Israeli President Shimon Peres said on Thursday stated Israel and the Palestinians should advance to the second stage of the road map peace plan which calls for the creation of a Palestinian state with temporary borders. Peres made these comments as he with the European Union's chief foreign policy official, Javier Solana, to discuss the latest developments in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
According to Peres, Israel and the Palestinians should agree on the declaration of a Palestinian state with temporary borders, "subject to a clear promise that the border will in a short span of time become permanent borders." "The road map presents us with a clear outline and the second stage must be implemented," Peres told Solana.
On his part, the EU official called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to commit to a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict. "I would like to hear a speech in which there's a commitment of the government to the two-state solution, a commitment of the government on the question of settlements and a commitment to re-initiate relations with the Palestinians," Solana was quoted as saying by AFP.
"This is what we expect to hear and I am sure that we will hear something of that nature," said Solana.
