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French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner shaking hands with President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem on Sunday. (AP)
Last update - 21:23 17/02/2008
French FM says peace progress evident, despite earlier remarks
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent and The Associated Press
Tags: Bernard Kouchner 

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Sunday that progress was evident in Israeli and Palestinian peace efforts, after remarking earlier in the day that negotiations have appeared stagnant since a U.S.-sponsored conference late last year.

After meeting with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Sunday evening at the end of a two-day visit to the region, Kouchner said he could see progress in negotiations and encouraged the two sides to continue advancing joint projects to improve the situation on the ground.

In response, Livni told Kouchner that any future peace accord must give a real and inclusive answer to Israel's security problems.
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Kouchner met with President Shimon Peres earlier Sunday, following talks the day before with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

Kouchner told Peres that the Palestinians appear increasingly hopeless about establishing a state, according to a statement issued by Peres' office.

Kouchner noted that no progress has been made in negotiations since the U.S.-hosted peace conference in November. "It is a dangerous thing," the statement quoted Kouchner as saying.


After Kouchner's meeting with Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Saturday, the French foreign minister said that Israel must stop settlement activity in order to make progress in U.S.-backed peace talks with the Palestinians.

"We are totally against the settlement policy. There can't be a trust between the two sides while settlement activity is going on," Kouchner said.

Earlier in the day, during a tour of Bethlehem, Kouchner said that the creation of a viable Palestinian state is in Israel's interest.

Kouchner urged tourists from around the world to visit Jesus' traditional birthplace, as part of efforts to revive the battered Palestinian economy. In December, France co-hosted a pledging conference in which international donors promised to pay $7.7 billion in aid to the Palestinians over three years.

In Bethlehem, Kouchner met with the mayor, visited a peace center and toured a French hospital.

After meeting Fayyad, Kouchner called for a Palestinian state to be set up "as quickly as possible" and told journalists he would ask the Israelis to make their best effort to help bring that about.

In Bethlehem, Kouchner said he started his visit there because the town is a symbol of peace and hope. "I know that the population all around is suffering .... but I hope we will get a better day," he said. "I hope that here in Bethlehem, tourists from all over the world will come back to see the Church of the Nativity."

Bethlehem was hit hard by violence and Israeli travel restrictions during recent years of conflict, but tourism has recovered slightly in the past two years.

Kouchner said he believes peace is inevitable. "This is the only way ... also for Israel to be secure, living close to a Palestinian state," he said.

In an interview with the Palestinian daily Al Quds, published Saturday, Kouchner called for Gaza's borders be reopened. Israel and Egypt severely restricted access to the territory after the Islamic militant Hamas seized control by force in June.

"We are calling to remove the blockade on Gaza because there must be movement for goods and people," he said. "The economic and humanitarian situation in Gaza is bad, and the siege is affecting the economy in general, and also the living conditions."

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      1.   Kouchner is a Human Rights Hero 20:21  |  Jeroen de Jager 16/02/08
      2.   Israel`s security is in Palestinians interest 20:24  |  Jeroen de Jager 16/02/08
      3.   French PM 20:47  |  Fredy Ross 16/02/08
      4.   What a lovely idea...thanks 20:48  |  real vision 16/02/08
      5.   Or better yet 20:51  |  Joshua 16/02/08
      6.   stable iran. iraq, syria. plstn, lebanon the 20:53  |  bozhidar balkas 16/02/08
      7.   Kouchner only has half a "brain"-an Arab one... 20:55  |  didier perrone 16/02/08
      8.   Dont cry about peace now Your country is part of the problem 20:56  |  pal 16/02/08
      9.   On vous attend à Sederot 21:02  |  HS 16/02/08
      10.   blocade 21:03  |  Shmuelshachor 16/02/08
      11.   Re Israel`s security is in Palestinians interest 21:03  |  Brad 16/02/08
      12.   A "viable Palestinian state" isn`t good enough for the Pals 21:26  |  Conroy 16/02/08
      13.   Israel is a sovereign country 21:50  |  Brod 16/02/08
      14.   Kouchner is overlooking one thing 22:07  |  Jeff 16/02/08
      15.   To Brod 22:17  |  Myles 16/02/08
      16.   True.... But 22:55  |  MiddleStanian 16/02/08
      17.   Anyone who thinks anything is inevitable has no credibility 23:12  |  McQueen 16/02/08
      18.   RE 1: KOUCHNER; A JEWISH EXTREMIS OR HUMAN RIGHTS HERO? 23:17  |  JACKAL 16/02/08
      19.   KOUCHENER! WHY ARE YOU ASKING PEOPLE TO VISIT BETHLEHEM? 23:20  |  JACKAL 16/02/08
      20.   12Conroy,depends on what Palestinian state you are talking about! 23:51  |  lakshmi 16/02/08
      21.   once a loony leftist always aloony leftist 23:58  |  v hardman 16/02/08
      22.   Strange that Kouchner doesn`t understand that there is no peace 00:11  |  redmike 17/02/08
      23.   to Myles 00:34  |  holllingsworth 17/02/08
      24.   Kouchner is a warmongerer 00:47  |  Frank 17/02/08
      25.   Illegal settlements need to go 00:48  |  Jens 17/02/08
      26.   He is absolutely right, it`s clear 01:08  |  Chris 17/02/08
      27.   His dad was a Jewish Doctor 01:15  |  Semsem 17/02/08
      28.   # 15 myles 01:18  |  Axel 17/02/08
      29.   french charity 01:25  |  greg gutman 17/02/08
      30.   Jackal - the blood from your snout is stale 01:39  |  Jeroen de Jager 17/02/08
      31.   Nothing new-The West supports a Pal state and Jewish state 01:43  |  Sam 17/02/08
      32.   #19 lakshmi you`re evading the issue 01:44  |  Conroy 17/02/08
      33.   Kouchner should be attending to the Arab problems in Franc 01:53  |  * BEN JABO 17/02/08
      34.   32Conroy,I would support a 2 state based on the Partition Line, 02:22  |  lakshmi 17/02/08
      35.   typical frog 02:40  |  eddie 17/02/08
      36.   hypocrocee 02:44  |  greg 17/02/08
      37.   kouchner my tuchus 03:01  |  gambino 17/02/08
      38.   pals support two state solution 03:06  |  greg 17/02/08
      39.   #34 At least you`re honest Lakshmi 03:07  |  Conroy 17/02/08
      40.   FM Kouchner 1 03:15  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 17/02/08
      41.   Reply to Sensem (Post No. 27) 03:16  |  Johnny Weintraub 17/02/08
      42.   FM Kouchner 2 03:26  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 17/02/08
      43.   #28 Axel - Nobody expects sympathy from the likes of you 03:41  |  * BEN JABO 17/02/08
      44.   Do you know Why the people of the word are suffreing? 03:50  |  Simon Mohammed 17/02/08
      45.   1967 borders or one country for all 03:52  |  Gregg 17/02/08
      46.   Kouchner 03:56  |  Maurice 17/02/08
      47.   Kouchner and Sarkozy. 04:37  |  Maureen Ann 17/02/08
      48.   Myles #15 04:50  |  Brod 17/02/08
      49.   Empty words 05:13  |  Truths 17/02/08
      50.   Lakshmi and Two states 05:17  |  Truth 17/02/08
      51.   the diplomats talk the talk and take photos 05:33  |  real vision 17/02/08
      52.   Conroy`s lies and racism 05:54  |  Truth 17/02/08
      53.   #34 2ND TRY lakshmi - be realistic 06:06  |  * BEN JABO 17/02/08
      54.   #45 Gregg - 1967 borders, you didn`t say which ones 06:08  |  * BEN JABO 17/02/08
      55.   #47 Maureen Ann - The sage of Australia has made a pronouncement 06:10  |  * BEN JABO 17/02/08
      56.   And for his next move, Gregg will annex Baja California, or maybe 06:13  |  MaryRose 17/02/08
      57.   The French FM Call is Unlawful , Is Illegal 07:08  |  Joseph E . 17/02/08
      58.   To Be Secure,Israel must Eliminate Urban Terror,Transfer Arabs, 07:10  |  Joseph . E 17/02/08
      59.   Donations 08:28  |  Taha Mokhtar 17/02/08
      60.   seems israel needs to declare bethlehem "off limits" 08:32  |  eric 17/02/08
      61.   Why should the Jews stop the settlement of their own Land ? 08:57  |  Jean Van Daem 17/02/08
      62.   Israel Must Stop Settlement Activity 09:11  |  JordanisPalestine 17/02/08
      63.   The Sarkozy/Kouchner euphoria among the Israel supporters..... 09:51  |  Swiss (Dino) 17/02/08
      64.   To Cipora, 41,42 10:23  |  Jozef 17/02/08
      65.   #13 Brod 10:35  |  Outsider 17/02/08
      66.   Bravo! 10:56  |  samos 17/02/08
      67.   "Israel is a sovereign country" brod 11:17  |  samos 17/02/08
      68.   #64, Jozef 11:42  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 17/02/08
      69.   French FM Kouchner: Tell the Arabs to STOP terror 12:04  |  mk 17/02/08
      70.   reply to Jeroen 12:53  |  Jean-Paul DOGUET 17/02/08
      71.&nb