Annan Disappointed at Failure of Israeli-Palestinian TalksU.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan Tuesday expressed his disappointment over the failure of Israeli-Palestinian talks in Camp David.The Camp David summit in pursuit of a Middle East settlement collapsed Tuesday and the parties failed to reach an overall agreement. The breakdown came despite rounded efforts by U.S. President Bill Clinton, who returned to Camp David Sunday night after a four-day trip to Japan. A statement issued by the U.N. spokesman's office said, "The secretary-general is disappointed that, despite strenuous efforts at the Camp David Summit, the parties were not able to reach an overall agreement." "Given the seriousness of the issues involved and their importance for reaching a comprehensive peace in the Middle East, he encourages (Israeli) Prime Minister (Ehud) Barak and (Palestinian) leader (Yasser) Arafat to persist in their efforts to find comprehensive solutions with courage and vision," the statement said. The secretary-general commended U.S. President Bill Clinton for his efforts to facilitate progress. |
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