The participants in the international conference "Middle East 2020: Is comprehensive settlement possible?" in Jordan have agreed that a lack of progress in the Mideast peace talks may deepen the crisis in the region.
The talks have been initiated by Moscow in times when the process of Mideast peaceful settlement is apparently deadlocked. The negotiation process is frozen. The opposing sides do not believe the talks can bring positive changes, says Irina Zvyagelskaya, an expert for the Russian Institute of Oriental Studies:
"Palestinians have little belief that they will manage to establish a state on the land they might receive some day. Israel thinks a sovereign Palestinian state will give them solid security guarantees. Altogether, this makes the atmosphere at the talks pessimistic".
refusal to stop settlement activities in East Jerusalem has become one of the major obstacles to peace in the region. Ahmed Qurei, former PA prime minister and head of the Palestinian delegation at the talks with Israel, thinks there is no use negotiating unless Israel abandons its settlement activity. Israel's intention to preserve the status quo can be accepted by the Autonomy, Mr. Qurei said:
"A prominent Russian Oriental studies expert, Yevgeny Primakov, thinks that if left as it is, the situation may end with new attacks and uprising. Addressing the conference in Jordan, Primakov said that stagnation could be overcome only when Israel stops its settlement activity and the US sticks to its official position on the Mideast issue. After taking office last January, President Barack Obama proclaimed the Mideast settlement one of his foreign policy priorities. At first he insisted that Israel stopped all kinds of settlement activities in East Jerusalem but later accepted a plan proposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cease settlement activity for 10 months. Obviously, Palestinians cannot accept these terms but backed by Washington, Israel does not seem to be about making any concessions".
The Quartet on the Middle East comprising Russia, US, UN and EU, must boost efforts and work out a framework agreement which would offer a compromise and clear deadlines. Yevgeny Primakov continues:
"A special commission should be established as part of the Quartet to monitor the process of Israeli-Palestinian talks and the implementation of the agreements".
The participants in the conference agreed that no progress is possible in the talks without international mediation.
The Conference was attended by leading analysts, scientists, politicians and journalists who are experts on the Middle East settlement and regional and energy security from Palestine, Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Turkey, Bahrain, Iran, Britain, France and the United States.
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