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Hollande demands unconditional resumption of Middle East peace talks

01 November 2012 02:15 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. French President Francois Hollande urged on Wednesday Israel and the Palestines to resume unconditional peace negotiations to address the long conflict in the Middle East, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

"France hopes that Israelis and Palestinians will resume without conditions negotiations with the same objective that we are looking for since many years which is the creation of the two states," Hollande said.

"We are aware there won’t be peace without negotiations. Talks between both sides must start as soon as possible," he added after receiving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Elysee Palace for a working lunch.

In a joint press conference with Netanyahu, French president noted that the two sides’ differences over the issue of Israeli settlements that "we hope to see stopped," he said.

During his first two-day visit to France since Socialists took power in May, the Netanyahu said he was "ready to negotiate without preconditions."

"If Francois Hollande invites me to the Elysee Palace with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, I will come," Netanyahu said.

In discussions over Iran’s nuclear program, both leaders urged an immediate stop to Tehran’s uranium enrichment program.

"This is a threat that cannot be accepted by France. We want to have concrete actions and proof that the research has been abandoned," Hollande said.

"We have voted for several sanctions against Iran and we are ready to vote for others, if need be," he warned.

Hollande and Netanyahu will travel to the southern city of Toulouse on Thursday for remembrance ceremony of seven victims, including three Jewish children, who were killed by an al-Qaeda inspired gunman in March.