GAZA (PIC)– PA premier Ismail Haneyya is to pay an official visit to Switzerland next month at the invitation of the Swiss government a statement issued by the PA foreign ministry on Saturday declared.
The statement said that foreign minister Ziyad Abu Amre discussed the visit preparations with his Swiss counterpart Micheline Calmy-Rey who is also this year’s Swiss president in Geneva.
It said that Abu Amre also discussed latest political developments in Palestine after formation of the unity government in addition to the importance of lifting the international siege on the Palestinians.
The Arab summit resolutions the committee formed to market the Arab Middle East peace initiative and means of enhancing Swiss-Palestinian relations were discussed during the meeting the statement underlined.
Haneyya’s visit to Bern would be the first of its kind to a European country since he assumed office more than a year ago.
The premier addressing reporters after the Friday congregation said that the Israeli escalation and continued siege were meant to pressure the Palestinian government and people to offer political concessions which he said was out of the question. He urged the world community to expedite lifting of the “oppressive” siege imposed on the Palestinian people.
The USA-led western siege on the Palestinian people followed the election of Hamas Movement to rule them more than a year ago. The USA and Israel said that the siege would be only lifted when Hamas recognized Israel and all agreements signed with it by past PA governments and the PLO.
