European Union states agreed on Monday they were ready to upgrade ties with Israel
while urging the Jewish state to make progress on Middle East peace, officials said.
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"The European Union is determined to develop a closer partnership with Israel," EU foreign ministers agreed at talks in Luxembourg, according to a text obtained by Reuters.
The process should take place in a context "which notably includes the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the implementation of the two-state solution," it said.
The EU was due to meet later on Monday with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni of
Israel, which has sought a significant upgrading of relations opposed by Arab states and the Palestinian Authority especially because of Israel's settlement building.
Diplomats said EU member states were ready to enhance ties with Israel in social policy, give the hi-tech Israeli economy better access to the European market and cooperate more closely on regulatory issues.
That is more modest than proposals made last year by Israel which included regular summits of EU and Israeli leaders, and meetings with EU sectoral ministers on top of the current annual session at foreign minister level.
Israel has a seven-year-old "association agreement" with the 27-member bloc setting out a schedule of political meetings, regulating trade ties and areas of cooperation from internal security to education.
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