Karins calls on EU to take active role in addressing crisis in Middle East

RIGA - Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) on Monday called on the European Union to assume an active role in dealing with the crisis in the Middle East, as the Foreign Ministry informed LETA.

Yesterday, Karins took part in an informal meeting of the EU foreign affairs ministers to discuss the situation in Israel and the region.

At the meeting, Karins called on the EU to assume an active role in dealing with the crisis in the Middle East, actively countering the threat posed by Hamas to Israel, providing support to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and the region, and working with regional and global partners on a long-term solution.

Karins underlined the need to actively give thought to the resumption of a political dialogue after reducing the current tension in order to achieve a lasting two-state solution.

"A political two-state solution is the only way to reduce the grounds for radicalization and to ensure peaceful co-existence in the future," Karins noted.

The informal videoconference of EU foreign ministers took place at the initiative of the EU High Representative, Josep Borrell, to follow up with a discussion in the EU on the current tensions in Israel and the Palestinian territories. The meeting is held against the backdrop of a visit by the EU high representative to the Middle East aimed at strengthening the EU's coordination efforts with countries in the region to address the crisis.