Peres and Obama meet in Copenhagen

JERUSALEM — Israeli President Shimon Peres and US President Barack Obama have discussed the Middle East on the sidelines of the climate change conference in Copenhagen.

Peres’ office said in a news release that Obama approached the Israeli leader late Friday afternoon (December 18) at the UN Climate Change Conference and embraced him warmly, then talked about the Middle East situation.

“Israel appreciates and respects your significant efforts to renew the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as that between Israel and its Arab neighbors,” Peres told the US president, according to the release.

“I ask that you continue in your work to advance peace in the Middle East.”

Peres met several leaders during the conference including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

He also met Mexican President Felipe Calderon, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Velez, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, Cypriot President Dimtris Christofias and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

JTA