In a press release Vatican expresses understanding for the reasons behind the cancellation of plenary of the commission, but calls for continued negotiations and a date for a new meeting.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – The Holy See has expressed its regrets for the unilateral decision by the Israeli delegation to cancel a meeting scheduled to take place tomorrow in the Vatican. The meeting was supposed to deal with some issues relating to the Fundamental Agreement (that was signed on December 30, 1993, and came into effect on March 10 1994).

“On March 26,” the press release said, “the Israeli delegation made known the impossibility of its participating in the meeting, due to the international political situation. The Holy See, while understanding the reasons, notes the circumstance with disappointment and hopes as soon as possible to be able to agree with the Israeli side a new date for calling the plenary.

The plenary of the Commission has not met for the past five years and must conduct the negotiations that should lead to an “overall treaty” on questions such as taxation and Church property that are still pending in Israel. It should also provide the Church of that country the legal and fiscal security it needs.

“According to its style in international relations,” a scholar on Vatican diplomacy told AsiaNews, “the Holy See appears to show in this manner , expressly, not only its ‘regret’ over the ‘circumstance’ of the ‘impossibility’ communicated by the other Party, but also its own enduring will to continue the dialogue; and, by reporting the reasons given by the other Party for  such ‘impossibility’ of keeping the appointment, the communiqué appears to signal that there is certainly no wish to aggravate this delicate situation, but to preserve instead the other party's full ability to show yet its full good faith, specifically by agreeing ‘soonest’ on a new date.”

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• israel
• commission
• plenary
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