Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that the meeting between Russia, the EU, the United States and the UN would be held at the ministerial level with the participation of Israel and Palestinian officials.
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 progress.
At its latest meeting in September, "The Quartet expressed deep concern about increasing 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," it said in a statement.
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 the Palestinians to agree on a peace deal by the end of 2008.
