Years of Diplomatic Stagnation about to End, Says Israel's Livni
Israeli negotiator and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni hailed U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's announcement Friday on an agreement for the basis to resume peace talks with the Palestinians.
"These were long months of scepticism and cynicism," she said in a statement. "But now, four years of diplomatic stagnation are about to end."
Livni will be meeting with Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat in Washington in the near future to begin "initial talks", according to Kerry.
"Alongside the opportunity, I also know that the moment negotiations start, they will be complex and not easy," Livni said.
"But I'm convinced this is the right thing for our future, our security, our economy and values."
Livni praised Netanyahu "who made decisions that represent Israel's important interests" and Kerry for his "determination" which "led the Palestinians and us to the negotiating room".
Kerry's announcement came at the end of four days of intense diplomacy by the secretary of state as he consulted Israeli and Palestinian leaders from his base in the Jordanian capital Amman.
Talks have stuttered and started for decades in the elusive bid to reach a final peace deal between the Arab world and Israel.
But they collapsed completely in September 2010 when Israel refused to keep up a freeze on settlement building in Palestinian territories.
Source: Agence France Presse
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