Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Together with our European partners, we have been very much urging the commencement of peace talks and we very much support the talks that are under way. Both Ireland and the European Union will work to support those talks in every possible way. Ultimately, as in any peace talks, the key participants are the sides in the conflict - in this case, the Israeli side and the Palestinian side. The opportunity must be taken to conclude a settlement. Some big issues have to be negotiated and decided. It is important that both sides concentrate on the talks process and do not allow themselves to be distracted or deflected from the core objective of trying to achieve a settlement. This country has consistently expressed support for a settlement in the Middle East and that is very much the position of the European Union. I will work with my European Union colleagues to support the process.

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