BRUSSELS (EJP)---EU’s foreign policy chief Javier Solana will travel to Israel and the Palestinian Territories over the weekend as part of the European Union’s desire to play an important role in the Quartet of international Middle East mediators, his spokeswoman, Mary Brazier, told EJP.

Solana will have talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders ahead of several important gatherings later this year, including the informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers on 9 September in Portugal, the Quartet meeting in New York next month and the international Mideast peace conference to be convened in November at the initiative of US president George Bush.

Solana is to meet on Sunday in Ramallah with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad before meetings in Jerusalem Sunday and Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defence Minister Ehud Barak and Knesset (Israel’s parliament) Speaker Dalia Itsik.

Solana is said to be “cautiously optimistic” about Israeli-Palestinian peace prospects and appreciates the current momentum created by the talks between Olmert and Abbas.

He also feels that there is for the first time in seven years a “unique opportunity” to seize with Bush’s peace conference proposal.

His spokesperson said that there is “no change” in the EU’s policy towards Hamas.

“There is no political contact with Hamas,” Mary Brazier, said.

During his visit, Solana will also meet the heads of the EU border assistance mission at the Rafah crossing point (EU BAM Rafah) and of the EU Police Mission in the Palestinian territories (EUPOL COPPS) which is helping the Palestinian Authority to establish a modern and effective civil police service and develop security capacity.