German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier discussed with acting Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad Wednesday a German-initiated "European action plan" to be implemented after the upcoming Israel-Palestinian international conference, Palestinian government spokesman Riyad Malki said. The two also discussed preparations for the international conference, which is slated to take place in Annapolis, Maryland, in November, and spoke about a conference of donors to the Palestinian Authority, which will be held in December. | "Salam, one more thing about Annapolis..." "Certainly, Frank-Walter, but first, tell me again about the donor conference!" |
Prior to arriving in Israel, after meeting with Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak in Cairo, he said that Germany continued to believe in a two-state solution, with security for Israel and a viable Palestinian state in line with the ideas being put forward by the Middle East Quartet of the United States, Russia, the European Union and United Nations. "If we use the opportunity of the Quartet and if Europeans and Americans continue to work together shoulder-to-shoulder, we can achieve success," he said before leaving the Egyptian capital.
Steinmeier will hold separate meetings Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, and with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He leaves Friday for Istanbul to a high-level regional conference conference on Iraq. Before departing Tuesday on his five-day trip to the Middle East, Steinmeier said stability in the region was of central significance for European security.