Top European Union foreign policy official Javier Solana met Monday with new U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, calling the discussion a warm exchange of hearts and minds in which he stressed a revival of the Middle East peacemaking Quartet. Within the Middle East, I d like to insist as strongly as possible that we have to tackle the peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians, Solana said. I hope very much that Ban will play an important role in the Quartet, comprised of the United States, the European Union, Russia, and the United Nations. This must be for us the priority of great significance during this period of time, Solana told reporters.. Responding to a question from S.P.A., Solana said that he would involve regional players such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt in future talks with the Quartet. Solana confirmed that there would be a Quartet meeting towards the middle of January, most probably in Paris around the Lebanon donors conference, which is scheduled to take place on January 15th.
