Middle East Quartet to meet in Brussels

The Middle East Quartet plans to convene in Brussels on Wednesday seeking ways to break the current deadlock, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. Russia is going to actively facilitate the efforts to overcome the protracted stalemate in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process and resume the talks, the ministry said in a statement. "The longer the status quo will be lasting, the more negative effect this will have for the prospective of the resumption of the talks," said the ministry, noting that mediation efforts this year by the Quartet and other interested sides "have not brought about positive results." The continued building of Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories and military conflicts are aggravating the crisis, said the ministry. Meanwhile, Russia welcomed Sunday's ministerial meeting of the Arab League in Doha, in which Mahmud Abbas, head of the Palestinian National Authority, participated. "We welcome this meeting's urge to resume the talks on the known international legal base with the final aim to end Israeli occupation and the foundation of an independent viable integrated Palestinian state, which co-exists peacefully and secure with Israel," it said. Arab countries are ready to contact the UN Security Council and a number of influential international players, including Russia, for that purpose, said the ministry. Established in 2002 as a major mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the Quartet groups the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia.