Brussels: The European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini met Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas late Monday to discuss "concrete steps" to calm the surge of violence between Israelis and Palestinians.
"We have a meeting tonight to discuss the ways EU can contribute to a de-escalation," Mogherini said in brief comments before a working dinner.
The EU's diplomatic chief said she hoped the pair would discuss "concrete steps on the ground, including difficult ones, that can strengthen the Palestinians on an everyday basis".
The European Commission is the biggest provider of financial aid to the Palestinians, providing more than 5.6 billion euros ($6.19 billion) to Abbas' Palestinian Authority since 1994.
Mogherini, who met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Berlin on Thursday, admitted there was "a certain degree of frustration" in Europe over the peace process, which collapsed in April 2014 amid bitter recriminations.
