EU welcomes resumption of Mideast talks

The European Union Tuesday called on the Palestinian and Israeli negotiating teams to show "bravery and leadership "in order to make progress in the negotiations for a settlement to the Palestine question. "We are in favour of these peace negotiations making good progress. We welcome the fact that they are coming together tomorrow," Michael Mann, spokesman for EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, told a news conference. Referring to the expected release of 23 Palestinian prisoners by Israel ahead of the talks on Wednesday, Mann said, "how it is conducted is a matter between the two parties, the Israelis and the Palestinians. Both sides have undertaken to do certain things to facilitate that happening. " He called on the two sides to "show the same bravery and leadership that they have shown thus far to make concrete progress in the negotiations because that is the only way that this problem is going to be sorted out." "We of course lend support in any way we can both by our bilateral contacts with both partes and working with the Quartet," he added.