UNITED NATIONS: France plans to start discussions with partners in the “coming weeks” on a United Nations Security Council resolution to lay out the parameters for ending the Arab/Israeli conflict, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told reporters on Friday.

“If we want to have a two-state solution and if we want to avoid a complete crash, we must go in the same direction,” he underscored.

The permanent five council members — China, Russia, France, Britain, the United States — are crucial to passage of any such measure.

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Fabius refused to say how soon France would bring up a draft measure before the Council. But he said France would consult with other Council members “in the coming days” over a framework for negotiations.

Doing so is likely to put pressure on the Obama administration.

The United States has said it would “reassess” its options on US-Israel relations and Middle East diplomacy after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a stand last week against Palestinian statehood during his election campaign. France, along with Britain and Germany, had also drafted a Security Council resolution late last year to set parameters for ending the conflict, but the text was put on the back burner until after the Israeli elections, which took place last week.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2015

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