08/01/2024 (Agence Europe) – On Monday 8 January, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, announced that he had invited Prince Faisal, the Saudi Foreign Minister, to Brussels for the ‘Foreign Affairs’ Council meeting on Monday 22 January to take stock of the Israel/Hamas war. “We talked about our ‘joint peace initiative’”, he added via X (formerly Twitter) during a visit to Saudi Arabia. This initiative was launched last September, with Egypt and the Arab League, to relaunch the Middle East peace process through the creation of a Palestinian state living in peace alongside Israel (see EUROPE 13253/30). Mr Borrell also held talks with the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on how to deal with “the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza” and strengthen “the indispensable role of the UN”. (MB)