The diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East, comprised of the United Nations, the United States, the European Union (EU), and Russia, has voiced its full support for the middle east peace conference, which began its deliberations yesterday in Annapolis, Maryland. In a statement, the Quartet “welcomed the commitment of the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to launch bilateral negotiations toward the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza and the realization of Israeli-Palestinian peace.” “This reflects the result of months of work by the parties and by the Quartet, including the Quartet's engagement with members of the Arab League Follow-Up Committee to expand the circle of support for peace,” said the statement, released late Monday in Washington. The Quartet welcomed the parties' continuing efforts to fulfill their respective commitments under phase one of the roadmap peace plan and urged the international community to provide strong support for such efforts. --MORE
