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Secretary Rice - Har Homa project unhelpful
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Rice expects final draft of UN sanctions resolution against Iran by Tuesday

US Secretary of State says contested Israeli construction in Jerusalem 'may cloud talks with Palestinians,' hopes world powers can agree on wording of sanctions proposal against Iran

World powers will hold talks on Tuesday over finalizing the text of a third UN sanctions resolution against Iran which could be voted on in the coming weeks, said US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday.

 

Speaking at a women's foreign policy forum in Washington, Rice said political directors from the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China would hold a conference call on Tuesday to discuss Iran .

 

"They are working on finalizing the Security Council resolution - the text of one - that will then be sent to the Security Council to be voted sometime in the next several weeks," said Rice.

 

Tuesday's conference call follows a US intelligence estimate last week which said Iran had given up its nuclear weapons program in 2003, an announcement that dampened enthusiasm among skeptics Russia and China for more sanctions against Tehran.

 

Asked whether she thought Russia and China would support new sanctions, Rice said "most" states supported the US move for greater pressure on Iran .

 

'Har Homa project endangers peace efforts'

Meanwhile on Monday Rice said she hoped Israel's plans to build homes in a contested Jerusalem neighborhood would not "cloud" peace talks with the Palestinians and cautioned that time was running out to end the conflict.

 

Palestinians threatened to boycott peace negotiations set to start on Wednesday after Israel announced it would soon begin construction of some 300 new housing units in the Har Homa neighborhood. Israel has repeatedly said it does not consider the site as part of the West Bank and the neighborhood falls within Jerusalem's municipal boundaries.

 

"This is a time that we should be building confidence and this is not something that builds confidence," Rice said of the plan.

 

"I don't want all of that to cloud what I consider to be the very extraordinary and strong commitment of both Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas to try and end their conflict."

 

Rice said time was running out for negotiations on a Palestinian state, as a new generation emerged on both sides who did not see the need to end the conflict.

 

"The window is closing for a two-state solution. I worry that increasingly the people who believe in a two-state solution, particularly on the Palestinian side, are my age," she said.

 


פרסום ראשון: 12.11.07, 02:55
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