The U.S. State Department has confirmed that Secretary of State Hilary Clinton is going to attend the upcoming Mideast quartet meeting in Moscow, which will take place amid growing tensions in the region.
The meeting of the Quartet of international mediators in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which comprises Russia, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations, will be held in Moscow on March 19.
“I think she”s planned to be – I don”t have a formal trip announcement to make, but she”s planning to be in Moscow next week for the Quartet meeting, as was announced by Foreign Minister Lavrov,” the U.S. State Department spokesman, Philip J. Crowley, said during a press briefing on Wednesday.
Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists he intended to hold bilateral talks with representatives of all Quartet members, including the U.S. secretary of state, during the meeting in Moscow. He said the agenda of the talks, along with the Middle East settlement, would also include other issues.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is also expected to attend the Quartet meeting.
The Middle East peace process made progress earlier this month, when the Palestinian authorities agreed to hold indirect peace talks with Israel mediated by the United States after a 14-month break.
