Israel, Palestinians to Resume Talks on March 21

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will begin their new round of peace talks under U.S. auspices on March 21 at Bolling air Force Base in Washington, the State Department said on Friday.

"On Tuesday, March 21, Palestinian and Israeli negotiators will resume permanent status negotiations at Bolling Air Force Base," State Department spokesman James Rubin told reporters. "The U.S. will be working with both sides to facilitate progress," Rubin said in a statement.

"The primary focus of the negotiations will be to reach a framework agreement as soon as possible so that all permanent status issues can be resolved by September 13," he added. Rubin said interim issues would also be discussed including further handover of West Bank land to Palestinian control. Negotiators in Jerusalem in late-night talks on Wednesday agreed on a transfer of 6.1 percent of West Bank land which would put 42.9 percent of the area under full or partial Palestinian control. The handover is expected to take place on Sunday. The talks could last two weeks and negotiators would be at the level of chief negotiators, headed by Oded Eran for Israel and by Yasser Abed Rabbo and Saeb Erekat for the Palestinians, Rubin said. Both President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will not give the peace talks the same level of attention they did to Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in Wye, Maryland, in 1998, Rubin said.

Back to top
Copyright by People's Daily Online, All rights reserved