Rice To Travel To Middle East For Palestinian Dialogue

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel to Israel and Jordan on March 28-31 to support the peace negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

Rice's spokesman, Sean McCormack, said the secretary will meet with leaders of Israel and Palestine to support their efforts to achieve an agreement this year on the establishment of a Palestinian state as well as peace and security between the two sides.

Rice will also discuss efforts to improve conditions on the ground and to advance Palestinian economic development and capacity building.

The secretary will meet with Jordan's King Abdullah to discuss Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, the political situation in Lebanon, stability in Iraq, and other regional developments.

The peace efforts of Israel and Palestine has suffered another setback as fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip resumed over the past weeks. The tension was also aggravated by Israel's plan to expand settlements in the Palestinian territories.