Quartet voices concern over Israeli settlements

The Quartet urged both Israel and Palestinians to make progress on their roadmap obligations, including an Israeli freeze on settlements, removal of unauthorized outposts, and opening of East Jerusalem institutions, and Palestinian steps to end violence, terrorism, and incitement.
The Quartet meeting was attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado, EU Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Quartet Representative Tony Blair.
The mediators welcomed the success of last month`s meeting in the U.S. city of Annapolis, which launched the first peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians in seven years.
On Monday, international donors at a Paris conference pledged $7.4 billion in aid to the Palestinians over the next three years in support of the Western-backed government of President Mahmoud Abbas, demikian Reuters