Beijing: China’s Foreign Minister told his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts his country is ready to help facilitate peace talks, state media Xinhua reported. Separate phone calls between Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Israeli and Palestinian top diplomats come amid recent moves by Beijing to position itself as regional mediator.

Qin encouraged “Steps to resume peace talks,” and said, “China is ready to provide convenience for this,” in Monday phone call with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, Xinhua reported in summarisation. And Qin told Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki that Beijing supports resumption of talks as soon as possible, according to Xinhua summary.

In both calls Qin emphasised China’s push for peace talks on basis of implementing “Two-state solution,” Xinhua said. China has been on recent diplomatic offensive, brokering restoration of ties in March between Iran and Saudi Arabia rivals in region where United States for decades has been main diplomatic powerbroker. Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations have been stalled since 2014.

Published in The Daily National Courier, April, 19 2023

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