EU insists it will play role in peace process, even as Israel suspends cooperation
A European Commission spokeswoman said Mogherini met Netanyahu in Paris on the sidelines of the global climate conference.
PARIS - A day after Israel announced that it was suspending the EU's involvement in the Mideast peace process pending a”reassessment” of ties following the EU's decision to label products from the settlements, a spokesperson for the EU said at a press conference in Brussels the EU would continue its work on the matter in the Quartet, with its Arab partners, and with both parties.
The spokesperson said that the EU's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Paris, on the margins of COP21 climate change summit.
However, a spokesman for the prime minister said that the “meeting” amounted to Mogherini approaching Netanyahu in the hallway and shaking his hand. Netanyahu issued the directive to suspend the cooperation with the EU as the Foreign Ministry conducts a reassessment of how much to involve the EU in the diplomatic process.
According to the EU spokesperson, the EU-Israel relationship was good, broad and deep and that this would continue. The spokesperson said that the labeling policy was not new legislation but rather referred to the implementation of existing legislation - implementation that had been ongoing in some member states for some time, well before the notice was adopted.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/EU-says-continues-Mideast-peace-role-despite-Israel-move-435819
