P F Tinmore
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- Dec 6, 2009
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Envoys from the Middle East Quartet met in Brussels on Friday amid calls from the Palestinians to step up action to halt continuing Israeli settlement activity.
Officials from the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia gathered "to consult as they routinely do over the phone as well", said a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
But on the eve of the meeting chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat called on the group "to restore credibility and relevance to its role" by taking firm action to stop Israeli settlement construction.
"Since the Quartet was created, the Israeli settler population in the occupied Palestinian territory increased by one fifth," he said in a statement.
"Yet the Quartet has not taken any concrete measure to stop this alarming trend, which the international community unanimously agrees now seriously threatens the prospects of the two-state solution."
Quartet envoys meet amid Palestinian criticism - Yahoo! News
Officials from the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia gathered "to consult as they routinely do over the phone as well", said a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
But on the eve of the meeting chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat called on the group "to restore credibility and relevance to its role" by taking firm action to stop Israeli settlement construction.
"Since the Quartet was created, the Israeli settler population in the occupied Palestinian territory increased by one fifth," he said in a statement.
"Yet the Quartet has not taken any concrete measure to stop this alarming trend, which the international community unanimously agrees now seriously threatens the prospects of the two-state solution."
Quartet envoys meet amid Palestinian criticism - Yahoo! News