- Title: BELGIUM: EU summons Israeli ambassador over settlement expansion concerns
- Date: 5th December 2012
- Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (DECEMBER 5, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF EUROPEAN COMMISSION EU FLAGS PHOTOGRAPH OF EUROPEAN COMMISSIONERS/ EU FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPOKESPERSON MAJA KOCIJANCIC KOCIJANCIC TALKING TO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (English) EU FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPOKESPERSON MAJA KOCIJANCIC SAYING: "High representative Catherine Ashton has expressed extreme concerns because of the new a
- Embargoed: 20th December 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Belgium
- Country: Belgium
- Topics: International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVACJWT8JPJV89Z5GSLUNCRN1LAM
- Story Text: The European Union has summoned Israel's ambassador to discuss the bloc's concerns over Israeli plans to expand its settlements in the West Bank, an EU foreign affairs spokeswoman said on Wednesday (December 5).
"High representative Catherine Ashton has expressed extreme concerns because of the new announcement of the Israeli government regarding the settlements and as reaction to this, we have called the Israeli ambassador, summoned the Israeli ambassador to express our concerns directly to him," Maja Kocijancic told Reuters Television.
The EU ambassador will be meeting Executive Secretary General Pierre Vimont on Thursday, Kocijancic said. Vimont is the senior diplomat in charge of policy for EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton and France's former ambassador to Washington.
Several EU countries have already called in Israeli ambassadors for consultations, but EU states have been struggling to agree on a common response to the settlement expansion plans.
The spokeswoman said the EU reaction to Israel's new building plans would depend on the extent to which they threatened the creation of a viable Palestinian state in the future.
"Well, the point of the meeting is that we convey our concerns and this is in a way, it is a stronger reaction than usual in such cases. We have said after the announcement was made we will reflect on our response in light of what kind of impact this will have on the negotiations and the possibility of having a viable and negotiated solution where Israel and independent state of Palestine could live side by side in peace and security which is our ultimate goal," Kocijancic said.
Israel moved forward on Wednesday with plans to build some 3,000 settler homes in one of the most sensitive areas of the occupied West Bank, in defiance of international protests.
The European Union has repeatedly spoken out against Israeli settlements on land the Palestinians want for their state. Ashton said on Sunday that she was "extremely concerned" by the plans. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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