NEW YORK, Sept 25 (AFP) - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas will meet for a second day of talks today, after failing to break the deadlock between Israelis and Palestinians.
Clinton has sought to use her clout to bring renewed impetus to the flagging peace process, and has persuaded the two sides to go back to the negotiating table for the first time after a 20-month hiatus.
But the talks are overshadowed by the end of an Israeli moratorium on settlement building, with the Palestinians threatening to walk out of the fledgling peace talks if it is allowed to expire as planned on Sunday.
The pair met in New York on Friday after US officials bluntly told both the Israelis and Palestinians not to wreck the fledgling peace negotiations.
Abbas had earlier rejected an Israeli suggestion that a compromise may be possible ahead of the scheduled end of the moratorium.
“Our efforts will continue,” Clinton spokesman Philip Crowley said after Abbas and the chief US diplomat met for 25 minutes on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. “Nothing new until now,” Abbas told AFP after emerging from his evening meeting with Clinton, noting the two would meet again today.
Abbas advisor Nabil Abu Rudeina said: “We're discussing American efforts about the continuation of the negotiations.” |
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