Israeli envoy
May 3, 2009
Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot reported that Lieberman wanted to lay the groundwork for the presentation of the new Israeli government's peace policies, which are currently being formulated.
"He will ask that the Europeans wait a bit until the government presents its new policy," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told news agency AFP.
Lieberman is also to meet with Italian, French and Czech representatives in the first official visit abroad by a member of the new right-wing Israeli government.
Visible progress
The hardliner is seeking to block voices within the European Union calling for a freeze in upgrading Israel-EU ties unless progress is made in peace talks between the coalition government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Palestinians.
Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told Yediot Ahronot that if Israel wanted to continue enjoying Rome's support in Europe, it had to take "suitable positions" and declare its support for a continuation of the peace process.
Frattini also called on the blunt-speaking Lieberman to "lower the tone" of his declarations and to "work towards an atmosphere of cooperation."
Lieberman will meet with his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner on Tuesday, but a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy has not been confirmed.
"I am not saying that it's a condition, but it would be favorable if Avigdor Lieberman in the very least adheres to the decisions taken by the international community," Claude Gueant, Sarkozy's chief of staff, told French radio.
He is scheduled to meet with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin on Thursday.
Controversial beginnings
Lieberman, head of a nationalist party in Netanyahu's coalition, caused a stir on his first day as foreign minister when he announced that Israel was no longer bound by the so-called Annapolis peace process, which formed the basis of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in 2008.
Netanyahu has so far refused to publicly endorse the idea of a two-state solution that would see the creation of a Palestinian state.
Instead, Lieberman said, Israel was prepared to adhere only to the roadmap peace plan, a performance-based initiative from 2003.
Israel recently warned the EU to tone down its criticism of Netanyahu's cabinet or risk losing a role in the Middle East peace process.