Israelis, Palestinians Reaffirm Peace Commitment
中东四方寻找结束巴以冲突途径

Key participants of the Middle East Quartet, which is working to find an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, have been meeting in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el Sheikh. They have given an account of progress in behind-the-scenes peace talks and discussions.

国际中东问题四方小组主要成员一直在埃及渡假地沙姆沙伊赫开会，这个小组在争取找到结束巴、以冲突的途径。与会者介绍了在不公开的和平谈判和磋商中取得的进展情况。

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon says he is using the influence of his office to work for peace and that all the mechanisms are in place, including the Quartet, which is the European Union, the United Nations, Russia, and the United States.

联合国秘书长潘基文说，他正在利用做为联合国秘书长的影响力争取巴、以实现和平，他还说，解决巴、以冲突问题的各种机制都已经到位，包括由欧盟、联合国、俄罗斯和美国组成的国际中东问题四方小组。

The Secretary General said he is discussing several obstacles facing the peace process at the weekend conference in Sharm el Sheikh.

潘基文说，这个周末在沙姆沙伊赫举行的会上，他准备跟与会各方商讨和平进程遇到的几项阻力。

"The quartet has also made clear it supports more positive strategy for Gaza," Mr. Ban said. "I have been discussing this matter with Israeli government leaders, Prime Minister Olmert and Foreign Minister Livni, on many occasions, and today I am also going to discuss this matter about the closure of crossings and road blocks and also settlement issues and demolition of houses. All these activities are not desirable for the ongoing peace process ... creation of atmosphere conducive to the ongoing peace process will be extremely important."

潘基文说：“四方小组还清楚地表明，支持在加沙地带采取更加积极的策略。我就这个问题在许多场合下一直跟总理奥尔默特和外长利夫尼等以色列政府领导人进行讨论，今天，我还准备谈及关闭过境点、封锁道路的问题，以及定居点和拆毁住房等问题。这些做法跟目前的和平进程是格格不入的，因此，给目前的和平进程创造一个建设性的氛围极为重要。”

The Quartet's Special Envoy, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, underlined that everyone is hoping the new U.S. administration, under Barack Obama, will focus on the peace process from its first day in office, beginning January 20th, 2009.

国际中东问题四方小组特使、英国前首相布莱尔强调，大家都希望巴拉克.奥巴马领导下的新一届美国政府从2009年1月20号上任就把工作重点放在巴以和平进程上。

"The single most important thing is that the new administration in the United States grips this issue from day one and it can do so, knowing that there is a foundation on which we can build," Blair said. "For the first time, we have comprehensive political negotiations, through the Annapolis political process. For the first time, we have a proper plan to build security capability for the Palestinians, which is necessary to create a Palestinian state."

布莱尔说：“对于美国新一届政府来说，唯一重要的事情就是，从1月20号那天起就要抓紧处理巴、以和平进程问题，而且这届新政府能够办得到，因为它知道我们有一项可以信赖的基本原则。通过安纳波利斯政治进程，我们第一次可以进行综合性政治磋商。我们还第一次拥有一项为巴勒斯坦人培养安全力量的恰当计划，而这是建立巴勒斯坦国所必须的。”

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said a peace agreement will not be reached by the end of the year, but said the peace talks, which got underway at the Annapolis Maryland conference in November of last year, will continue and ultimately bear fruit.

美国国务卿赖斯曾经说过，今年年底之前不会达成巴、以和平协议，不过她认为，去年11月在美国马里兰州首府安纳波利斯会议上启动的和平谈判将继续下去，并最终会取得成果。

"I do think that what we heard today from the parties, which is the most important element of this is that they believe in the Annapolis process, they believe in the integrated nature of this process that builds peace from the bottom up and from the top down," Rice said. "They believe that their negotiations are producing an atmosphere of trust as well as the foundation on which to build."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also expressed hope a new peace conference, to be held next spring in Moscow, will continue the work begun at Annapolis.

俄罗斯外长拉夫罗夫也说，希望明年春季在莫斯科举行另外一次和平会议，继续安纳波利斯会议上开始的努力。

"The conference which everybody agreed to have in Moscow some time next spring must certainly be a step forward, and this is why we are taking time to make sure that we prepare for it properly ... talking to the members of the Quartet, to the parties themselves, to the League of Arab States, to all those who participated in Annapolis, because our common desire is to make sure Annapolis process succeeds," Lavrov said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, says the peace talks are in the interests of Israel and the Palestinians.

以色列外长利夫尼说，和平谈判符合以色列和巴勒斯坦人的利益。

"So negotiating is not a favor that Israel or the Palestinians is doing to international community, one to the other, but this is according to the interests of each people," Livni said.

利夫尼说：“因此，举行和平谈判不是以色列或巴勒斯坦人帮助国际社会，或者对对方有利，而是符合双方人民的利益。”

Meanwhile, al Jazzera TV reports Syrian President Bashar al Assad is accusing Israel about "not being serious about peace," despite indirect talks between Israel and Syria, last held in September under Turkish mediation.

The Arab press is critical of the Palestinians for their internal conflict, with the daily Asharqalawsat running a cartoon showing negotiators from the Fatah and Hamas factions heading into a narrow alley which culminates in a dead end.