YEREVAN, October 20 (RIA Novosti) - The quartet of mediators in the Middle East peace process could meet as early as November in a Mideast country, the Russian foreign minister said on Monday.

"It would be natural if the meeting were to take place in the Middle East region. It would probably take place in the first half of November," Sergei Lavrov told journalists.

The meeting between Russia, the EU, the U.S. and the UN will be held at the ministerial level with the participation of Israel and Palestinian officials, the minister said.

Israel and the Palestinian National Authority pledged in Annapolis, Maryland, last November to resume peace talks, draft a settlement plan by late 2008, and come to terms on the form of a future independent Palestinian state. However the talks have so far made little tangible progress.

At its latest meeting in September, the quartet expressed "deep concern about increasing (Israeli) settlement activity, which has a damaging impact on the negotiating environment and is an impediment to economic recovery and called on Israel to freeze all settlement activity."

The construction of settlements, viewed as a major obstacle to reaching a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians, has nearly doubled since 2007, despite Israel's pledge to freeze such activities.

The meeting ended with a call on Israel and Palestinians to agree on a peace deal by the end of 2008.