MIDEAST-CRISIS/FABIUS-ARAB LEAGUE Fabius visits Egypt, pushes for relaunch of Israeli-Palestinian peace process

Record ID: 151838

  • Title: MIDEAST-CRISIS/FABIUS-ARAB LEAGUE Fabius visits Egypt, pushes for relaunch of Israeli-Palestinian peace process
  • Date: 20th June 2015
  • Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (JUNE 20, 2015) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF TAHRIR PALACE VARIOUS OF FRENCH DELEGATION HEADED BY FOREIGN MINISTER LAURENT FABIUS ARAB LEAGUE SECRETARY GENERAL NABIL EL-ARABY ARAB AND FRENCH DELEGATIONS IN MEETING EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAMEH SHUKRI AND FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER LAURENT FABIUS WALKING INTO CON
  • Embargoed: 5th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA4CN0XTIV71VSOP6WX25F4K8U8
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius arrived in Cairo on Saturday (June 20) with an initiative aimed at bringing Israel and the Palestinians back to peace talks.
    Fabius met with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri.
    The French Foreign Minister hopes to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table under an international framework amid growing regional instability.
    After meeting with Fabius, Shukri said both Egypt and France would need to "exert more coordination and cooperation" in order to overcome the challenges faced by the region.
    "In this context, we are worried about the peace process situation. The minister comes to Cairo to communicate with the Arab League committee to end the Israeli occupation, to try and find a common vision about how to restart the peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis to reach an implementation of the two-state solution and setting up a Palestinian state, and therefore ending the Arab-Israeli conflict," Shukri said at a joint press conference with Fabius in Cairo.
    U.S.-led efforts to broker peace for a two-state solution collapsed in April 2014 and leaders on both sides have since been weakened politically.
    But with the region's crises worsening and Washington reassessing its options on U.S.-Israel relations, France sees a narrow window to resume negotiations.
    "We are working on and searching for peace in this region, and this is not just a very important message for France, but a necessary one in our opinion," said Fabius.
    "After the talks I had with my colleague and friend, minister (Shukri), I also met with the president (Sisi) where we spoke about bilateral relations - and they are excellent relations in all fields. We also want to continue to work towards economic growth and there still remains many things that we'll do together. We also spoke of the Palestinian-Israeli issue - which is one of the main reasons behind my visit. I proposed to the president [Sisi] the French vision which includes three main ideas: firstly, to exert our maximum efforts for the parties to continue negotiations," he continued to say.
    "The idea is not for us to make peace, but push the parties to make that peace possible," added Fabius.
    The French FM will explore the prospects for talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Sunday (June 21).
    Paris hopes to persuade Arab states, the European Union and U.N. Security Council members to pressure both sides to make compromises neither wants to make alone.
    France has so far focused with Arab states on a possible U.N. Security Council resolution that would set negotiating parameters and establish a time period, possibly 18 months, to complete talks.
    The trip comes before a final round of nuclear talks between major powers and Iran in late June.
    Washington has made clear it will not discuss the Middle East process until the Iran situation is clear, which could delay French moves beyond September.
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