Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman intends to ask European governments to place Hizbullah on their lists of terror organizations, in the wake of last week’s terror attack on a bus carrying Israeli tourists in Bulgaria.
Lieberman will leave for Brussels on Monday, where he will hold a series of meetings with European foreign ministers.
He is expected to meet will the European Union’s Foreign Policy Chief, Catherine Ashton, as well as with the foreign ministers of the following countries: France, Britain, Bulgaria, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Holland, Croatia, Slovakia, Sweden, Greece and Belgium.
During his meetings, Lieberman will discuss strengthening ties between Israel and the EU, bilateral issues, and the developments in the Middle East and their impact on the region. In addition to asking EU countries to name Hizbullah on the lists of terrorist organizations, Lieberman will ask that the countries enhance security arrangements at airports and in Israeli and Jewish facilities.
Lieberman said on Sunday that the attack in Burgas last week, which Israel has said was undoubtedly carried out by Hizbullah, is another terrorist crime in a long line of Hizbullah terror attacks over the years. Hizbullah’s responsibility for violence and lack of peace and stability in the Middle East requires Europe to act and treat the organization accordingly, Lieberman said.
Lieberman will also hold meetings with European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, Antonio Tajani, and the European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, Štefan Füle. In those meetings he will discuss bilateral relations between the EU and Israel.