EU Foreign Minister held a meeting with their Arab League counterparts at the European Union’s parliament in Brussels, during which they discussed international efforts to re-start a long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process, as well as the latest decision by Washington to relocate the United States embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Ahead of the meeting, which was also attended by Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki, European top diplomats pointed to the importance of American involvement in peace efforts, even after – what they defined as – “some disappointment” by Washington’s actions. “We will see — we have six colleagues (Egyptian, Emirati, Saudi, Jordanian, Moroccan, Palestinian foreign ministers and the Secretary General of the League of Arab States) who will come — how Gulf countries can be involved more strongly — not only with what concerns finances, but they have perhaps more substantial relations with the (U.S. President Donald) Trump administration than Europe, at the moment. So, we still have to continue to put pressure on Americans, on the administration of Mr. Trump, so they don’t do those gestures which I think would mean the end of the two-state solution, and what will follow is largely uncertain,” Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg Foreign Minister. “I hope we’re going to have an agreement that we need to move ahead to ensure there is a two-state solution, but also, above all that (the United States of) America have to be part and parcel of this process. Obviously there have been some disappointment in the international community about the United States’ stance, but they are the only people who have a close enough relationship with Israel to make this work,” Mark Field, British Secretary for Asia and the Pacific.
Following the meeting, which European diplomats termed as constructive, the European Union and Arab League released a joint statement in which they reaffirmed their insistence that Jerusalem must serve as a joint capital for both Israel and the Palestinians under any final agreement that will end all disputes between the two peoples.