Peres: "A unilateral declaration of statehood by the Palestinians at the United Nations can lead to a stalemate between the parties; the European Union can contribute significantly by helping the parties return to the negotiating table."

On Sunday, the President of Israel Shimon Peres held a working meeting with Prime Minister of Belgium Yves Leterme in which they discussed a wide range of issues including the effects of the Arab Spring on the region, and the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians as it relates to September.

The President presented his analysis of the current state of affairs between Israel and the Palestinians and said: "It would be unfortunate to arrive at a unilateral declaration of statehood by the Palestinians at the U.N. that could lead to a stalemate between the sides especially when a peace agreement can be achieved through direct negotiations. The gaps are not that wide. We have great respect for the Palestinian leadership, Abbas and Fayyad, and I believe that we can make peace. The contribution of the Quartet and the European Union will be significant if they can lead the parties back to the negotiating table and enable them to conduct direct negotiations."

The Belgian Prime Minister expressed his condolences on the terror attack in Eilat and the rocket attacks three weeks ago. The President emphasized that Israel views Europe as a significant entity that can pressure Hamas to abandon the use of terror and rockets and as a result contribute to regional stability.

Prime Minister Leterme is visiting Israel in order to explore cooperation in the fields of trade and technology between the two countries. The economies of Belgium and Israel are similar; both are small, open and have very developed hi-tech industries. There is significant potential for cooperation specifically in the fields of communications technology and advanced medicine. The President told his guest, "I know that today the trade between our countries is $4 billion a year and that Belgium is Israel's second largest trading partner in Europe as diamonds represent 70% of that. I believe we should promote trade in less 'shiny' industries and realize the true potential that exists between our countries."

The Belgian Prime Minister told President Peres that the purpose of his visit is to provide momentum to bilateral relations and to increase the mutual investment between both countries. Belgium is a country experiencing growth that has emerged from the economic crisis well and the Prime Minister is here to learn from Israel's economic growth experience.