News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has chided European countries for linking economic cooperation with solution of the conflict with the Palestinian Authority (PA). Speaking on Tuesday to the European Union Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Meeting of Foreign Affairs in Lisbon, she said "not enough significant results" have been achieved since Israel became a member of the  Euro-Mediterranean Partnership 12 years ago.

"We have not found full fledged partners to projects [because] unfortunately there are those who link the regional progress to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, and by so doing, prevent progress on the regional level," she added.  

The Foreign Minister explained that bilateral issues of environmental preservation and improving the quality of life should not be delayed because of the Arab-Israeli conflict.