Jose Mujica Quotes

The task of the mediator is to help the parties to open difficult issues and nudge them forward in the peace process. The mediator's role combines those of a ship's pilot, consulting medical doctor, midwife and teacher.

We extend our hand towards peace. Our people are committed to peace. We know that peace entails painful compromise for both sides.

In Turkey, we have lived almost everything that could be lived; war and torture... The war concept was consumed to its limits. But there is only one way we have not tried: negotiations, peace, and talking.

If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.

The time is right for a political solution and the way is negotiations.

If you want peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.

It is the hope of the European Union that Ariel Sharon will keep the peace process alive and continue the dialogue according to the wishes of all the parties involved.

I think placing preconditions before negotiations is the quickest way to undermine peace.

There are universal traits and aspects of all these conflicts, and I think that all of them have bridgeable solutions. The only question is whether you are ready to take the challenge, to pay the price, to compromise in order to get more. This, I believe, is the challenge for all the peacemakers in the world.

There is never any military solution to any problem. Even when you have total victory you still have to go in and talk to people.

There is no better way to make peace than to talk in each other's home. Avoiding such talks is a denial of the purpose of the negotiations.

Our problem with Israel is that its leaders always talk about war and security but never about peace.

It's not for the president to determine the arrangements between Israel and the Palestinians, and the Arab world, but to be the bridge between opinions and to facilitate dialogue and understanding.

Direct talks is the only possible way to build trust and to resolve the conditions for a peace perspective between Palestinians and Israelis.

Middle East history is replete with examples of missed and lost chances to make peace.

There have always been people during periods of history that thought that we could get along with the enemy if only we would reach out. Peace in our time is a philosophy.

The negotiations must address all aspects, both peace and withdrawal.

The proposed liberal solution was always negotiation. Just as they believed in nuclear arms negotiations for their own sake, they believe in a "peace process" without regard to what its consequences might be....It was impossible for any peace plan to fail in their eyes, since lack of progress was nearly always interpreted as evidence that new talks were now "urgent".

Peace is only possible when one of the warring sides takes the first step, the hazardous initiative, the risk of opening up dialogue, and decides to make the gesture that will lead not only to an armistice but to peace.

The United States played the role of encouraging both sides to come together to try to finally resolve this issue, and we were pleased to see leaders on both sides work courageously to get that done.

When we seek reconciliation with our enemies, it is commonly out of a desire to better our own condition, a being harassed and tired out with a state of war, and a fear of some ill accident which we are willing to prevent.

We need a new kind of offensive in the Middle East. It's called a peace offensive.

One doesn't make peace with one's friends. One makes peace with one's enemies.

I think anything is better than war. The extent to which one can negotiate with fanatics, I have no idea. I don't know.

When we face problems or disagreements today, we have to arrive at solutions through dialogue. Dialogue is the only appropriate method. One-sided victory is no longer acceptable. We must work to resolve conflicts in a spirit of reconciliation and always keep in mind the interests of others.