Council in brief

Berlusconi’s jet scare

An Italian air force jet that was flying Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s prime minister, to the summit had to turn back because of a problem with the windshield. The crew noticed a bubble on the co-pilot’s side of the cockpit window when the plane was over Switzerland and decided to return to Italy in case the windshield cracked. Berlusconi and his aides were transferred to another plane at Milan’s Linate airport and flown from there to Brussels.

Middle East

EU leaders welcomed the relaunch direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians after a suspension of two years. The negotiations, the leaders said, should lead “to a two-state solution with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous and viable State of Palestine living side by side in peace and security”. They called on both sides to “observe calm and restraint” and to “refrain from actions that could affect negatively the progress of the negotiations”. They called for an end to Palestinian terrorist attacks and the extension of a moratorium on Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.

Reinfeldt’s absence

Fredrik Reinfeldt, Sweden’s prime minister, did not attend the summit as he was campaigning ahead of the country’s general elections on Sunday (19 September). He was replaced by Carl Bildt, Sweden’s foreign minister (and a former prime minister), who was replaced at the meeting of foreign ministers by Frank Belfrage, the state secretary for foreign affairs.

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