Israel, Palestinians launch bid for '08 peace deal
Thursday, 29 November 2007
ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, Nov 28 (AFP): Israel and the Palestinians pledged Tuesday to seek a peace deal by the end of 2008 as they relaunched negotiations frozen for seven years at a major US-sponsored conference.
Flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, US President George W Bush read out the pledge to top diplomats and others from 50 countries and organisations meeting in Annapolis, Maryland.
"We agree to engage in vigorous, ongoing and continuous negotiations and shall make every effort to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008," said the joint Palestinian-Israeli statement read out by Bush before preliminary closed-door talks.
But within hours of the announcement, Olmert said a 2008 deadline for a deal might not be reached.
Flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, US President George W Bush read out the pledge to top diplomats and others from 50 countries and organisations meeting in Annapolis, Maryland.
"We agree to engage in vigorous, ongoing and continuous negotiations and shall make every effort to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008," said the joint Palestinian-Israeli statement read out by Bush before preliminary closed-door talks.
But within hours of the announcement, Olmert said a 2008 deadline for a deal might not be reached.