Czechs offer to assist Middle East peace talks

The Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg has said that the Czech Republic could organize not only an EU-Israeli summit during its EU presidency but also a summit between the EU and Palestine. He made the statement after talks on Monday with visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit. The two ministers discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the situation in the Mediterranean and the priorities of the Czech Republic's upcoming EU presidency. Israel has said that Prague can assist the peace process during its presidency by intensifying the EU role as mediator in the dialogue between Israel and Palestine. At the same time, Israel has made it clear that it is mainly the countries in the region that bear the responsibility for peace.

The Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek said during a visit to Israel earlier this year that he would welcome a more active role by the EU in the Middle East peace process. The Czech Republic takes up the EU presidency on January 1.