Strasbourg, 12 March 2013 - Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland met with Israeli President Shimon Peres, after Peres had delivered a speech to the European Parliament today.

In their meeting, Peres and Jagland discussed Europe-Israeli relations, neighbourhood policy, and cooperation between Israel and the Council of Europe.

The Israeli parliament – the Knesset – was granted observer status with the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly in 1957.

See also: Israel and the Council of Europe