Peacemakers gather after inconclusive Mideast summit

The European Union, the US, the UN and Russia convene today in Berlin in search of a way to advance stalled Middle East peace efforts amid strong scepticism about the Palestinians’ planned unity government.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will report to her partners on her three-way summit on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Germany, which holds the EU presidency, has pushed hard for the Quartet to take a key role in encouraging a revival of the peace process.

The gathering at the German Foreign Ministry is the group’s second meeting this month, following a February 2 session in Washington.

Monday’s summit concluded with no new agreements and a pledge to keep talking. The US, which had pushed for the session, said it was an accomplishment merely to hold such a get-together for the first time in six years.

Mr Abbas acknowledged the talks had been “tense and difficult,” but said “it was not a failure and it will be followed by other meetings".

But on Tuesday, Israel ruled out any talks on a final peace deal with Mr Abbas if he goes ahead with plans for his moderate Fatah faction to join the Islamic militant Hamas in a new government.

The US and EU have demanded that any Palestinian government recognise Israel, accept previous peace agreements and renounce violence as a condition for restoring vital foreign aid. Hamas has rejected the conditions, and the unity government accord tries to finesse those points.

The Quartet meeting brings Ms Rice together with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov; German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier; EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, and the bloc’s external relations commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner.