Quds, June 24, 2010, SPA -- Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann Thursday called on Israel to lift its economic blockade of the Gaza Strip, dpa reported. Living conditions in Gaza must improve and for that to happen, the blockade must be removed, he said during a joint news conference with Israeli President Shimon Peres in Occupied Al-Quds. But he also added that calming Israel's security concerns and preventing weapons smuggling into the strip were an "important condition." Meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for dinner on Wednesday, Faymann had also said that improving the living conditions in Gaza is "in the interest of the European Union," but cautioned that "the security measures that Israel must take are legitimate." Faymann arrived in Israel on Wednesday, also meeting with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and opposition leader Tzipi Livni in Occupied Al-Quds. -- SPA