Rice:This is 'time to seize opportunities' in Mideast

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, arriving in Israel with Saudi support for a regional peace conference, said Wednesday that now is the "time to seize opportunities" in Middle East peace-making. Speaking to reporters after talks with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in Jerusalem, Rice said she aimed in her meetings in Israel and Ramallah, where she will hold talks with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas,to take advantage of "mutual opportunities" to advance the two-state solution."This is a time to seize opportunities and it is a time to proceed in a prepared and careful way,as one does not want to miss opportunities because of a lack of preparation but it is nonetheless a time when we have to take advantage of what is before us,"she said.Livni said that Israel also recognized that this was a propitious time for peace efforts, which it aimed to exploit."There is a Palestinian government which meets the requirements of the international community, a government that believes in the vision of the two states, a government that shows determination to change the situation and Israel is not going to miss this opportunity," she said. Regarding the issue of a regional peace conference sponsored and hosted by the United States, Rice said that no invitations had yet been issued, despite securing the backing of Riyadh for such a summit....
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