The Middle East peace quartet – comprised of Russia, the US, UN and EU – met in Washington on Monday, but did not issue a joint statement, saying only that Palestine and Israel must make difficult decisions in order to achieve peace.
The quartet stated that the sides have considerable disagreements and need to make the complicated decisions themselves. According to the quartet, the disagreements in question have stalled progress in relations between the two sides.
The mediators called for direct dialogue between the Palestinian and Israeli authorities, and said that they are ready to help the sides reach a compromise. The quartet gathered in Washington on Monday to discuss the possibility of a resumption of the peace talks.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov represented Russia in the talks.