Diplomatic quartet to meet on Middle East in New York

The United Nations, the United States, Russia and the European Union (EU) have scheduled a meeting for next week to discuss the latest situation in the Middle East and seek ways to revive the stalled peace process, a senior UN official said on Friday.

"The quartet principals are due to consult informally next week here at the United Nations, in order to discuss the (Gaza) withdrawal initiative and review developments on the ground," Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast told the Security Council.

The meeting will take place at the UN headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the General Assembly's 59th session. US Secretary of State Colin Powell and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, are expected to attend the gathering.

During his briefing, Prendergast expressed "extreme concern" at recent remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that Israel is not following the roadmap peace plan, devised by the quartet, and might stay in the West Bank long after any withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

He again reported "a bad month in the Middle East," with a resumption of Palestinian suicide bombings inside Israel, further deadly Israeli military operations in Palestinian territories and no progress on an international peace plan that offers the only way out of "the current hopeless situation."

"Absence of hope for a peaceful settlement leads to despair, strengthens extremists and is sure recipe for continuing violence and instability," he warned.

Source: Xinhua