Israeli and Palestinian Ministers at EU Foreign Council

Italy, as duty president of the European Union, has invited Israeli Foreign Minister Sylvan Shalom and his Palestinian counterpart Nabil Shaath to participate in Monday's general affairs and external relations council.

The invitation forms part of the EU's drive, under Italian guidance, to relaunch Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and implement the 'road map' for Middle East peace, drawn up by the United Nations, the EU, the US and Russia.

During the council, the first to be chaired by Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, Shalom and Shaath will each give a 45-minute speech explaining their respective governments' point of view. They will also outline what initiatives they feel should be adopted to help resolve the crisis.

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