Diplomatic Quartet to meet on Middle East Road Map peace plan on Friday

In an effort to put the Middle East peace process back on track after weeks of attack and counter-attack by the Israeli and Palestinian sides, the so-called diplomatic Quartet of the United Nations, United States, Russia and European Union (EU) will meet on Friday at the principals level, a UN spokesman said today.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan will represent the UN at the meeting, with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, United States Secretary of State Colin Powell and a European delegation including Foreign Minister Franco Frattini of Italy, which currently holds the EU Presidency, Chris Patten, External Relations Commissioner of the European Commission, and Javier Solana, EU High Representative for a Common Foreign and Security Policy.

The Quartet is sponsoring the Road Map peace plan, which calls for Israel and the Palestinians to take a series of parallel and reciprocal steps culminating in the achievement of two states living side by side in peace by 2005.

In the face of the continuing violence Mr. Annan has said repeatedly in recent weeks that security for both Israelis and Palestinians can best be achieved by the political process of conflict resolution called for in the Road Map.