Question and into European policy and practice vis-a-vis the peace process and economic assistance to the Palestinians. In recent months, the European Community has established a special department, with an office and representative in Brussels, concerned with economic assistance to the Palestinian people. There has been a series of consultations between the E.C. and the U.S., Arab states, the PLO in Tunis, and Palestinian institutions and individuals in the Occupied Territories, and between the E.C. and the Israeli government and military establishment. E.C. positions on the matter have been declared in Venice in 1980, Brussels in 1987, Madrid in 1988 and 1989 and in its resolutions of 1990. Clearly, future stability and security in the Middle East requires recognition and realisation of the political rights of all parties concerned. Such normalisation needs a comprehensive plan for regional cooperation, including socio-economic development for the Palestinian people. This cannot be achieved without genuine commitment from the E.C. Against this background, Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi of PASSIA visited Brussels and Bonn to work with various E.C. officials and Middle East specialists. These included the directors of Middle East Divisions in the Foreign Ministries of Belgium, Britain and Germany, and Mr. Hans-Jürgen Wischnewski, head of the Middle East Committee of the Socialist International. During his visit, Dr. Abdul Hadi addressed various topics including:

- the current political situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories;
- the intifada's fifth year and the building of national authority through Palestinian national institutions;
- training of young Palestinians inside and outside the Occupied Territories, and the necessity of links between them;
- current and future direct E.C. assistance to Palestinians inside and outside;
- Europe and the peace process;
- Euro-Israeli relations and E.C. assistance to Israel;
- specialised E.C. workshops on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict;
- PASSIA's forthcoming 1993 seminar on Europe.