Accusations fly as Abbas and Rivlin hold separate talks with EU leaders in Brussels
The Israeli and Palestinian presidents were both in Brussels on Thursday for talks with EU leaders. Both with carefully choreographed, separate timetables and agendas.
Although there was no official plan for the two leaders to meet, there was some confusion over whether they might. European Parliament President Martin Schulz said earlier that he hoped the two leaders would accidentally cross paths in the parliament and not run away from each other.
This led Israeli officials to accuse the Palestinian president of turning down an EU initiative to meet.
Israeli president, Reuven Rivlin, told a Brussels press conference: “I was happy to welcome the initiative by the representative of the EU to set a meeting between me and president Abbas, who is also visiting Brussels in this very day. I was very sorry to learn he rejected such a meeting. we will not be able to build trust between us, if we don’t begin to speak directly.”
http://www.euronews.com/2016/06/23/accusations-fly-as-abbas-and-rivlin-hold-separate-talks-with-eu-leaders-in/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+euronews%2Fen%2Feuropa+%28euronews+-+europa+-+en%29