World powers unite to advance Mid-East peace process

The European Union, the United Nations, the United States and Russia have announced a joint initiative to advance the Middle East peace process.

The four world powers plan to hold a peace summit this summer to co-ordinate their efforts to end the decades-old war between Israel and the Palestinians.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell said yesterday that the so-called Quartet will spend the coming weeks discussing the principles on which the summit will be based.