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Israel's Livni moves ahead with coalition talks
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni pressed ahead with efforts to secure a ruling coalition on Monday, a day after delivering her first foreign policy speech since being named to form a new government. Elected on September 17 to replace Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at the head of the Kadima party, Livni needs to put together a governing coalition if she is also to take over as premier while averting a snap election. She planned to meet on Monday with leaders of two religious parties -- the Shas, which has 12 mandates in the 120-seat parliament, and the United Torah Judaism, which has six MPs -- media reported. Livni, 50, a former Mossad spy, was formally asked by President Shimon Peres on September 22 to form a new government, after she took over as Kadima chairman from Olmert who stepped down as police recommended he be indicted over graft allegations. At a conference organized by her ministry on Sunday, she delivered her first foreign policy speech since the Kadima election. "Israel wants to achieve peace with all its neighbors, including the Palestinians, the Syrians and the Lebanese. Israel wants to achieve peace and normalization with all the Arab countries," she said. She also said Iran, which Israel considers a strategic threat, is an issue that should be dealt with at the international level. Posted by: Fred 2008-10-07 |
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