GREECE: ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN MINISTERS SPEAKING IN ATHENS EXPRESS NEED FOR MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATIONS TO RESTART

Record ID: 400342

  • Title: GREECE: ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN MINISTERS SPEAKING IN ATHENS EXPRESS NEED FOR MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATIONS TO RESTART
  • Date: 4th April 2001
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE, APRIL 4, 2001 (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV: BANQUET ROOM IN HOTEL VENUE OF ECONOMIC CONFERENCE 0.05 2. SV: ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER SHIMON PERES SITTING AT TABLE ACROSS FROM PALESTINIAN PLANNING MINISTER NABIL SHAATH 0.10 3. SCU: SHAATH SITTING AT TABLE ACROSS FROM PERES 0.17 4. VIEW OF TWO SITTING ACROSS FROM EACH O
  • Embargoed: 19th April 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ATHENS, GREECE
  • Country: Greece
  • Reuters ID: LVA19V87DVD773CZISDBOOB88WL0
  • Story Text: Israeli and Palestinian ministers have expressed the
    need for negotiations to restart during speeches at a final
    dinner at an economic conference in Athens. Israeli Foreign
    Minister Shimon Peres in a keynote speech, said that shooting
    had to stop and talking to start, while Palestinian Planning
    Minister Nabil Shaath said peace was "do-able" and the
    Palestinians and Israelis have been close to an agreement in
    the past.


    Peres and Shaath, sat across from each other at a final
    banquet of an international economic conference in Athens on
    Wednesday (April 4) before making speeches to the gathered
    crowd.

    Both referring to each other by first name in their
    speeches, Shaath reiterated the need to abide by past
    agreements, reminding that the two sides have come close to
    making peace in the past. "Its do-able" he said to the crowd.

    "If in the next few days we could bring back the
    agreements we signed, implementing what has not been
    implemented. We will put that peace process back on track."
    Peres answered Shaath by telling him that violence had to
    stop. "My only answer Nabil to you is you cannot mix fire with
    water. If you want fire you shall have an exchange of fire."
    he said.

    Peres and Shaath, along with Palestinian negotiator Saeb
    Erekat, had earlier met in the Greek capital in a bid to
    bring the peace process back on track. It was the first public
    meeting of Israeli and Palestinian cabinet ministers since the
    February 6 election of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.


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