Kerry returns to Israel after Paris talks

AFP , Monday 31 Mar 2014

US Secretary of State John Kerry is returning to Israel on Monday and will land in Tel Aviv, a senior US official said in France.

Kerry, who held talks on the Ukraine crisis in Paris with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov at the weekend, will possibly also hold meetings in Jerusalem and Ramallah over Monday and Tuesday, the official said.

"Our negotiating team has been working with both parties on the ground to help them agree on a path forward, and Secretary Kerry has kept in close touch with his counterparts by phone," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

"After consulting with his team, Secretary Kerry decided it would be productive to return to the region," Psaki said.

"Over the course of the last eight months, the Israelis and Palestinians have both made tough choices, and as we work with them to determine the next steps, it is important they remember that only peace will bring the Israeli and Palestinian people both the security and economic prosperity they all deserve," she said.

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