WEST BANK: US Secretary of State John Kerry says they are making progress towards Israeli-Palestinian framework peace agreement but not there yet

Record ID: 564834

  • Title: WEST BANK: US Secretary of State John Kerry says they are making progress towards Israeli-Palestinian framework peace agreement but not there yet
  • Date: 4th January 2014
  • Summary: SHOWS RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (JANUARY 04, 2014) (REUTERS) PALESTINIAN CHIEF NEGOTIATOR SAEB EREKAT WALKING TO PODIUM WITH U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY, SAYING: "I will say that we are working with great intensity, with serious purpose, with a commitment to trying to resolve this conflict that has gone on for many years too long. And which, I think, presents us now with the possibility of trying to find a framework agreement which would really lay out the endgame and lay out the framework for the major issues to guide the negotiations from this point forward. As Saeb said we are not there yet but we are making progress, and we are beginning to flesh out the toughest hurdles yet to be the overcome." MOSAIC PICTURE OF THE DOME OF ROCK AT PRESIDENTIAL COMPOUND (SOUNDBITE) (English) PALESTINIAN CHIEF NEGOTIATOR SAEB EREKAT, SAYING: "Secretary Kerry has exerted every possible effort in order to achieve a two state solution, State of Palestine to live side by side the State of Israel in peace and security on the 1967 lines. What Secretary Kerry is doing and let me reiterate in front of him is not an interim agreement is not transitional period is beyond thus, we are working hard to achieve an agreement on all core issues no one benefit more from the success of Secretary Kerry's effort than Palestinians and no one stands to lose more of failure than Palestinians." CONVOY OF U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY AT THE PALESTINIAN PRESIDENTIAL COMPOUND
  • Embargoed: 19th January 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: West bank
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA1U6M0CY7R3L5DBN5JZOESQTTJ
  • Story Text: US Secretary of State John Kerry says they are making progress towards an Israeli-Palestinian framework peace agreement, but they are not there yet.
    Israeli-Palestinian peace talks brokered by the United States resumed last July after a three-year halt with Kerry leading mediation efforts to keep them going despite neither party expressing much hope for a successful outcome.
    "I will say that we are working with great intensity, with serious purpose, with a commitment to trying to resolve this conflict that has gone on for many years too long. And which, I think, presents us now with the possibility of trying to find a framework agreement which would really lay out the endgame and lay out the framework for the major issues to guide the negotiations from this point forward. And Saeb said we are not there yet but we are making progress, and we are beginning to flesh out the toughest hurls yet to be the overcome," Kerry said.
    Kerry spoke after about three hours of talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, the Palestinian seat of government in the West Bank.
    Palestinian Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat said John Kerry had worked very hard to try to achieve a two solution for Israel and the the Palestinians.
    "Secretary Kerry has exerted every possible effort in order to achieve a two state solution, State of Palestine to live side by side the State of Israel in peace and security on the 1967 lines. What Secretary Kerry is doing and let me reiterate in front of him is not an interim agreement is not transitional period is beyond thus, we are working hard to achieve an agreement on all core issues no one benefit more from the success of Secretary Kerry's effort than Palestinians and no one stands to lose more of failure that Palestinians," Erekat said.
    Kerry is on his tenth trip to the region in the past year as he seeks to secure a peace deal. He was to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem later on Saturday.
    Kerry said he would fly to Jordan and to Saudi Arabia on Sunday to meet with the kings of each Arab nation to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which resumed on July 29 with a target of reaching a final agreement within nine months.
    Arab support is regarded as essential for the Palestinians to be able to make the compromises likely to be necessary to strike a peace deal with Israel.
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