WORLD> Middle East
Netanyahu-Mitchell 2nd talk ends with no agreement
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-09-16 21:11

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the US Middle East envoy George Mitchell ended their second meeting this week on Wednesday, with no agreement announced on the settlement issue.

Ha'aretz quoted a statement from the Prime Minister's Office as saying that the meeting was good, but it did not disclose whether any specific progress was made.

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A third meeting between the two persons may take place on Friday although there has been no official confirmation so far. Mitchell may also travel to Ramallah again on Wednesday to meet Palestinian officials.

Mitchell met with Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas one after another on Tuesday. It is speculated by some local media that the US envoy was shuttling questions and answers back and forth.

Efforts to resume the stalled peace process have been heating up as clock is ticking down toward the UN General Assembly later this month, when US President Barack Obama is expected to convene a tripartite summit with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and officially announce the resumption of peace talks.

However, settlement construction issue still lies on the way to the possible tripartite summit. The US has demanded that Israel freeze the construction for a year, while Israel is ready to freeze it for only six months.

Palestinian senior negotiator Saeb Erekat said that Abbas has informed Mitchell during their Tuesday's talks that the Palestinians are ready to resume peace talks with Israel if the Jewish state stopped settlement construction in the West Bank.