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TechnoratiDirect Mideast peace talks back on
The Israelis and Palestinians will restart direct peace talks in September, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced on Friday. The first direct discussions in 20 months will focus on creating an independent Palestinian state. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas will meet face-to-face on 2 September in Washington.
A trilateral meeting with at the US State Department will “relaunch direct negotiations” Clinton told reporters.
She said there had “been difficulties in the past” and there will be “difficulties ahead” but she urged all parties involved to “keep moving forward”.
The talks are intended “to resolve all final status issues” she said, adding that they aim to complete negotiations within a year.
Ahead of the direct talks between Netanyahu and Abbas, both leaders will separately meet with US President Barack Obama.
Obama will also meet with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who Clinton said played a role which was “essential” to success.
Talks will focus on security for Israel, borders of a future Palestinian state, Palestinian refugees and Jerusalem, which both sides claim as their capital.
The US president will host a dinner for the Middle East leaders on the 1 September with Tony Blair, the former British prime minister and Quartet (the US, Russia, the United Nations and European Union) representative, joining them.
US Middle East envoy George Mitchell said peace talks would eventually move from the US to the Middle East. Although he said Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, would have no place in discussions.
The White House said on Friday it was “very hopeful” about Clinton’s announcement.
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