US special envoy holds talks with Crown Prince

They discussed "recent developments in the peace process and the reconciliation efforts between Palestinian and Israeli sides", WAM the state news agency, reports.

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Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, held talks yesterday with the US Middle East special envoy, George Mitchell, on efforts to push forward peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine, WAM, the state news agency, reported yesterday. Mr Mitchell briefed Sheikh Mohammed in Abu Dhabi on the results of talks he held with the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, and the Palestinian and Israeli sides over the past few days, WAM said.

They discussed "recent developments in the peace process and the reconciliation efforts between Palestinian and Israeli sides", WAM said. "They also pondered over the steps to be taken in order to achieve concrete progress in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations to ensure an independent and viable Palestinian state." According to WAM, Sheikh Mohammed "stressed the need to remove obstacles that impede progress in talks ... including cessation of all procedures and practices that would undermine the trust between the two sides".

* The National