Direct peace talks get U.S. boost
CAIRO | Egypt said Wednesday it has received U.S. assurances that may help in restarting direct peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel.
Egyptian presidential spokesman Suleiman Awwad did not disclose details of the U.S. assurances, which come on the eve of a crucial Arab League meeting to determine the future of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is under intense international pressure to restart direct peace talks with Israel frozen in 2008.
Arab foreign ministers will meet Thursday to consider the matter of direct talks, potentially adding more pressure on the Palestinian president.
Mr. Abbas has insisted he will only upgrade the current U.S.-mediated indirect talks with Israel if it agrees to a halt on settlement construction and accept a Palestinian state in West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to be pinned down on a framework for negotiations.
Slovenia, Croatia in bid to settle disputes
OBREZJE | The foreign ministers of Slovenia and Croatia met Wednesday to speed up efforts to resolve a 19-year dispute over Croatian savings blocked in a Slovenian bank, officials said.
The talks came ahead of a meeting on Saturday between the two countries’ prime ministers on unresolved issues relating to the settling of a long-running border row last year.
“Gradually and persistently we are building up mutual trust, respect, which are the basis for strengthening collaboration and partnership,” Slovenian Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar said ahead of the talks with his Croatian counterpart, Gordan Jandrokovic, at Obrezje, a village on the Slovenian side of the border with Croatia.
More than 130,000 Croatian citizens claim some $208 million in savings deposited in Slovenian group Ljubljanska Banka before the break-up of the former Yugoslavia.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
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