10/7/2010
Clinton meets Blair over Mideast peace talks
WASHINGTON, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will meet Mideast Quartet representative Tony Blair later in hours to discuss efforts to push the deadlocked Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, the State Department said.
Clinton has also spoken with Jordanian counterpart, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, ahead of Friday's Arab League meeting. US Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell also made a series of calls to leaders in the region, according to State Department spokesman Philip Crowley.
On Clinton and Blair's meeting, Crowley said "they will continue to review how to increase support for the Palestinian Authority and the ongoing institutional efforts led by President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad." "Our message is clear. These are important negotiations. We're at a critical stage in the process. We want to see the negotiations continue. We don't want to see the parties step away from this process," Crowley stressed.
Israeli and Palestinians are at a stand-still after Israel refused to extend a 10-month moratorium on settlement building within the occupied Palestinian territory that expired at the end of September, without which Abbas has said he will not continue the peace talks.
Crowley urged the Arab League to remain involved in the talks, saying, "we think withdrawing support from the negotiations at this stage would be premature." "I'm reluctant to say that this is a make-or-break moment. This is a difficult moment.
It's one that we anticipated. If we could successfully work through this, then the negotiations will continue," he said.
However, the US will stay committed to Mideast peace process regardless of the outcome of the Arab League's meeting in Libya, according to Crowley.
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2116052&Language=en
