From the Liveblog of
Sunday, February 23, 2025
FM Sa’ar heads to Brussels for key meetings with EU counterparts
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar is slated to take off this evening for Brussels to meet with high-ranking European Union officials on the conflict in Gaza, regional issues and EU-Israel bilateral relations, says Sa’ar’s office.
The 13th meeting of the European Union-Israel Association Council takes place tomorrow.
Sa’ar will co-chair the council alongside EU Foreign Policy chief Kaja Kallas. Sa’ar says that “strong Israel-EU relations serve the interests of both sides, and I will continue working to strengthen them.”
The council convenes under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which serves as the legal framework for Israel’s trade relations with the EU, Israel’s largest trading partner.
The council, which last convened in 2022 with then-foreign minister Yair Lapid, is meant to occur annually between Israel and the EU to cover matters of mutual concern.
During his visit, Sa’ar will hold talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, in addition to bilateral meetings with Belgian officials and foreign ministers from Hungary, Romania, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Finland and Slovakia.
A joint press conference with Kallas is scheduled for Monday at 6:30 p.m. Israel time.
The Times of Israel Community.