Mid-East peace talks 'must resume'
The Quartet of Middle East negotiators has urged Israel and the Palestinians to resume peace talks within one month and aim for a deal by the end of 2012.
The Quartet - the EU, UN, US, Russia - acted after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas submitted his bid to the UN for the recognition of a Palestinian state.
Direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians stalled in September 2010.
The Palestinians walked out in protest at the building of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN the core of the conflict was not settlements but the refusal of the Palestinians to recognise Israel as a Jewish state.
"Within a month there will be a preparatory meeting between the parties to agree an agenda and method of proceeding in the negotiation," a Quartet statement said.
"At that meeting there will be a commitment by both sides that the objective of any negotiation is to reach an agreement within a timeframe agreed to by the parties but not longer than the end of 2012."
The Quartet said that both Israel and the Palestinians should then produce "comprehensive proposals within three months on territory and security," and "substantial progress" should be achieved within six months.
An international conference to fine-tune all outstanding issues would be held in Moscow "at an appropriate time," the Middle East negotiators added.
EU foreign policy chief Baroness (Catherine) Ashton said she hoped both sides would react positively to the plan.
"If ever there was a time to resolve this conflict, it is now," Lady Ashton said.
"It is now because Israel worries about its security, because the people of Palestine have waited long for their country."
They said that Israeli and Palestinian leaders were now studying the Quartet proposals.
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