Israeli President Willing to Meet Palestinian Counterpart in Brussels

Brussels, 18 Ramadan 1437/23 June 2016 (MINA) – Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said he was willing Wednesday to meet his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas during overlapping visits to Brussels, with European Parliament President Martin Schulz attempting to broker such an encounter, DPA reported.

The meeting between Rivlin, whose post is largely ceremonial, and Abbas would be highly symbolic, as it would be the first high-level Israeli-Palestinian meeting since peace talks broke down in April 2014.

“The diplomatic progress I wish depends a little bit from the timetables of both [presidents],” Schulz told journalists, adding that he hoped Abbas would land in time to reach the EU legislature before Rivlin’s departure.

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“If … both are crossing the floors in the European Parliament, I think that they will not run away from each other,” Schulz said, adding that he would do his best to make this happen.

“I can ensure that I will not run away,” Rivlin quipped according to DPA.

The Israeli president began his four-day visit to Belgium on Monday, while Abbas is due to arrive later Wednesday, with meetings scheduled that evening and the following day.

The visits come amid international efforts to revive the Middle East peace talks. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)