Alon Ushpiz, director general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, visited Brussels Nov. 10, meeting with European Commission leaders, representatives of the 27 member states and high officials in NATO, including Secretary-General of the European Union External Action Service Stefano Sannino and Secretary-General of the European Parliament Klaus Welle.
Ushpiz was following up on the July 12 visit there by Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who participated as guest at the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union. Both visits were designed to relaunch and reshape relations between Israel and the European Union in general, but also to advocate in particular for the Israeli position on talks with Iran. This was true especially for the meetings of Ushpiz in Brussels, in view of the upcoming Nov. 29 convening of the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors and resumption of negotiations with Iran for a possible new nuclear deal. A statement by the Foreign Ministry said Ushpiz had told his interlocutors in Brussels that Iran is advancing toward nuclear weapon capabilities every day, and warned that now is the time to stop Iran's nuclear program.