Republished May 17, 2016 - 4:09 AM
Original Publication Date May 17, 2016 - 12:45 AM
PARIS - An international conference in Paris aimed at reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is being delayed to June to allow U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to attend, France's president said Tuesday.
The conference was initially scheduled for May 30 but Kerry cannot come on that date, Francois Hollande told Europe 1 radio.
"A new date in early June should be set up soon," Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said. "The French initiative on the peace process is necessary and urgent".
Hollande said, "We are going to create, with all actors and neighbouring countries, the parameters which will allow Israelis and Palestinians to return to the negotiating table."
Paris plans to host a ministerial meeting of 20 countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, as a first step to discuss the peace process. Israel and the Palestinians have not been invited.
News from © The Associated Press, 2016