Peres to Italy to celebrate 150th anniversary of republic

Peres to Italy to celebrate 150th anniversary of republic.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
Shimon Peres 311 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)
Shimon Peres 311
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)
Immediately after participating in the celebrations marking the 44th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem, President Shimon Peres will travel to Rome to represent Israel at the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Republic of Italy.
Peres will be among 40 world leaders viewing a military parade and participating in other anniversary festivities. Among the other leaders will be King Mohammed VI of Morocco, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, Argentine President Cristina Kirchner, Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, Slovenian President Danilo Turk, Austrian Chancellor Heinz Fischer and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
The occasion will also facilitate top level international networking on political affairs.
It is anticipated that Peres will have serious discussions with Abbas in an effort to persuade him to return to the negotiating table and to settle the conflict once and for all.
The two leaders have a relationship that goes back a long way and are in frequent telephone contact.
Peres will be in Italy from Wednesday to Sunday as the guest of President Giorgio Napolitano, who invited him in person during the his visit to Israel earlier this month to receive the prestigious Dan David Prize at Tel Aviv University.
While in Italy, Peres will express appreciation to the Italian authorities for standing with Israel in the international arena on matters of vital political importance to Israel. He will also meet with the leadership of the Italian Jewish community, will endeavor to enhance Israel’s image in Europe and will open the Israel Pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale, where Israel will continue to promote its campaign to have the Dead Sea listed among the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.