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VOLUME 18: 1999-2001
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28. Summary of a meeting between Foreign Minister Levy and Dutch Foreign Minister van Aartsen, 22 August 1999.
The Dutch foreign minister also called on FM Levy and was updated on the current state of the negotiations. Holland was actively involved in various economic projects in Palestinian areas, and had traditionally maintained excellent bilateral ties with Israel. Text:
Foreign Minister David Levy yesterday (Sunday), 22.8.99, met Dutch Foreign Minister Jozias van Aartsen, who invited Levy to pay an official visit to Holland, which was accepted.
The Foreign Minister updated Foreign Minister van Aartsen on the situation of the talks with the Palestinians and on recent regional developments. He emphasized that progress has been made on a number of issues on the agenda with the Palestinians, despite the hardening of positions by the Palestinian representatives regarding the issue of prisoners, putting forward demands that do not conform at all to the Wye agreement. Levy noted Israel's willingness to make progress in the peace process, detailing the steps taken by Israel in the process and to strengthen the Palestinian economy.
The Foreign Minister thanked the Netherlands for its aid to the Palestinian Authority for the Gaza port, the Karni industrial park and other projects, all of which help the Palestinian economy and hence strengthen the peace process. Levy discussed the need for people-to-people projects in the fields of education, medicine and the exploitation of new water resources.
The two ministers also discussed the excellent bilateral issues between Israel and the Netherlands as well as Israeli-European Union relations in general.
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