Madrid: Representatives of European, Arab and Islamic countries met in Madrid for talks on a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel, and to push for an end to the war in Gaza.
“Today in Madrid we are moving forward to promote a joint European, Arab and Islamic voice united around the implementation of the two-state solution, and to strengthen our coordination with a view to the meetings that will decide the future of the region in the coming weeks,” the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation Jose Manuel Albares said on Friday before the meeting.
Those attending the event have “a clear desire to move from words to deeds, to make progress towards a clear timetable for the effective implementation” of the two-state solution, Albares added.
“The war must stop now. There is no room for excuses to continue postponing the agreement and prolonging the suffering of millions of innocent civilians,” he said, Xinhua news agency reported.
It’s urgent, he added, to achieve a ceasefire that allows for the immediate release of hostages and “the massive, immediate and unhindered” entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
He also conveyed his full support to the Palestinian government, and to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), “which is a key humanitarian actor in Gaza today and will continue to be an important actor in the years ahead.”
“We want to push for an international peace conference with the parties under the aegis of the United Nations (UN). If the parties are unwilling or unable to achieve peace, the UN must exercise its responsibility and move forward,” Albares said.
Friday’s meeting was attended by the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Palestine Mohammad Mustafa, as well as the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, and the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Norway, Turkey and Egypt.
–IANS