Israeli minister in Rome on European tour
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Daily News with wires
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 05, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Hardline politician Avigdor Lieberman, the foreign minister of Israel skirts around the issue of a Palestinian state as he kicks off a European tour in Rome, putting him on a possible collision course with US and EU efforts for a solution to the region's conflict
Israel's foreign minister, whose anti-Arab statements have frayed diplomatic nerves, committed himself on Monday to Mideast peace, but did not endorse the idea of a Palestinian state as sought by the United States and the European Union, the Associated Press news agency reported.
As he kicked off a European tour in Rome, hardline politician Avigdor Lieberman skirted around the issue of a Palestinian state, putting him on a possible collision course with U.S. and EU efforts for a solution to the region's conflict. "This government's goal is not produce slogans or make pompous declarations, but to reach concrete results," he said when asked if he would ever endorse a Palestinian state.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Italian counterpart Franco Frattini, Lieberman said he was confident the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would "reach a secure and definitive peace with the Palestinians and the Arab nations around us." Lieberman stressed the government was still drawing up its new foreign policy, which Netanyahu is expected to unveil before talks with President Barack Obama in mid-May.
Ties between Israel and the European Union must be strengthened, Frattini said in the joint news conference as well. "What they call the upgrading between Europe and Israel must not stop because that way Europe can play a major role" in the Middle East peace process, Frattini told a joint news conference with the ultra-nationalist Lieberman.
Meanwhile, Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, who will meet Obama 10 days after Netanyahu does, said on Sunday he will tell the US president that resuming peace talks with Israel hinges on its approval of a two-state solution. "Our conditions and demands are based on the two-state solution and Israel's halt of settlement building as well as house demolitions. These are our demands and the demands of the Americans themselves to resume the talks," Abbas said after meeting Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman.
Lieberman's five-day tour will take him to Paris, Prague -- which currently holds the rotating EU presidency -- and Berlin. In Prague, Lieberman is due to meet his Czech counterpart Karel Schwarzenberg.
As he kicked off a European tour in Rome, hardline politician Avigdor Lieberman skirted around the issue of a Palestinian state, putting him on a possible collision course with U.S. and EU efforts for a solution to the region's conflict. "This government's goal is not produce slogans or make pompous declarations, but to reach concrete results," he said when asked if he would ever endorse a Palestinian state.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Italian counterpart Franco Frattini, Lieberman said he was confident the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would "reach a secure and definitive peace with the Palestinians and the Arab nations around us." Lieberman stressed the government was still drawing up its new foreign policy, which Netanyahu is expected to unveil before talks with President Barack Obama in mid-May.
Ties between Israel and the European Union must be strengthened, Frattini said in the joint news conference as well. "What they call the upgrading between Europe and Israel must not stop because that way Europe can play a major role" in the Middle East peace process, Frattini told a joint news conference with the ultra-nationalist Lieberman.
Meanwhile, Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, who will meet Obama 10 days after Netanyahu does, said on Sunday he will tell the US president that resuming peace talks with Israel hinges on its approval of a two-state solution. "Our conditions and demands are based on the two-state solution and Israel's halt of settlement building as well as house demolitions. These are our demands and the demands of the Americans themselves to resume the talks," Abbas said after meeting Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman.
Lieberman's five-day tour will take him to Paris, Prague -- which currently holds the rotating EU presidency -- and Berlin. In Prague, Lieberman is due to meet his Czech counterpart Karel Schwarzenberg.