Foreign minister meets with Palestinian counterpart Dr. Riad Malki

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Össur Skarphéðinsson, met today with Dr. Riad Malki, the Palestinian Foreign Minister. At the meeting the ministers discussed relations between Iceland and Palestine and ways to restart the Middle East peace process. The ministers also discussed the Palestinian bid to join the United Nations and Iceland's support for the UN membership of Palestine.

Dr. Malki's visit to Iceland began today and on December 15 the ministers will hold a joint press conference in the Culture House at 10:30 where Iceland's formal recognition of the independence and sovereignty of Palestine will be announced as well as the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two states. Later in the day Foreign Minister Malki will give a public lecture at 14:45 in the Nordic House hosted by the Institute of International Affairs at the University of Iceland.