Quartet Backs Egypt's Israeli Gaza Pullout Plan

Quartet Again Backs Egypt's Support For Planned Israeli Pullout From Gaza

Representatives of the diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East meeting in Jerusalem today reiterated their strong support for Egypt's efforts to assist the two sides in bringing the Israeli initiative to withdraw from Gaza to a successful conclusion, a United Nations spokesperson said Tuesday.

Envoys from the UN, United States, European Union and Russian Federation also continued discussions begun in Taba, Egypt, last month on the humanitarian situation in the West Bank and Gaza.

A World Bank report which served as a basis for their discussions recommends that Israel introduce technologies and administrative methods to facilitate orderly flow of cargo and the maintenance of security in the Gaza Strip.

The paper also calls for the Palestinian Authority to make "credible security efforts and to commit itself to a reinvigorated program of reforms designed to create an investor-friendly business environment."

Attending the session today were the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Terje Roed-Larsen, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield, European Union Special Representative Marc Otte and Russia Ambassador Alexander Kalugin.

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