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Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said on Sunday that Israel is “perplexed” by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana's unprecedented meeting with an official from Hezbollah.
"This meeting left us perplexed, and we dare hope that Solana took advantage of the meeting to press for a disarming of Hezbollah and for the end of the arms smuggling between Syria and Hezbollah," he said.
Solana held talks with Hezbollah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan on Saturday during a Beirut visit to reaffirm Europe's support for Lebanon after the June 7 parliamentary polls.
"Lists of terrorist groups are not the same in every country," Solana told a news conference when asked about the “U.S. blacklist” of the Islamic resistance.
"Hezbollah is a member of the Lebanese society and it is represented in the Lebanese parliament and it will bear responsibilities," he said before leaving for Egypt at the end of a two-day visit.
For his part, Hajj Hasan said after the meeting that it was not the first encounter with EU officials but the first at the level of EU foreign policy chief. The meeting "means more EU overture towards Hezbollah, and one at a higher level," Hajj Hassan said. “This also means better communication for the European Union with the region and its parties," he said, adding that this will move the EU towards more realism.
Source
The European Union's Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana holds first-ever high-level talks with a Hezbollah representative to Lebanon's Parliament.
Following Lebanon's June 7 parliamentary elections, Solana visited Beirut to 're-affirm' the European Union's support for Lebanon. During his visit, the EU Foreign Policy Chief held talks with Hussein Hajj Hassan - a Hezbollah lawmaker.
"Hezbollah is a member of the Lebanese society and it is represented in the Lebanese parliament and it will bear responsibilities," said Solana after talks with Hassan on Saturday.
The meeting was described by the Hezbollah lawmaker as an "EU overture towards Hezbollah, and one at a higher level," AFP reported.
"This also means better communication for the European Union with the region and its parties," Hassan said after the talks, adding that the move will "move the EU towards more realism."
The Resistance movement -- which repelled an Israeli attack on Lebanon, handing the IDF a humiliating defeat in just 33 days -- is blacklisted by a number of European countries including the United States.
Solana, however, downplayed the blacklisting saying that "lists of terrorist groups are not the same in every country." Hezbollah is not on the European Union's blacklist.
His remarks and Britain's earlier overture toward the resistance movement raises the prospect that the West is prepared to accept Hezbollah as an influential political party and engage it diplomatically.
Source
Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said on Sunday that Israel is “perplexed” by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana's unprecedented meeting with an official from Hezbollah.
"This meeting left us perplexed, and we dare hope that Solana took advantage of the meeting to press for a disarming of Hezbollah and for the end of the arms smuggling between Syria and Hezbollah," he said.
Solana held talks with Hezbollah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan on Saturday during a Beirut visit to reaffirm Europe's support for Lebanon after the June 7 parliamentary polls.
"Lists of terrorist groups are not the same in every country," Solana told a news conference when asked about the “U.S. blacklist” of the Islamic resistance.
"Hezbollah is a member of the Lebanese society and it is represented in the Lebanese parliament and it will bear responsibilities," he said before leaving for Egypt at the end of a two-day visit.
For his part, Hajj Hasan said after the meeting that it was not the first encounter with EU officials but the first at the level of EU foreign policy chief. The meeting "means more EU overture towards Hezbollah, and one at a higher level," Hajj Hassan said. “This also means better communication for the European Union with the region and its parties," he said, adding that this will move the EU towards more realism.
Source
The European Union's Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana holds first-ever high-level talks with a Hezbollah representative to Lebanon's Parliament.
Following Lebanon's June 7 parliamentary elections, Solana visited Beirut to 're-affirm' the European Union's support for Lebanon. During his visit, the EU Foreign Policy Chief held talks with Hussein Hajj Hassan - a Hezbollah lawmaker.
"Hezbollah is a member of the Lebanese society and it is represented in the Lebanese parliament and it will bear responsibilities," said Solana after talks with Hassan on Saturday.
The meeting was described by the Hezbollah lawmaker as an "EU overture towards Hezbollah, and one at a higher level," AFP reported.
"This also means better communication for the European Union with the region and its parties," Hassan said after the talks, adding that the move will "move the EU towards more realism."
The Resistance movement -- which repelled an Israeli attack on Lebanon, handing the IDF a humiliating defeat in just 33 days -- is blacklisted by a number of European countries including the United States.
Solana, however, downplayed the blacklisting saying that "lists of terrorist groups are not the same in every country." Hezbollah is not on the European Union's blacklist.
His remarks and Britain's earlier overture toward the resistance movement raises the prospect that the West is prepared to accept Hezbollah as an influential political party and engage it diplomatically.
Source
Posted by JNOUBIYEH at 11:54 AM
Labels: Hezbollah, Javier Solana
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