Global General

Special

Newsmaker

Asia Pacific

America

Middle East

Europe

Africa

Quartet urges Palestine, Israel to fulfill obligations for peace

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-27 06:27

UNITED NATIONS-- The Quartet, or the United Nations, the United States, Russia and the European Union, urged in a statement on Friday both Palestine and Israel to fulfill their obligations to achieve peace.

"The Quartet reiterated its previous call for all Palestinians to commit themselves to nonviolence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations," the statement said.

Meanwhile, "the Quartet expressed deep concern about increasing settlement activity, which has a damaging impact on the negotiating environment and is an impediment to economic recovery, and called on Israel to freeze all settlement activity, including natural growth, and to dismantle outposts erected since March 2001, " the statement said.

Moreover, the Quartet reaffirmed its support for the bilateral and comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, the statement said.

According to the statement, the Quartet agreed that the spring of 2009 could be an appropriate time for an international meeting on the Middle East in Moscow.

"The Quartet expressed its interest in coordinating such a meeting for a mutually accepted time," the statement said.

Earlier Friday, the UN. Security Council held a meeting and discussed the Middle East situation.