The European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, says the group will do everything it can to get the Middle East peace process moving in the next six months.
Speaking at a meeting in Spain Friday, Solana said he thinks the "roadmap for peace," a plan developed by the United States and other nations, contains everything necessary for success if there is the political will.
The two-day meeting, known as the Madrid Plus 15 conference, involved present and former Middle East officials. It commemorated the 1991 Madrid Conference that began peace talks between Israel and its Arab enemies.
The first conference ended with the 1993 Oslo accords between Palestinians and the Jewish state. This year's meeting was sponsored by private peace groups, in hopes of spurring progress in the Middle East peace process.
The Israeli newspaper, Ha'aretz, reported that two senior Syrian officials attended the conference, which also included members of Israel's parliament as well as several former Israeli cabinet ministers. Ha'aretz said this was the first time in seven years that Israeli and Syrian officials were sitting at the same table.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP.
