World

Israel, EU to Restart Strategic Dialogue After Decade-Long Hiatus on Monday

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on October 3 will lead the first meeting of the EU-Israel Association Council, a political and strategic dialogue between the Middle Eastern country and the bloc, for the first time in over a decade, the prime minister's press office said on Sunday.
Sputnik
"Prime Minister Yair Lapid will, tomorrow, lead the first meeting of the EU-Israel Association Council in over a decade. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, as well as the foreign ministers of additional countries, will participate alongside the Prime Minister," the statement said.
Israeli Intelligence Minister Elazar Stern will represent his country in Brussels and lead the Israeli delegation in the diplomatic discussions.
"Convening the council for the first time since 2012 is an important diplomatic achievement that reflects the improvement of Israel's relations with the EU over the past year," the statement read, adding that the sides are expected to discuss the current state of relations and their further development.
The EU-Israel Council is the highest bilateral forum to promote relations in science, economy, energy and environment.
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In 2013, Israel called off the gathering over the EU's directive stipulating that all agreements between the two parties must explicitly exclude the areas Israel controls in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The move prompted widespread criticism in Israel and the meeting format was suspended.
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