Holy See Delegate Upbeat About Talks With Israel
JERUSALEM, SEPT. 10, 2004 (Zenit.org).- An ad hoc Vatican
delegation concluded four days of talks with the Israeli Foreign
Ministry over the fulfillment of the Fundamental Agreement between
the Holy See and Israel.
It was the first meeting of substance in a year between the two
delegations. Neither the Vatican team, led by apostolic delegate
Archbishop Pietro Sambi, nor the Israeli Foreign Ministry released
an official statement.
AsiaNews, however, asked Archbishop Sambi for his evaluation of the
talks that ended Thursday.
"To begin with, it is a positive thing that the negotiations got
started, and I must say that there has been considerable progress
over these days," he said. "A few difficulties persist, but I hope
the willingness continues to fulfill the Fundamental Agreement
completely."
Among the difficulties that remain, sources told AsiaNews, is the
refusal to guarantee the Church access to courts for defending
Church property, a situation Israeli jurists themselves call
"unsustainable."
Talks are expected to resume in the second half of October.