Slovenia’s Foreign Minister Miro Cerar said today that as member states of the European Union (EU) we cannot remain silent about what is happening in Palestine, especially in light of the dangerous developments on the ground.
He stressed during a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad Malki on the sidelines of the Mediterranean Dialogues conference in the Italian capital, Rome, that the new leadership of the European Union does not accept the injustice of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people, stressing Slovenia’s position in support of the two-state solution and the illegality of settlements.
They discussed the recent developments in Palestine and the region, and the dangerous unilateral steps by the US administration, the most recent of which was Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s statement on settlements in a clear transgression of international law, which would eliminate any opportunity for a two-state solution, and provide immunity to Israel and make it feel that it is above the law and there will be no accountability for its actions.
Al-Malki stressed the need to take a unified stand toward what is going on, pointing out that the statement issued by Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, did not refer to the statement of US Secretary of State Pompeo on settlements, stressing that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is taking advantage of the split in the EU position to strengthen his electoral condition.
They further discussed ways to strengthen the relationship with the new leadership of the EU to save the peace process and pressure Israel and prevent it from annexing the Jordan Valley, which Netanyahu is seeking to annex at the encouragement of the US.
Al-Malki criticized the positions of some EU countries that voted against the decisions relating to Palestine at the United Nations.
The two ministers discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries, especially in the economic field; by encouraging investment and the relationship between businessmen from both sides, in addition to strengthening cooperation relations in various fields.
For his part, Cerar stressed that Slovenia will do its best to support Palestine in international forums, with both sides agreeing to communicate and coordinate their steps, whether at the bilateral level or at the international and EU levels.
