Fabius urges Israelis and Palestinians to rapidly resume direct peace talks

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has personally contacted senior Israeli and Palestinian officials to urge them to follow-up on US efforts these past months and rapidly resume direct talks for a settlement to the Middle East conflict, official sources said early Thursday. France's chief diplomat late Wednesday called both Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas and Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who is closely associated with recent initiatives, to discuss "the perspectives for restarting the peace process", a prospect announced by US Secretary-of-State John Kerry on July 19. Kerry has carried out an intensive shuttle diplomacy over the past several months and has made five visits to the region to urge Palestinians and Israelis to come back to the negotiating table they walked away from three years ago. Israel's settlement policy and its refusal to recognize the pre-1967 borders as a basis for a two-State solution have been the main stumbling blocks for getting talks back on track. Fabius "encouraged each party, on the basis of the agreement obtained, to rapidly resume direct negotiations in a climate of confidence and dialogue," Foreign Ministry spokesman Philippe Lalliot said in a statement overnight. The French Foreign Minister also told Abbas and Livni of "the determination of France to support the peace efforts and favour the conclusion of an agreement putting an end to the conflict."