Quartet backs Obama's speech on Mideast peace

The Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators, the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, on Friday voiced "strong support" for US President Barack Obama's vision of Israeli-Palestinian peace.

"The Quartet agrees that moving forward on the basis of territory and security provides a foundation for Israelis and Palestinians to reach a final resolution of the conflict through serious and substantive negotiations and mutual agreement on all core issues," the group said in a statement. (Reuters)