Quartet pushes for Palestinian state within 24 months

19/03/10 11:46 CET

world news

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There are fresh calls for the Israelis and Palestinians to do more to move towards peace talks.

Little in the way of concrete steps have been announced after a meeting in Moscow of the international Middle East Quartet of peace mediators.

But a two-year goal for the creation of a Palestinain state was reiterated.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said: “The Quartet continues to support the Palestinian authority’s plan of 2009 for building a Palestinian state within 24 months, as a demonstration of the Palestinians’ serious commitment to an independant state that provides good governance, opportunity, justice and security for the Palestinian people.”

The Palestinian Authority has welcomed the quartet’s criticism of Israel for announcing plans to build new 1600 new homes near occupied East Jerusalem.

The announcement also angered Washington, raising fears that any new peace efforts may now be in jeopardy.

More about: Israel-Palestine Peace Process, Mideast

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