Monday, August 14, 2000

MEETING IN VATICAN FOR ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER


VATICAN CITY, AUG 14, 2000 (VIS) - At midday today, Fr. Ciro Benedettini C.P., vice-director of the Holy See Press Office, made the following declaration:

"Today Monday August 14, in the late morning, Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, secretary for Relations with States received in audience Shlomo Ben Ami, ad interim minister for foreign affairs of the State of Israel, who has come to the Vatican to exchange viewpoints on the Middle East peace process, particularly following the recent Camp David summit.

"The minister expressed the Israeli government's wish to continue negotiations, despite the difficulties, and to favor dialogue with the Palestinian Authority, with the help too of the international community.

"Archbishop Tauran explained the Holy See's well-known position on the peace process: respect for international law by all sides, especially as regards U.N. resolutions, and equal rights and duties for all peoples of the region. (These are) two indispensable requirements to put an end to a situation of injustice and insecurity.

"Part of the conversation was also dedicated to protection of the Holy Sites of the three great religions in the Holy Land and, especially, of those sites in the city of Jerusalem that, for the Holy See, constitute a heritage sacred to all believers and that have a universal value.

"Archbishop Tauran also expressed his deep concern for the difficult situation that continues in Nazareth, caused by the project to build a mosque in front of the Basilica of the Annunciation.

OP;MIDDLE EAST; CAMP DAVID;...;TAURAN; BEN AMI;VIS;20000814;Word: 260;

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