Israel, Pakistan agree to establish diplomatic relations
Israel-Pakistan, Politics, 9/2/2005

Israel and Pakistan announced following the first open meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries held in Istanbul an agreement to start steps for establishing full diplomatic relations between them.

Following the meeting, the Pakistani foreign minister Khourshid Qasouri said that Islam Abad decided to move at this level after the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, noting that the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was notified of this step and he welcomed it.

For his part, the Israeli foreign minister Silvan Shalom described this meeting as historic and expressed his hope that closeness with Pakistan to be an example to be followed for better relations with the Islamic countries.

Shaloum also expressed his thanks to the Pakistani President B. Musharaf and said "he moved bravely on the road to peace." The Israeli foreign minister said that it is not just coincidence that this meeting is held in Turkey which he described as a democratic Islamic country.

In a separate press conference, Shalom said that these meetings will result in establishment of full diplomatic relations, saying that opening embassies is just a meter of time, stressing that closeness with Pakistan is not directed at anyone, in remarks to Indi,a which he said had good relations with Tel Avis.

Shalom also claimed secret contacts carried out by Israel with all Arab states, saying that these contacts will be declared shortly.

The Israeli foreign ministry said that the meeting between Shalom and Qasouri came at the initiative of th Pakistani President Musharraf who asked the Turkish prime minister Tayeb Erdogan to play the role of the mediator in this regard. The spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry said that there is no logical reason to have conflict and confrontations with Pakistan. He said the two countries can have good and positive bilateral relations.

Al-Jazeera satellite TV office in Ankara said that Shaloum- Qasouri meeting came prior to their visit to new York to attend meetings of the UN general assembly, noting that there are information indicating that Turkey has tried since a while to arrange for this step.

For his part, deputy chairman of the political bureau of the Hamas movement Abu Marzouk expressed regret over the Pakistani- Israeli closeness and described it as a step backward. Abu Marzouk also expressed his regret over the Palestinian President's welcome of this step.

Meantime, the Pakistani daily al-Fajr ( dawn) said that Shalom- Qasouri meeting came as a response to the Israeli desire to establishing good relations with Islam Abad. Al-Jazeera reported that the Ankara meeting came following secret contacts between the two countries, noting that Pakistan consider that establishing diplomatic relations with Israel would alleviate Indian pressures and deepen relations with the USA.

Previous Stories:
  Renewed Pakistani rejection to recognize Israel   (10/27/2003)
  Pakistani ambassador in Cairo denies a meeting between his country's president with his Israeli counterpart   (11/2/1998)

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