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No Breakthrough in Mideast Talks

01 October 2010 22:33 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Israeli and Palestinian leaders have wrapped up separate talks with U.S. envoy George Mitchell, with no apparent breakthrough on the key issue of Israeli settlement construction, APA reports quoting â€œThe Voice of Americaâ€.
Palestinian officials say President Mahmoud Abbas will not hold direct talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu until the issue of Israeli settlement expansions in the West Bank is resolved. However, the officials say Palestinians will engage in separate talks with mediators.
Mitchell held his second meeting with Mr. Abbas Friday, after holding a similar session with Prime Minister Netanyahu earlier in the day. Heading into the meeting, Mr. Netanyahu said his country had a â€œmission of peace.â€
Mr. Abbas has said he will decide whether to quit the talks after consulting senior Arab officials at a meeting next week.
Israeli news organizations have said the Obama administration offered Israel a list of favors if it agreed to extend the construction moratorium by two months. But the news organizations say Mr. Netanyahu rejected the offer.
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton also is in the region for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
The EU is part of the Middle East Quartet, which also has the United States, Russia and the United Nations.