SA praise for talks to find peace in Mideast

Cape Town – South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has welcomed the talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Sharm el-Shaik, Egypt.

The South African government regarded this first high-level contact in more than four years between Palestinians and Israelis as a first step toward a peaceful resolution to the conflict, the minister said yesterday.

“It is our fervent hope that this would spell the beginning of good faith negotiations between Palestine and Israel,” she said.

“We believe that continued negotiations would lead to the effective dissolution of the current stalemate and thereby create a favourable environment for the implementation of the Road Map (to peace).”

The government reiterated its belief in the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The state would then co-exist peacefully side by side with the Israeli state as the key to resolving the Middle East conflict.

“South Africa stands ready to assist the people of Palestine and Israel, in whatever way it can, in their efforts to find a peaceful resolution to their current challenges,” DlaminiZuma added. – Sapa