By IANS
United Nations : US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said Washington would invite Syria and other Arab League states to take part in a Middle East conference urging them to reject violence and remain committed to peace.
Speaking to reporters Sunday following a meeting of the Quartet of Middle East peace mediators comprising US, Russia UN and EU, Rice said: “Coming to this meeting also brings with it certain responsibilities,” Ria Novosti quoted Rice as saying.
“We hope that those who come are really committed to helping the Israelis and the Palestinians find a way through. And that means renouncing violence, it means working for a peaceful solution,” she said.
The Arab League panel comprises Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan and Egypt. Only Jordan and Egypt maintain diplomatic ties with Israel. Syria has been accused by the US of supplying arms to radical Palestinian groups at war with the Jewish state.
Earlier Sunday, the Quartet welcomed the conference, which is to take place in Washington in November and is designed to secure broader support for peace between Israel, the Palestinian National Authority and other Arab states.
Some Arab countries have been sceptical about the planned conference and have demanded more details.
At a news conference after a meeting of the US, Russia, EU and the UN, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Quartet’s envoy to the Middle East, said a plan to give the Palestinians statehood could take shape before the end of this year.
DPA adds: Members of the Mideast Quartet have voiced optimism for the peace process, saying that “things are moving again” on several fronts in the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict including the planned autumn meeting to be hosted by the US.
The United Nations headquarters meeting in advance of the UN General Assembly session opening Tuesday, the quartet said in a joint statement Sunday that it “recognised the present opportunity for progress and the robust regional and international desire for peace.”
It gave support for the conference to be convened by US President George W. Bush in November in Washington, with Arab governments and parties involved in the Middle East conflict invited to attend. Russia said there was hope that the Washington meeting would lead to an international conference on the Middle East, proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The statement gave “strong support” for talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the establishment of an Israeli-Palestinian team to discuss core issues to make progress toward a negotiated, two-state solution that would end the long-running conflict.
“The Quartet expects the meeting (in Washington) to affirm its support for the two-state solution based on a rejection of violence and its support for progress by the parties in their bilateral discussions,” the statement said.
The Quartet meeting in New York was attended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the European Union’s foreign policy and security envoy Javier Solana, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is the Quartet representative.
Also in attendance were Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado, whose country holds the current EU chair, and Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU commissioner for external affairs.
“The Quartet called for the continued provision of essential services,” said the statement, including reopening of crossing points between Israel and Gaza.