- Title: France says pushing Netanyahu, Abbas to meet for Paris talks
- Date: 7th December 2016
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (DECEMBER 7, 2016) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTRY SIGN FOR FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTRY FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER, JEAN-MARC AYRAULT AND SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTER, ALFONSO DASTIS, AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER, JEAN-MARC AYRAULT, SAYING: "We have to recreate the conditions for a two-state solution, we must keep this in mind. Because forgetting about this will be a serious political mistake for the Palestinian people, but also a serious political mistake for security in this Middle East region." AYRAULT AND DASTIS DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER, JEAN-MARC AYRAULT, SAYING: "We, France, are still determined to implement our initiative of a meeting. We are working very hard in relation with our partners, to create conditions to organise it. I'm not giving you a date, but the sooner the better." AYRAULT AND DASTIS DURING NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 22nd December 2016 15:51
- Keywords: Ayraul Netanyahu Abbas Paris France Middle East Hollande Israel Palestinians
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVA0015BVYEDJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: France is trying to convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Paris this month to try to revive moribund peace talks between the two sides, Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Wednesday (December 7).
Israel had already formally rejected Paris's invitation to take part in a Middle East peace conference before Christmas, saying it was a distraction from the goal of direct negotiations with the Palestinians.
However, Paris remains determined to stage the conference. It believes that bringing the two leaders to meet with President Francois Hollande a day after the conference would be a way of circumventing Israeli accusations that the French initiative aims to impose a multilateral solution.
"We have to recreate the conditions for a two-state solution, we must keep this in mind. Because forgetting about this will be a serious political mistake for the Palestinian people, but also a serious political mistake for security in this Middle East region," Ayrault told reporters at a news conference with his Spanish counterpart, Alfonso Dastis.
Ayrault confirmed that invitations had been sent to Netanyahu and Abbas to attend a face-to-face meeting. Diplomats said that at this stage Israel had not responded, but that President Hollande would call Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama to discuss the issue.
"We, France, are still determined to implement our initiative of a meeting. We are working very hard in relation with our partners, to create conditions to organise it. I'm not giving you a date, but the sooner the better," Ayrault said.
A spokesman for Netanyahu declined to comment, although Israeli newspaper Haaretz cited officials saying Israel had rejected the offer. Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah said they welcomed "any French effort to salvage the faltering political process."
France has repeatedly tried to breathe new life into the peace process this year, holding a preliminary conference in June where the United Nations, European Union, United States and major Arab countries gathered to discuss proposals without the Israelis or Palestinians present. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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