Belgium Pushes for Full Schengen Integration of Bulgaria and Romania
The Belgian Presidency of the EU is spearheading efforts to fully integrate Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen area
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Israel and the Palestinian Authority have been invited to hold direct peace talks in September for the first time since 2008, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced Friday.
The talks, also involving other regional and international players, are intended to resolve all "final status" issues for a Middle East peace agreement, "which we believe can be done in one year," Clinton told reporters, as cited by CNN.
Neither side has accepted the invitation so far, said President Barack Obama's special envoy to the talks, former Sen. George Mitchell.
"We have been in consultation with both; we expect to hear from them shortly," Mitchell said after Clinton's announcement. "It will be their decision whether to accept."
Mitchell insisted both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas were fully committed to direct negotiations for the benefit of their people.
"I believe the two leaders ... are sincere and serious and believe it can be done and will do everything possible to see that it is done," Mitchell said. He stated the goal of the negotiations was to end the Middle East conflict "for all time," with establishment of a "viable, independent" Palestinian state next to Israel.
The announcement prompted immediate doubts of whether another attempt at peace talks can resolve the decades-long conflict that has shaped regional and international politics and security.
This news also comes after months of relative lack of involvement on the American side regarding the Middle East peace process and a marked cooling toward Israel.
Just a few hours ago, Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) quoted Israeli ambassador to Bulgaria Noah Gal Gendler, who considers Bulgaria "a very good place for direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations."
Last week Israeli President Shimon Peres was on an official visit to Bulgaria, during which he declared that direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations should be expected shortly, and described Bulgaria as “the most suitable” place to hold such talks.
Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov did not give a definite answer to that proposal.
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