Chinese, Israeli Leaders Confer over Phone

Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak had a phone conversation on Sunday.

President Jiang Zemin urged all the parties involved in the Mideast peace process to take "serious and concrete attitude" towards the process and earnestly implement all the agreements reached so as to ensure the advance of the peace talks.

Barak briefed Jiang on the latest developments in the Middle East region and the problems in the peace talks.

After expressing gratitude for Barak, Jiang said he had noticed that "some obstacles" had occurred in the peace talks while it is advancing. "The international community, including China, is unwilling to see such difficulties," he added.

Jiang considered it "inevitable" that difficulties appeared when the peace talks enters the current phase, stressing that all the difficulties "are not insurmountable."

Given all the parties involved "take serious and concrete attitude, build mutual trust, make compromise, and earnestly implement all the agreements reached," Jiang said, the peace negotiations "will make steady progress."

He said that China has consistently supported the peace process in the region and made contributions to its advancement.



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