| |
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
UNITED NATIONS: Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom on Monday urged UN chief Ban Ki-moon to lobby for an early resumption of direct peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians.
Speaking to reporters after a private meeting with the UN secretary general here, Shalom told reporters: "We would like to move to a direct dialogue (with the Palestinians) immediately."
"I hope that the secretary general will convince his partners in the (Middle East) Quartet in Moscow to ask the Palestinians to shorten the time that is needed in order to move to a direct dialogue," he added.
Earlier Monday, Ban confirmed that he planned to attend a meeting of the diplomatic Quartet in Moscow on March 19 to encourage an early resumption of direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
The Quartet groups the European Union, the United States, Russia and the United Nations.
Shalom hailed as a "positive" development the Palestinian decision to agree to US-brokered indirect talks between Israelis and Palestinians.
US officials said the two sides have begun the indirect talks in a tentative boost to the Middle East peace process frozen since the Jewish state's devastating war on Gaza.
- AFP/sc
|
