Europe

Europe

EU insists direct Israeli-Palestinian talks

14 December 2011 22:42 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The European Council President Herman Van Rompuy on Wednesday said the European Union (EU) insisted direct Israeli- Palestinian talks to put an end to their disputes, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Van Rompuy made the remarks at a meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority.

"I emphasized how the EU remains committed to the two-state solution. I underlined that the best way to achieve this is through direct negotiations between the Parties. The EU is actively pursuing this through the Middle East Quartet (United States, Russia, UN and EU)," Van Rompuy said after their meeting.

Abbas visited Brussels after he raised the Palestinian national flag at the headquarters of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in Paris on Tuesday. It was seen as an important step towards international recognition for the nation.

"I hope the day will come when we will raise the flag of Palestine at the United Nations, and with the support of the European Union," Abbas told a press conference following his meeting with Van Rompuy.

Van Rompuy pledged efforts to further strengthening relations with Palestine and continuing the EU financial support to its people.