US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will tell Israel and the Palestinians on Friday it is up to them to settle their conflict and urge them to get to work on its core issues, her spokesman said on Friday.
"She'll call on both sides ...to begin to grapple with the core issues of the conflict: borders, security, refugees, settlements, water and Jerusalem," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters.
"She will make clear that the United States remains committed to this process, but that responsibility to end the conflict ultimately rests with the parties themselves," he added.
Clinton is currently meeting with Opposition chairwoman Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Washington, in an attempt to get a clear picture of the political situation in Israel as well as the likelihood Kadima will support the peace process.
She also met with Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and plans to meet with Prime Minister Salam Fayyad later.
Meanwhile US Undersecretary of State William Burns said during a visit to Chile Friday that Brazil and Argentina's recognition of a Palestinian state is premature.
Argentina's government said on Monday it had decided to recognize a Palestinian state based on borders before the 1967 war, following a similar move days earlier by neighboring Brazil. Uruguay also voiced recognition.
"We believe such recognition is premature," Burns told reporters in the Chilean capital, Santiago.
"It's only through negotiation between the parties themselves, Palestinians and Israelis, that we'll be able to realize the two-state solution."
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