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March 25, 2007

UN's Ban Meets Palestinian President
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=16CA34C:A6F02AD83191E1600232A3FB8D86A6569574F7DCC14957C0 UN leader calls on
Israeli, Palestinian leaders to seize the moment, resume stalled talks





UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, left, Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah, 25 Mar 2007United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has met with Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Mr. Ban said he believes Mr. Abbas will work towards achieving peace
with Israel. The U.N. leader called on Israeli and Palestinian leaders
to seize the moment and resume stalled talks.

Following the talks in Ramallah Sunday, Mr. Abbas said he is doing
everything in his power to secure the release of an Israeli soldier,
Gilad Shalit, abducted by Palestinian militants last year.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says Mr. Abbas has violated
commitments to Israel, including a pledge to bring about the soldier's
release.

Mr. Ban meets with Mr. Olmert Monday. Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice is also in the region for separate talks with Mr. Abbas and Mr.
Olmert.

On Saturday she met with the foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia,
Jordan and the United Arab Emirates to stress the importance of
Arab-Israeli reconciliation as a critical element in broadening peace.

In Tel Aviv Saturday, Mr. Ban said there has been renewed
determination in the Arab world to reinvigorate the 2002 Arab peace
initiative, which would give Israel normalized ties with Arab nations
in exchange for Israel's withdrawal from land it seized in the 1967
war.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.




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