Statement by High Representative Catherine Ashton following

her meeting with President Abbas

Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice President of the Commission, issued the following statement today, following her meeting in Strasbourg with President Abbas:

"It was a great pleasure to meet President Abbas today to continue our discussions on the Middle East Peace Process and to prepare for the Quartet envoys meeting that I will host in Brussels on Sunday. We had a long, open and frank discussion to update one another on developments since we last talked in New York during the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ General Assembly week. My objective, in line with the Quartet statement, is clear: to do everything possible to find a way to bring the parties back to the negotiating table and reach the permanent solution that will meet the aspirations of both Palestinians and Israelis. Only negotiations can bring a lasting resolution to the conflict."

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Document symbol:
Document Type: Press Release
Document Sources: European Union (EU)
Subject: Peace process, Peace proposals and efforts, Quartet, Statehood-related
Publication Date: 05/10/2011