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France again urges int'l conference to promote Mideast peace

(With France-Palestine-Recognition) PARIS, Nov 28 (KUNA) -- France on Friday sought to give a fillip to stalled Middle East peace talks, calling for a two-year deadline to conclude the troubled process.
Speaking to the French National Assembly at a time when it was debating a Palestinian recognition motion, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he was seeking, with other countries, a UN Security Council resolution to bring the Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table.
In the UN, Fabius said France was "working with (its) partners to adopt a Security Council resolution to restart and conclude talks" and he added a "deadline of two years is the one most often cited." France agrees with that timeline, Fabius told the parliament.
He reiterated a proposal often made by France, and repeated by Fabius only last Tuesday, offering to host an international conference here to cement a peace accord.
The Palestine recognition motion will be voted next Tuesday but Fabius has pointed out several times that it is non-binding on the government or on President Francois Hollande, who constitutionally decides foreign policy.
France, the Foreign Minister has said, will recognise a Palestinian State, officially, when this entity is created as a result of negotiations with Israel.
Around 135 nations have already made the symbolic step of recognising Palestine and these include European heavyweight, Britain, and also Spain, Sweden, Poland, Ireland and a number of the smaller EU nations. (end) jk.ibi