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France to host meeting on revival of Israel-Palestine peace talks

Xinhua, January 14, 2017 Adjust font size:

A meeting will be held on Jan. 15 to revive the deadlocked peace process and push Israeli and Palestinian negotiators to resume bilateral talks, French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Friday.

The United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), United States, and major Arab countries will attend the Paris conference, which "will provide an opportunity to solemnly reaffirm the international community's commitment to the two-state solution...the only way to guarantee lasting peace," Ayrault said.

"Participants will reaffirm the urgent need to preserve this solution, the viability of which is threatened by continued settlement activity and violence," he added.

France launched a Middle East peace initiative last June after inviting 25 foreign ministers to debate ways to breathe life into the stranded peace negotiations.

With the upcoming meeting on conflict in the Middle East, the French minister hoped to lay the groundwork for future peace talks involving Israel and Palestine.

About 70 countries and organizations will take part in the Paris peace meeting which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a "rigged conference" that "pushes peace backwards" and aimed "to adopt additional anti-Israel stances."

Refusing preconditions, Israel said it was committed to bilateral and direct negotiation to achieve peace deal.

The last round of peace negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian authorities broke down in April 2014 after the two sides failed to resolve their deep, long-standing disputes on Israeli settlements, Palestinian state borders, and security. Endit