BICOM

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Israelis and Palestinians should return to the negotiating table, speaking yesterday to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of EU foreign Ministers. “We want Israeli and Palestinians to return to direct talks,” He said. “The position on recognition is one that we will decide on if necessary come September, but it is far preferable for talks to resume,” he added.

The Spanish Foreign Minister, Trinidad Jimenez, echoed Hague’s position, adding that the pressing issue is to get Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table. “For us this is the most important thing because before recognition it’s very necessary, it’s urgent to go back to the negotiations in order to know exactly the consequences of this recognition,” she said.

A statement released following the EU Council Meeting on Foreign Affairs called on the parties, “to show the highest sense of responsibility and to resume direct and substantive talks.” In the same statement EU ministers harshly condemned Syria’s crackdown on anti-regime protestors, called for UN Security Council action, and committed to continue its own sanctions against regime figures