EU foreign policy chief urges talks over Jerusalem

By Serife Cetin

BRUSSELS (AA) - EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Thursday called for negotiations to determine the status of Jerusalem as she criticized the relocation of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv.

In remarks made during the Europe Business Summit at the Egmont Palace in capital Brussels, Mogherini said Jerusalem should be a capital city of both, Israel and Palestine.

She added: "None of the EU representatives attended the opening ceremony of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. These kinds of things are important in diplomacy."

U.S. President Donald Trump had sparked an international outcry last December when he unilaterally recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and vowed to relocate Washington’s embassy to the city.

Last week, the U.S. officially relocated its Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, effectively recognizing the latter city as Israel’s capital.

The shift in longstanding U.S. policy on Jerusalem has sparked angry demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories and in several Muslim countries.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Middle East conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel since 1967 -- might eventually serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.