EU states won’t move Israel embassies to al-Quds: Mogherini

The European Union’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini says the bloc members will not move their embassies from Tel Aviv to Israeli-occupied al-Quds, which Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.

“Our position is the same as the one of Arab League which is of the international community. EU and its member states will not move their embassies to Jerusalem and we discourage any kind of decision that goes in that direction,” Mogherini said Monday, according to the Kuwaiti state news agency KUNA.

She was speaking during a joint press conference with Egyptian Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmad Aboul-Gheit in Luxembourg.

“We share the same approach, that is a two-state solution, negotiations between the parties and in particular within the framework of the Arab Peace Initiative which we consider the most useful basis for advancing in this respect,” she further stated in reference to the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The last round of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians collapsed in 2014, and efforts have so far failed to revive the process.

The EU’s top diplomat also pointed out that she had participated in the 28th Arab League Summit in Jordan, highlighting “excellent cooperation” between the European bloc and the Arab League.
The Arab League heads of state convened their annual summit in the northwestern Jordanian city of Sweimeh last Wednesday in a bid to address a range of issues, particularly regional conflicts.

The 22-member pan-Arab body reiterated its support for an independent Palestinian state, while censuring the Israeli regime for its continued settlement construction in the occupied territories.

The declaration was apparently referring to plans by US President Donald Trump to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to al-Quds (Jerusalem).

The bloc had earlier warned the US against the plans, saying such a move would worsen the already-tense situation in the Middle East region.

EA