Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre has gone to the Middle East for political talks till 13. January 2011.
The foreign minister will hold political talks in Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian Territory and Syria.The purpose of the trip is to have talks with political leaders about the political situation in the region and on the status of negotiations towards a two-state solution. The Foreign Minister will also have meetings on the plans for the completion of the Palestinian state-building project aimed at establishing a Palestinian state in 2011. World Bank pointed out in early September last year that state-building agenda has come far advanced and is technically possible in 2011. These statements increase the expectations for progress in the political track toward a two-state solution, while peace talks have stopped completely over the issue of freezing settlement.