Foreign Ministers Convene in Barcelona to Address Israel-Palestine Crisis

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen has traveled to Barcelona, where foreign ministers from a broad range of European, Arab, and Muslim countries are meeting on Sunday and Monday. The agenda is centered around the situation in Israel and Palestine.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that, “It is good that we now have an extended humanitarian pause in the hostilities in Gaza. Hopefully, the parties can agree to extend it further. But the situation is still heartbreaking, especially for the many civilians. The Arab countries, as neighbors to both Israel and Palestine, can play a crucial role in the further course of action. This includes getting emergency aid into Gaza, the release of more hostages, and the prospect of genuine negotiations for a two-state solution. I look forward to an honest and constructive discussion about the conflict with my Arab, Muslim, and European colleagues in the coming days,” says Minister of Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen.

At the meeting, foreign ministers from Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain will be present from the European side. It is expected that the foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon will be among the participants from the Arab and Muslim countries.

The meeting officially takes place in the so-called Mediterranean Union, which is a regional forum for the 27 EU countries and 15 South and East Mediterranean countries. Normally, topics such as economic and social progress and migration are on the agenda when the Mediterranean Union gathers, but this meeting is specifically dedicated to the situation in Israel and Palestine.