Belgian diplomat succeeds Moratinos

The European Cabinet announced that the Belgian diplomat Marc Oti was appointed yesterday officially as an envoy for the European Union to the Middle East in succession for the Spanish Miguel Angle Moratinos.

The EU ministers council ( cabinet) announced that Oti will work under the supervision of the higher representative of the EU foreign policy Javier Solana in order to achieve the EU political objectives in the Middle East. Among these objectives is that "Israel will live side by side with a viable and democratic peaceful and sovereign Palestinian state." Oti (46 year old) served earlier as an ambassador for Belgium in Israel. He also served at his country's embassy in Washington.