Israeli and Pakistan foreign ministers hold first high-level meeting

web.israelinsider.com ^ | September 1, 2005

[Esther Ruth]

Israeli and Pakistan foreign ministers hold first high-level meeting By Associated Press September 1, 2005

The Israeli and Pakistani foreign ministers were holding the first acknowledged high-level talks between the two countries in a meeting in Turkey, in the first diplomatic spinoff from Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, an Israeli official said Thursday.

The meeting was arranged at the initiative of Pakistan's president, General Pervez Musharraf, who asked Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to arrange it, said Israeli Foreign Ministry officials.

Pakistan, a Muslim country which has taken a hard line against Israel, was encouraged to meet the Israelis following Israel's evacuation of Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip, which was completed last week, the officials said.

"There is no conflict whatsoever between Israel and Pakistan and no logical reason why the two countries could not have a constructive and positive bilateral relationship," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev.

[Esther Ruth]

rest of article..

Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and his Pakistan counterpart Khursheed Kasuri informally met Wednesday night at a dinner in Istanbul, the Israeli officials said. After their meeting Thursday, they were to hold separate news conferences.

In Islamabad, the Dawn newspapers said Shalom and Khursheed Kasuri were meeting "in response to Israel's keenness to establish contact with Pakistan."

Musharraf, a key U.S. ally in the Indian subcontinent, has been gradually moving toward conciliation with Israel, despite the influence of a powerful Islamic radical party in Pakistan.

The Pakistani president accepted an invitation to address an interfaith conference this month organized by the Council for World Jewry while he is in New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly session.

Sporadic articles in the Pakistani press also have appeared in recent years urging a reassessment of Pakistan's refusal to consider diplomatic relations with Israel.

Zalman Shoval, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington and a foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said Israel would welcome relations with Islamabad, and has been quietly working toward that goal.

"There have been contacts on different levels with Pakistani officials for several years," Shoval told The Associated Press. "Israel is of course interested in widening its official diplomatic relations with as many countries as possible and especially Muslim countries."

After the meeting, Shalom said: "Israel welcomes this meeting, and we hope that it will herald the beginning of an open and mutually beneficial relationship between our two countries. Meetings such as this are a source of great encouragement and hope to the Israeli people -- that through our efforts we are able to open new channels of dialogue, and build understanding between us and all the peoples of the world, including the Muslim nations."

"Such contacts also help strengthen the moderates on the Palestinian side -- those who recognize that dialogue and acceptance must always be preferred to hatred, terror and extremism."

"It is no coincidence that this meeting took place here in Turkey, this great Muslim democracy, and Israel's long-standing friend. Israel's relations with Turkey are proof that Israel can enjoy good and mutually beneficial relations with our Muslim neighbours. I wish to take this opportunity to thank Prime Minister Erdogan and his government, for their friendship and commitment to promoting regional understanding, and for their generous hospitality here today."

"This meeting comes at a time of great significance. New opportunities for progress towards dialogue and peace have been opened up. It is our hope that through our efforts -- including this historic meeting here in Istanbul today with Foreign Minister Kasuri -- we will pave the way forward towards a future of peace, security and regional cooperation to the benefit of all peoples."

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Things seem to be improving slowly but surely in the Mideast. Could it be because Bush took the initiative to push democracy instead of appeasing despots in the area?