By Xinhua
Jerusalem : U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Saturday started a three-day shuttle visit to the region, in a bid to discuss practical ways to improve the lives of Palestinians, according to local media.
During her second trip in a month to the Middle East, Rice planned to hold two trilateral meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
“I will spend a good deal of time on issues concerning the WestBank and issues concerning the ability to provide a better life for the people of the West Bank, including ways to improve movement and access,” Rice was quoted by the website of local daily Yedioth Ahronoth as saying.
On Sunday, Rice will meet with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
Barak said after meeting with Fayyad on Wednesday that Israel would transfer new vehicles and equipment to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ security forces and would ease the travel restrictions for West Bank residents.
However, the defense minister refused to remove checkpoints in the West Bank, arguing they help to prevent attacks by militants. Palestinians say the roadblocks amount to collective punishment.
Rice will also hold a trilateral meeting on Monday with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei.
Rice said earlier this month that neither Israel nor the Palestinians had done “nearly enough” to carry out the 2003 “Road Map” peace plan under which Israel is required to halt West Bank settlement activity and uproot settler outposts and the Palestinians to rein in militants.