October 18, 2011
UN’S Ban sees peace process boost from Shalit deal
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United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in Bern on Oct. 16. Photo by REUTERS/Michael Buholzer
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday that he expected the Israeli-Palestinian prisoner exchange to boost prospects for the wider peace process.
“With this release, it will have a far-reaching positive impact to the stalled Middle East peace process,” Ban told Reuters at the end of a three-day trip to Switzerland.
“I am very encouraged by the prisoner exchange today after many many years of negotiation. The United Nations has been calling for (an end to) the unacceptable detention of Gilad Shalit and also the release of all Palestinians whose human rights have been abused all the time.”
Reporting by Amena Bakr and Vincent Fribault, writing by Tom Miles, editing by Stephanie Nebehay
