HEAD: Romania Favors Two-State Solution to Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

DATE: 07/06/11

NUMBER: 1111520

TYPE: CN ))

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc has told his visiting Israeli counterpart that Bucharest opposes unilateral solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He said Romania supports a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, rather than unilateral steps – a position backed by Mr. Netanyahu.

Mr. Boc spoke at a joint news conference Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Romanian capital. Mr. Netanyahu has been visiting European capitals in recent weeks to urge European leaders to oppose a Palestinian plan to seek U.N. membership as an independent state in September.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' government has said it plans to apply for full U.N. membership because Israel has refused to freeze settlement activity on occupied land in the West Bank. Mr. Abbas has said he will not renew peace talks with Israel unless it agrees to such a freeze.

Mr. Abbas also has visited foreign capitals in recent months to try to build support for a Palestinian state comprising the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

Mr. Netanyahu is the first Israeli prime minister to visit Romania in two decades. He praised the E.U. member's transition to democracy from the 1989 overthrow of a dictatorship as a model for Arab countries undergoing pro-democracy uprisings.

The Israeli prime minister is due to visit Sofia on Thursday for talks with Bulgarian leaders before returning to Israel.