BRUSSELS, Dec 02, 2008 (Xinhua via COMTEX News Network) -- Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni promised on Tuesday that the Israeli government intends to continue direct peace talks with the Palestinians, which have been conducted in the framework set up by the Annpolis Mideast peace conference last year.
Speaking during a hearing at the Foreign Affairs' Committee of the European Parliament in Brussels, Livni also called for European Union (EU) support for the ongoing Israel-Palestinian talks, stressing that they "do not need intervention from the international community."
Livni, who is likely to replace outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in the February elections, also told the EU lawmakers that Israel would reduce Jewish settlement construction on the West Bank to "a minimum," saying that it was no longer official Israeli policy to expand Jewish settlements.
Meanwhile, Livni expressed her hope that the EU will come up with plans to promote ties with Israel in a wide range of areas including trade, politics and educational exchanges.
On Tuesday, Livni also held talks with top EU officials including European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, and EU Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner to brief them with the latest developments in the Mideast peace talks.
Under the U.S. pressure, Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed in November last year at an U.S.-hosted international conference in Maryland's Annapolis to relaunch the stalled peace talks aimed to hammer out a comprehensive peace treaty before U.S. President George W. Bush leaves office in January.
However, since Annapolis, the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have made little substantial progress due to deep rifts on sensitive issues.