BNS reports Lithuania sent a deputy foreign minister to a Middle East peace conference in Paris while other countries sent foreign ministers.

Lithuania’s move was a gesture of symbolic support for Israel whose government criticized the conference as an attempt to impose unacceptable conditions on the Jewish state.

Lithuanian deputy foreign minister Neris Germanas attended. Diplomatic sources confirmed the level of representation was intentional in support of Israel.

Participants at the Paris conference Sunday called on Israel and the Palestinians to resume talks on peace and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the conference declaration as an attempt to impose on Israel conditions incompatible with its national interests. Neither Israel nor Palestine participated at the conference.