Quartet welcomes Fatah-Hamas power-sharing accord

The Quartet of Middle East negotiators welcomed the Palestinian power-sharing pact, hoping it will lead to peace with Israel, EU officials said Friday.

Officials said top EU officials held talks via the phone with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and welcomed Saudi efforts to bring Hamas and Fatah together. She said all parties agreed that there was a need "to take the time to consider, to see what the agreement is and how it is going to be implemented," before deciding on lifting an international aid embargo on the Palestinians. (AP)