Vedrine: Israel's policy based on security complicates situations

French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine said the solution to the Middle East problem will not come from Washington but from a change in the Israeli government's policy. In an interview with Le Parisien French newspaper of Monday, Vedrine said the Israelis should realize that such policy which is based only on dealing with security matters will only lead to complicating the situation, adding that France has warned against this a long time ago.

He asserted that the resumption of negotiations is the only way to restore calm in the region, calling on the Palestinians to exert all efforts to halt violence He voiced belief that the United States should give more attention to the Middle East, pointing out that this does not mean any under-estimation of Washington's efforts so far. He praised the U.S. decision to dispatch peace envoy Anthony Zinni to the region, saying it is very important.