Gearing up.......

As usual, final touches to any ENJN program can take you down to the wire, especially in the Middle East. Tense times for me, as the Head of Training, but so it goes. But sitting here in our base at the Ambassador hotel here in Jerusalem you can feel the expectation rising. Why?

Well quite apart from the usual round of top level speakers from the EU, UN and civil society, this time, fingers crossed, we have pulled off a major, major news coup. At 11am tomorrow morning our Eastern team will be given an global exclusive, getting an interview session with controversial Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

As Israeli - Palestinian talks teeter on the edge of collapse after settlement building resumed last week, will Lieberman press on with his plans to hand over total responsibility for Gaza to the international community, a plan - he says - some EU states privately back? Is this a ploy to placate the Israeli right in lieu of a deal with the Palestinians from PM Netanyahu?? Will Palestinian President Abbas follow through with his threat to disband the PA if settlement activity continues and if he does, what next for EU aid and ENP talks with Palestine??

So we keep up the standard. If the issue matters in the ENP region we've interviewed the key players. Commissioners, Prime Ministers, foreign, interior and defence ministers, mayors and judges, UN mission heads and peacekeepers, Catholic bishops, Imams, judges, refugees, journalists, economists and health workers. You name it, we've done it.

Let's see what tomorrow brings, no doubt a rash of stories as usual from the Eastern team. So keep your eyes peeled!! I'll be blogging live, all week to keep you up to date with what the team have been up to.