- Title: WEST BANK: Slovenian FM wants Israeli-Palestinian peace talks re-start.
- Date: 9th November 2010
- Summary: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (NOVEMBER 8, 2010) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (PALESTINIAN TV) SLOVENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAMUEL ZBOGAR SITTING NEAR TABLE, TALKING TO PALESTINIAN COUNTERPART RIYAD AL MALKI ZBOGAR AND AL MALKI ENTERING ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) SLOVENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAMUEL ZBOGAR SAYING: "For us, it's important for direct negotiations to resume as soon as possible on the conditions that are know, with the hope, with the aim that they be concluded soon so that in not so distant future we will be able to upgrade our representation here in Ramallah to the full embassy in the state of Palestine." PALESTINIAN FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER RIYAD AL MALKI SAYING: "We are still confident that the United States of America, on behalf of the rest of the world, are serious, committed for the resumption of negotiations and we should really give such efforts enough time and space in order to be able to convince the Israeli side that it's in the best interest to freeze settlements in order for negotiations to be resumed." ZBOGAR AND AL MALKI SHAKING HANDS
- Embargoed: 24th November 2010 12:00
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- Reuters ID: LVA4PB62T88RYL4II8HQK61V51YN
- Story Text: Slovenia's Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar calls for the resumption of direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians as he visits the West Bank.
Slovenian Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar called on Monday (November 8) for the resumption of direct peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian as he met his Palestinian counterpart in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
The talks, which began in Washington on September 2, are in limbo over Palestinian demands for a freeze of Israeli settlement construction and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to reimpose limits on building in settlements in the occupied West Bank.
"For us, it's important for direct negotiations to resume as soon as possible on the conditions that are know, with the hope, with the aim that they be concluded soon so that in not so distant future we will be able to upgrade our representation here in Ramallah to the full embassy in the state of Palestine," Zbogar told reporters during his meeting with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al Malki.
"We are still confident that the United States of America, on behalf of the rest of the world, are serious, committed for the resumption of negotiations and we should really give such efforts enough time and space in order to be able to convince the Israeli side that it's in the best interest to freeze settlements in order for negotiations to be resumed," Al Malki said.
In an announcement a day after Netanyahu met U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in New Orleans, Israel's Interior Ministry said it was pushing ahead with plans to build 1,300 new apartments for Jewish families in Arab East Jerusalem.
A top Palestinian official said on Thursday the Palestinians would give the United States several more weeks to try to relaunch direct peace talks with Israel. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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