Austria’s position is that a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict should be based on international resolutions and law and the two-state solution, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg today told his Palestinian counterpart Riyad Malki.
Speaking on the phone, Schallenberg affirmed to Malki his country’s rejection of any unilateral step, maintaining that all pending issues between the two parties should be resolved through negotiations, according to a statement by the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.
He said that although Austria maintains special and sensitive relations with Israel, it would not hesitate to voice concern over Israel’s intentions and plans, including the impending plan to annex large swaths of the West Bank, pointing out that he stated his country’s position on all of the above issues during a phone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi.
He noted that he would contact his US counterpart in the coming few days to seek clarifications on the US administration’s position on Israel’s annexation move, and revealed that the European Union foreign ministers would convene soon to further discuss the annexation move and determine the nature and mechanism of the EU’s response.
Malki and Schallenberg agreed to remain in touch in the coming period, specifically before the end of the month when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced he will launch his annexation plan to ensure the intensification of EU and international efforts to prevent the annexation move.
