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The European Union supports Syria's goal of regaining the occupied Golan Heights from Israel, the EU foreign policy chief said after meeting President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday. "We would like to work as much as possible to see your country Syria recuperate the territory taken in 1967," Javier Solana told a joint news conference with Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem...

Solana: Time to end occupation EU foreign policy chief says following meeting with Abbas in Ramallah, ‘Palestinian people have suffered and suffered a lot, and it is time that the occupation that started in 1967 is over’; Abbas: Efforts in Shalit kidnapping affair continuing Ali Waked and AFP Published: 10.27.06, 00:16 The European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana said following a meeting with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah Thursday that “the Palestinian people have suffered and suffered a lot, and it is time that the occupation that started in 1967 is over.” "That is the objective of the...

Oct. 26, 2006 23:35 | Updated Oct. 27, 2006 5:17 'Hamas doesn't want to destroy Israel' By DAVID HOROVITZ Hamas wants to "liberate the Palestinians," not to destroy Israel, Javier Solana, the European Union's foreign policy chief, told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday. In an interview following his talks in Tel Aviv with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Solana insisted that it was "not impossible" for Hamas to change and "recognize the existence of Israel." History had shown that people and nations "adapt to reality," he said. "I don't want to lose hope." Solana: Reopen crossings to Gaza Pressed as to...

Oct. 25, 2006 11:06 | Updated Oct. 25, 2006 11:16 Solana to visit J'lem first on ME tour The European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, embarked on a six-day mission to the Middle East Wednesday, aiming to breathe new life into the stalled peace effort. It was Solana's first visit to the region since the full deployment of an expanded UN force in southern Lebanon following the recent fighting between Israel and Hizbullah. Following this summer's conflict, key Mideast players have been seeking to make a renewed push to restart talks between Israelis and Palestinians as part of a...

Speculation mounts over Solana leaving job 19.10.2006 - 17:36 CET By Mark Beunderman EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Speculation is mounting that Javier Solana, the EU's top diplomat, will step down for health reasons with the former Swedish, Slovak and Austrian prime ministers reportedly first in line to succeed him. Intense rumours about an end to the Solana era have been circulating in Brussels for the last couple of weeks, with several reasons being cited for his possible imminent retirement. One version says it became clear to the Spaniard during the Lebanon crisis in the summer that he could never really...

EU members want more openness from Solana on Iran 02.09.2006 - 17:19 CET | By Mark Beunderman EUOBSERVER / LAPPEENRANTA - A number of EU member states are growing impatient with the secretive handling of the Iran issue by foreign policy chief Javier Solana and the EU's "big three," with most foreign ministers not having seen a key Iranian paper at a meeting in Finland. The Iran nuclear dispute dominated the second day of an EU foreign ministers meeting in Finland on Saturday (2 September) and saw ministers agree to mandate Mr Solana to seek further "clarifications" from Tehran despite...

Russia on Friday cast new doubt on the prospects for the Bush administration’s efforts to punish Iran for refusing to suspend its nuclear program, even as European leaders expressed wariness at moving quickly to impose sanctions. In Moscow, officials expressed regret that an Aug. 31 deadline had passed without an agreement by Iran to halt its efforts to enrich uranium that could be used for building nuclear weapons, as American and European officials believe Iran intends to do.

Excerpt - TEHRAN (AP)--Iran said Tuesday it intends to meet a self-imposed deadline to formally respond later in the day to a Western incentives package aimed at persuading it to suspend its uranium enrichment program, state television reported. "Iran will respond in writing today to the package of incentives proposed by the West," the station said but gave no further details. On Monday, Iran turned away International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors from an underground site meant to shelter its uranium enrichment program from attack. Its top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared Monday that Tehran will continue to pursue its nuclear...

EU's Solana in surprise visit to Beirut 16 Jul 2006 14:52:54 GMT (Adds detail from Brussels) BEIRUT, July 16 (Reuters) - European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana arrived in Beirut on Sunday, the fifth day of the worst fighting between Lebanon-based guerrillas and Israel since 1982. Lebanese officials said Solana was set to meet Prime Minister Fouad Siniora shortly. Solana, who will hold a news conference after the meeting, may also talk with the head of Lebanon's parliament, an EU official said in Brussels. The EU has called Israel's attacks in Lebanon, prompted by the kidnap of two Israeli...

Tehran, July 5, IRNA Iranian delegation led by Secretary of Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani cancelled a visit to Brussels on Wednesday for security reasons. "Following reports on formation of terrorist squads in Brussels by Israel and certain European states for assassination attempts on members of the Iranian delegation scheduled to visit Brussels on Wednesday, the Iranian delegation cancelled the visit," a security official told IRNA. He said that the European partner gave assurances about security of the Iranian delegation and the visit will take place on July 11. The official said that the European Union Foreign...

Iran puts off nuclear talks for fear of 'assassins' by Farhad Pouladi Wed Jul 5, 2006 Iran postponed key talks in Brussels between its chief nuclear negotiator and the EU foreign policy chief until July 11 for fear of hit squads, the state news agency IRNA reported. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, meanwhile, maintained a mid-July deadline for Iran to accept an offer of incentives aimed at curbing its nuclear ambitions and warned Tehran against stalling. "After receiving some news from Brussels that there are assassins' squads..., security officials voiced concern about the safety of the Iranian delegation" led...

The head of an exiled Iranian opposition group accused Western nations on Wednesday of appeasing Tehran with incentives to halt uranium enrichment that she compared to moves to placate Hitler before World War Two. Maryam Rajavi, leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, said she had clear indications that Tehran would not give up its enrichment activities and that diplomatic efforts by the European Union and the United States to avert a crisis were only rewarding the Tehran government's strategies. "The further they move forward, the more concessions the West is making," Rajavi told a news conference...

Iran postpones EU discussions by a day By SLOBODAN LEKIC, Associated Press Writer BRUSSELS, Belgium - Iran has postponed its talks with the European Union on a package of incentives designed to defuse the standoff over Tehran's atomic program by a day, the EU said Wednesday. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who had been scheduled to meet Wednesday with Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, said he was surprised by the move. "I had made it clear to the Iranians and to Dr. Larijani that we want to proceed rapidly to examine together the ideas I put to him...

When Condoleeza Rice meets with G-8 foreign ministers in Moscow today, one item must be at the very top of her agenda: showing Iran that the United States and its partners means business. She must insist that her partners agree to send a clear message to Tehran, telling them they have until the following Monday, July 3, to answer the U.S.-backed offer. The message to Tehran’s leaders should go something like this. You have now had a full month to respond to a clear-cut, yes-no proposition concerning your nuclear program and the future of your relations with the international community....

TEHRAN (AFP) - European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana flew into Tehran to hand an international nuclear proposal to Iran's leadership, voicing hope of a "new relationship" with the Islamic republic. ADVERTISEMENT <A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12f6k60qa/M=405250.8165487.9102631.1414694/D=news/S=95959707:LREC/_ylt=AoehnSCXtQlf1IE2EqKfkIGbOrgF/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1149564483/A=3461066/R=0/*http://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh=v6|33fc|7|a6|%2a|v%3B32787839%3B0-0%3B0%3B13004986%3B4307-300|250%3B16801007|16818902|2%3B%3B%7Esscs%3D%3fhttp://estore.vzwshop.com/oa-LG8300-BOGO/"><IMG SRC="http://m.2mdn.net/1121867/300x250_06-05_aqui_LG8300_bogo.gif" BORDER=0></A> The package, agreed on last week by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, offers Iran incentives and fresh multilateral talks -- involving the United States -- on condition that Tehran first suspends sensitive uranium enrichment work. That work is at the centre of fears the country could acquire weapons. "We want to start a new relationship on...

EU wants US pressure against convergence European Union opposed to unilateral withdrawal in West Bank, hoping Americans will convince Israel to renew peace talks with Palestinians during Washington summit next week The European Union is hoping the United States will persuade Israel in talks next week to resume peace talks with the Palestinians instead of carrying out a unilateral pullout from the West Bank, EU officials said Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who arrives in Washington Sunday, has been hoping that the international community will recognize the lines to which Israel would pull back as permanent borders - but...

The European Observer reports Solana warns against EU-muslim cartoon rift. Doesn't the EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana recognize the rift was already there and that the riotous cartoon episodes merely exposed it? - What is more ominous is how such inexcusable behavior of militant Muslims demanding Christian Western civilization submit to their Muslim law and primitive attitudes is now being abused as a pretext to create UN texts against blasphemy! - Javier Solana met in Saudi Arabia with the leader of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu. Hypocritically, Saudi Arabia is guilty of state-sponsored terrorism as...

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who met with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and US envoy David Welch in Ramallah Saturday, said after the meeting that Welch promised him that the US would not cut off financial aid to the PA, Israel Radio reported. On Friday, US President George W. Bush said Friday that Hamas leaders have "a choice to make," and that "if [Hamas] wants the help of America and the international community to build a prosperous, independent Palestinian state, they must recognize Israel, disarm, reject terrorism, and work for lasting peace." Abbas said Friday night in an interview to the...

Mottaki to meet Solana, Ferrero-Waldner in Brussels Brussels, Feb 18, IRNA EU-Iran-Mottaki EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Manoucher Mottaki in Brussels Monday afternoon to discuss latest developments in the region and EU-Iran ties, Solana's office announced Friday afternoon. Mottaki will also hold talks with EU Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner. Moreover, the Iranian foreign minister will meet with his Belgian counterpart, Karel de Gucht, and later address the foreign relations committee of the European Parliament.

OIC Calls for Emergency Meeting on Cartoon Issue P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News JEDDAH, 18 February 2006 — Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, is contacting member states for an emergency meeting of their foreign ministers shortly to discuss major issues including the repercussions of the sacrilegious Danish cartoons. Ihsanoglu has already spoken to Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Yemeni Foreign Minister Abubakar Al-Qurbi and Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar to fix a date for the meeting, press reports said yesterday quoting diplomatic sources. The meeting is significant in the backdrop of the continuing...