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(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Thursday, 17 November 2016), met with Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu, who is on an official visit to Israel. They discussed the excellent state of bilateral relations and the need to expand the areas in which the two countries have a policy of cooperation, especially economic and commercial matters.

 

Prime Minister Netanyahu thanked Romanian Foreign Minister Comanescu for his country's support in international organizations against the Palestinian initiatives that render the region's hoped-for peace more remote. He added that a solution to the conflict will come through direct negotiations between the sides and not via initiatives on the part of various countries and international organizations. The Prime Minister also discussed with the Romanian Foreign Minister the regional challenges that Israel is currently facing.

 

Afterwards, Prime Minister Netanyahu met with New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully, who is also on an official visit to Israel. They discussed expanding bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest. The Prime Minister showed the New Zealand Foreign Minister a map of the challenges currently facing Israel and emphasized the fact that any diplomatic progress between Israel and the Palestinians would be the product of direct negotiations between the sides on the basis of the principle of two states for two peoples.

 

Prime Minister Netanyahu added that the Palestinians must halt their unproductive efforts to avoid direct negotiations with Israel as well as their efforts to promote the politicization of professional international organizations such as UNESCO and Interpol. The two men expressed their satisfaction over the excellent state of bilateral relations along with the aspiration that they continue to advance.