U.S., Palestinian officials meet as Israeli settlement freeze deadline looms

16:11, 25 September 2010

NEW YORK. September 25. KAZINFORM U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas here on Friday evening, just two days before the Sunday expiry of a 10-month freeze on Israel's new settlement construction in the occupied territory; Kazinform refers to Xinhua.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of the general debate of the UN General Assembly, took place after Clinton met Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Monday, part of Clinton's several discussions with other Middle East leaders while they are at the UN Headquarters in New York to attend the summit on the UN anti-poverty goals, which started on Monday, and the annual general debate, which opened here on Thursday morning.

Clinton is engaged in "a pretty intense set of negotiations" right now with both Palestinians and Israelis, a senior U.S. official said here.

Abbas, who reported "nothing new" from his Friday meeting with Clinton, said he will have another round of talks with her on Saturday; Kazinform cites Xinhua.

See www.xinhuanet.com/english2010/ for full version

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