M`SIA URGES FRANCE TO PRESSURE ISRAEL TO STOP ILLEGAL SETTLEMENT

From Ahmad Kamil Tahir

PARIS, July 1 (Bernama) -- Malaysia today called on France to use its
influence to pressure Israel to stop building illegal settlements on Palestinian
land which was creating anger among the international community.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said he had made the call
during his meeting with French Foreign and European Affairs Minister Bernard
Kouchner, here Tuesday afternoon.

He said Malaysia urged French President Nicolas Sarkozy to use his close
ties with the Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu to find a quick
solution to the crisis faced by the Palestinians.

"Malaysia had expressed its view that whatever happens there (in Palestine),
the close allies of Israel such as the United States and France should get the
warring parties to the negotiation table to find a solution to the issues which
had dragged on for so long," he told Malaysian journalists covering his
three-day working visit to France which ended Wednesday.

The call was made following the announcement by Israel recently that it was
allocating US$250 million in the next two years to build a Jewish settlement in
the Palestinian territory on the West Bank without heeding the United State's
call to stop the project.

Muhyiddin said that besides the Palestinian issue, they had also discussed
other international matters including the problem in Myanmar and the political
and economic developments in Asean.

He said Malaysia and France also agreed to boost bilateral relations in
various fields such as trade, tourism and education.

-- BERNAMA