The Middle East Quartet of mediators – the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations – discussed on Tuesday reviving "meaningful negotiations" between Israel and the Palestinians with the aim of a two-state solution.
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In a statement following their meeting, the Quartet said that both Israel and the Palestinians need "to refrain from unilateral actions that make a two-state solution more difficult to achieve."
It appeared to be the first time since September 2018 that envoys from the four mediators have met. Last month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he hoped there would be a Quartet meeting in coming weeks, now that there was a new president in the White House.
The Palestinians want a state in Judea and Samaria and the Gaza Strip with east Jerusalem as its capital.
The new administration of US President Joe Biden has said it supports a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians and will overturn several decisions made by former US President Donald Trump.
It has said it will continue to urge other countries to normalize ties with Israel, but stressed that is not a substitute for Israeli-Palestinian peace.
In a major foreign policy success, Trump's administration helped secure agreements late last year by four Arab states – the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco – to normalize relations with Israel.
The Quartet was established in 2002 and has been criticized for its failure to get either Israel or the Palestinian Authority to change their policies and negotiate an end to their conflict.
Tuesday's statement by the Quartet envoys did not mention any future steps.
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