Socialist International delegation holds key meetings in the Middle East

11 October 2000

A delegation of the Socialist International (SI), the worldwide organisation of social democratic, socialist and labour parties long involved in the work for peace in the Middle East, is holding talks in the region on 11-13 October with leaders of its member parties, the Israel Labour Party, Meretz and Fatah.

The delegation will meet with Ehud Barak, leader of the Israel Labour Party and Prime Minister of Israel, with Yasser Arafat, Chair of Fatah and President of the Palestinian Authority, with Yossi Sarid, leader of Meretz, and with high-ranking Palestinian and Israeli officials.

The mission is addressing the urgent concerns of the International of overcoming confrontation and securing a path for negotiations to resume the peace process. The members of the delegation include: Thorbjørn Jagland, Leader of the Norwegian Labour Party and Foreign Minister of Norway, and Chair of the SI Middle East Committee; Walter Veltroni, Leader of the Democrats of the Left, Italy, and a member of the SI Executive; Julien Dray, Member of Parliament, of the French Socialist Party National Secretariat; and Luis Ayala, Secretary General of the Socialist International.