Czech Prime Minister meets Israeli and Palestinian government officials in Jerusalem and Ramallah

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek has met with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Palestinian National Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and President Mahmoud Abbas today.

The discussions focused on the renovation of the Gaza strip and on other perspectives of the Middle East peace settlement.

“If an independent Palestinian state is the ultimate goal, three conditions must be met on the road to that goal: maintain permanent peace, strengthen security and improve the social and economic standards of the people”, declared Mirek Topolánek, adding that “without these preconditions, the achievement of the ultimate goal will be jeopardized”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appreciated the approach to the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict adopted by the Czech Presidency thus far, and reiterated that discussions of the potential establishment of an independent Palestinian state include the question “whether it merely entails a two-state concept, or a concept of two states for two nations”.

According to President Mahmoud Abbas, the key task is to move forward with the renovation of the Gaza strip, providing that “the Palestinian National Authority fulfils the terms of the peace treaty with Israel”.

The Czech Prime Minister appreciated the positive outcome of all the meetings: the consensus that the Palestinian Authority, and not militant groups, should oversee the Gaza strip renovation.

Mirek Topolánek is to meet with Tzipi Livni, leader of the Kadima opposition party, in the evening hours, and with Israeli President Shimon Peres tomorrow.