Luxembourg, 28/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - The EU calls upon the newly elected Israeli government to swiftly reactivate the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and to support the objective of a “two-State solution”, EU foreign ministers reiterated on Monday. Meeting in Council in Luxembourg, the EU27 also called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahou to abstain from any measure or political decision that could compromise a future solution for the two states. Israel must also act as a matter of urgency in order to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, including by lifting restrictions for the delivery of humanitarian goods, they stressed. External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner repeated on Monday that the time was not yet ripe for improving EU/Israel relations because of the uncertainty over the government's attitude on the peace process (as she had told the Brussels press Thursday last, see EUROPE 9888). The commissioner's opinion is not shared by the Czech EU Presidency. In an interview on Sunday with the Israeli daily, Haaretz, Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek said, on the contrary, that “the peace process should not be linked to relations between the EU and Israel”. On Monday, Karel Schwarzenberg admitted there was a “certain dichotomy” between the Presidency and the Commission on this subject. (H.B./transl.jl)