RAMALLAH, West Bank, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos cautioned against the dangers of unilateral policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Speaking after a meeting Monday with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia in Ramallah, Moratinos stressed "bilateral negotiations are the only means" to achieve peace in the region, urging the international community to coordinate efforts to return both parties to talks.
Moratinos was quoted by the Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, as saying he will seek to rally international efforts to relaunch the peace process on the basis of negotiation on final status, following the Palestinian and Israeli general elections.
He said the world was awaiting the results of the upcoming Palestinian and Israeli elections that would lead to clear peace programs by the new leaderships.
Moratinos stressed the mission of the international community is "to help both parties achieve peace."
Qureia called on Israel to facilitate the movement of Palestinians in Jerusalem to enable them to participate freely in the elections scheduled for Jan. 25.
"We reject Israeli attempts to portray the Palestinian community in Jerusalem as living on Israeli territory through disrupting the electoral process, including campaigning and voting," Qureia said.
The Palestinians regard East Jerusalem as the capital of their future independent state, which they want to establish on territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war.
