The Jordanian government will host a meeting between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators this week, bringing the sides together for the first time in more than a year.Tuesday's talks will not be a formal negotiating session, but will mark a significant step toward restarting negotiations, which broke down in September 2010.
"The upcoming meeting is part of serious and continuous efforts to reach a common ground to resume the direct negotiations," Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Kayed said on Sunday.
He said Jordan's foreign minister, Nasser Judeh, would host the meeting of Israeli and Palestinian representatives with teams from the international Quartet of Mideast mediators. The Quartet, consisting of the US, European Union, Russia and the United Nations, has been trying to restart negotiations with the goal of forging a final peace agreement this year.
Judeh is expected to hold a separate meeting with the Israelis and Palestinians, Kayed said. He gave no details on the agenda or participants.