U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice will arrive in the region on Sunday, in a last gasp attempt to wrest concessions out of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that could lead to an agreement between Israel and Palestinian Authority this year – before the upcoming end of both Olmert's and U.S. President George W. Bush's administrations.
According to a statement by the State Department Friday, Rice will be discussing “ongoing efforts to create positive and lasting peace in the region and progress toward the shared goal of a peace agreement in 2008.” Rice is not expected to be able to dedicate as much time to Israel and the PA as she had been hoping, because of the ongoing crisis in Georgia, where Russian troops refuse to withdraw from key parts of the country.
According to a statement by the State Department Friday, Rice will be discussing “ongoing efforts to create positive and lasting peace in the region and progress toward the shared goal of a peace agreement in 2008.” Rice is not expected to be able to dedicate as much time to Israel and the PA as she had been hoping, because of the ongoing crisis in Georgia, where Russian troops refuse to withdraw from key parts of the country.