European Union Foreign Ministers called on Israel and the Palestinians to resume direct and susbatntive talks”, at their monthly meeting Monday in Brussels.
In a statement issued after the meeting , the 27 ministers EU said: "The EU reiterates its concern at the continuing stalemate in the peace process and calls on the parties to show the highest sense of responsibility and to resume direct and substantive talks."
"The EU continues to believe that urgent progress is needed towards a two-state solution," the statement added, supporting EU foreign policy Chief Catherine Ashton's "continued efforts for the Mideast Quartet to create a credible perspective for the relaunching of the peace process."
Speaking to journalists, Ashton said that restarting peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians "is more important than a possible UN resolution on Palestinian statehood."
She said that no one yet knows what the resolution would say. It would be up to individual countries, not the EU, to decide whether to support the Palestinians' bid for statehood recognition at the United Nations in September, she added.