(Communicated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson)
The Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Aaron Abramovich, met this morning (6 December) with 27 European Union ambassadors and briefed them about the Annapolis conference.
Mr. Abramovich emphasized that the process between Israel and the Palestinians will be continued through direct negotiations between the two sides, but that international support is very important for its progress. He mentioned the meeting of donor states set to take place in Paris on 17 December. On the agenda is the subject of providing economic aid to the Palestinians, in the framework of the diplomatic process, with supervision that will ensure that it is implemented properly.
He noted that the parties agreed in Annapolis to begin negotiations on 12 December, with the goal of completing them by the end of 2008; however, the actual implementation would depend on adherence to the Roadmap in order to ensure Israel's security.
Mr. Abramovich talked about the importance of the Arab states' involvement in the process and called on them to be supportive vis-à-vis the Palestinians. He also stated that in Israel's view, an improvement in the relations between the Arabs states and the State of Israel would help the Palestinians get ahead with the process.
The Director General also discussed Israel's desire to promote the bilateral relations between Israel and the EU and the work that is being done to achieve that purpose.