BRUSSELS – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was in Brussels on Wednesday for talks with EU leaders. 

Abbas met with Belgian King Albert II before visiting the EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana as well as the heads of the European Commission and Parliament.

After the talks Abbas told journalists that he wanted to see the creation of a Palestinian state “as soon as possible.”

The Palestinian leader’s visit coincides with an announcement by Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht that Belgium has agreed to finance a United Nations-backed backed project for Palestinian refugees to the tune of EUR 750,000.

De Gucht has been touring Palestine and Israel.

On Tuesday, during a major international conference in London on the Middle East peace process, Abbas pledged to do all he could to end attacks by Palestinian groups on Israelis.

[Copyright Expatica 2005]

Subject: Belgian news