Spindelegger visits Abbas in Ramallah
Foreign Minister plans to report Israeli discussion partners on the meeting
Jerusalem, 16 February 2010 – Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger (V) had a work meeting with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) in Ramallah on the West Bank on Tuesday. As Spindelegger told APA after the meeting, he was informed by Abbas about the expectations that Palestinians are placing in the imminent direct negotiations with Israel. The Austrian Minister was expected to convey these to his Israeli discussion partners on Wednesday, yet it was agreed not to publish these items.
Spindelegger denied that he is now acting as an additional mediator in the Middle East. "We are at the very beginning. What is decisive now is to reach the next step", said the Minister. Important things are waiting to be dealt with, and there must be some movement "in the next weeks". "The people are impatient and the President’s credibility“ is being questioned.
There was "positive progress" under the former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said the Minister, „but everything was lost as a result of the elections in Israel". Abbas told him he had experienced „some frustrations“, and it was therefore important to work toward a „further step“. Spindelegger said that Austria is willing to provide assistance in this respect.
Spindelegger said that the meeting also dealt with bilateral issues, such as the possibility of providing places at universities for Palestinians in Vienna as part of their diplomatic studies.
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