The European Union expects Israel to announce a freeze of its settlement activity in the Palestinian territories ahead of key talks in New York later this month, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Friday according to dpa. "We are optimistic that Israel will accept a reasonable solution on the freezing of settlements," Frattini said on the sidelines of an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Stockholm. The announcement of a temporary or permanent freeze is seen as a necessary precondition for possible face-to-face talks on the sidelines of the upcoming UN Security Council meeting between US President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The freeze "is the only pre-condition to re-start negotiations" between Israel and the Palestinians, Frattini said. Frattini's comments were echoed by his French counterpart, Bernard Kouchner. "The freezing of settlements does not solve all of the problems, but it would allow the resumptions of negotiations," Kouchner said. During their informal talks in Stockholm, EU foreign ministers unanimously criticized Israel's latest plans to approve the construction of hundreds of new apartments in West Bank settlements before accepting US and Palestinian demands for a freeze.
