France reiterates land for peace principle

France on Thursday asserted the need to apply the land for peace principle to achieve a genuine progress in the negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis. The spokeswoman for the French Foreign Ministry said France is among the countries that truly hope to achieve progress between the Palestinian government and Israel.

Such a progress, she said, should meet the hopes the Palestinian people have pinned on their right to establish their own independent state. "If there is one country that supports peace agreements and views the principle of land for peace as a ground to achieve peace in this region, it means that this country is France," the spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile in London, British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook rebuffed criticism addressed toward him that his April visit to Israel was "a diplomatic failure." In televised statements Cook said his visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories convinced the Palestinians to attend the London peace conference which will be convened on May 4.